CAMBRIDGE FORECAST GROUP UPDATE: CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE JULY 2013
July 31, 2013 at 3:40 pm | Posted in Africa, Books, CFG, Development, Earth, Ecology, Economics, Financial, Globalization, Science & Technology, Third World, World-system | Leave a comment
A Remark on Climate Change and Third World Development
Let’s suppose that scientific evidence clearly shows at some point that carbon emissions into the atmosphere have to be severely curtailed. The developed economies are now “locked into” into various physical, infrastructural and economic patterns, which are “CO2 emission intensive”, centralized power grids, automobileization, chemical and energy intensive agriculture, fossil fuel generation of electricity. For example, the gains in CO2 emission reduction that could be realized from the use of biofuels is limited by the fact that the production of the crops to be used for biomass energy is itself energy intensive and thus creates greenhouse gas emissions. In the underdeveloped countries, on the other hand, there are large sectors of agriculture, both subsistence and commercial, which have not, as yet, modernized. The use of crops from such sectors affords a much greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For example, according to the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Princeton University, the percentage of total electricity generated by utility companies that could have been produced from sugar cane alone using advanced gas turbines is 14.9% in Asia, 19.2% in Africa, 45.1% in Latin America and 200% in Oceania.
To take another example, the lack of centralized power grids in many areas of the Third World has the potential of rendering profitable many forms of energy that would not be as profitable in a developed economy, photo-voltaics, wind, geothermal and others. According to J. C. Hourcade (1981, see footnote below), in many parts of the developing world, the new forms of renewable energy, specifically biogas, photovoltaics, solar, ponds, and geothermy, would already be competitive, for such uses as:
– cooking, especially in rural areas;
– agricultural irrigation;
– hot water heating in temperate and cold regions;
– pumping water;
– agricultural machinery and commercial vehicles.
He maintains that, “on the whole modern sources of renewable energy have a market potential covering 40% of final demand” and, therefore, “new renewable energy energies no longer appear as the energy of the distant future, but as the more appropriate to solve the present crisis in rural areas.”
In fact, from the point of view of climate change, the less developed a country is, the more advantages it has in terms of environmentally sustainable development. For example, given the exigencies of climate change, and the law of comparative advantage, Central America and Africa should specialize in energy-intensive heavy industry. This is because Central America has geothermal power and Africa has local hydropower (see Samir Amin, Accumulation on a World Scale, 1974).
Footnote:
Jean-Charles HOURCADE:
Hourcade, J.C., 1981, Prospect of Third World countries energy demand: a comparative analysis of CIRED’s and IIASA’s results, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.
HOURCADE, (J.C.), 1981, “Energy development styles and capital requirements in Third World countries”, Development, Journal of the Society for International Development, n° 2.
CFG Comment on this footnote:
World Climate Bank
A “world climate bank” would allow industrialized countries to purchase emission rights from less-developed nations. The revenues would enable poor countries to finance environmentally friendly economic development.
Industrialized countries could buy “emission rights” from less-developed countries if they want to continue emitting higher levels of CO2.
A “world climate bank” would allow industrialized nations to buy emissions quotas from countries with lower levels of CO2 output. Estimates show that the global trade in emissions quotas could generate annual revenues of between €30 billion and €90 billion ($45 billion and $129 billion). That money could then be used to help the world’s poorest countries to finance environmentally friendly economic development.
Methane hydrate
Methane traps heat up to 20 times more effectively than carbon dioxide, though it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time. Scientists warn a leak of methane could be catastrophic to the environment.
Methane hydrate is already a threat, regardless of whether energy companies begin drilling for it. A paper published earlier this month in the journal Nature said a release of a 50-gigatonne reservoir of methane under the East Siberian Sea could accelerate climate change and cost the global economy up to $60 trillion. And that could happen solely due to warming temperatures in the Arctic.
Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing is the fracturing of rock by a pressurized liquid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally—certain veins or dikes are examples. Induced hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a technique in which typically water is mixed with sand and chemicals, and the mixture is injected at high pressure into a wellbore to create small fractures (typically less than 1mm), along which fluids such as gas, petroleum and brine water may migrate to the well.
Some analysts have portrayed fracking as a technology (a la “cold fusion”) that can generate environmentally sustainable growth in the developed countries independent of Third World growth.
We disagree for three reasons.
Fracking can contaminate drinking water with toxic chemicals. (2) The methane released by fracking, has a far more potent greenhouse effect than CO2. (3) Even if fracking makes the West energy independent, Western growth ultimately needs markets in the developing countries.
Comment:
Fracking thus represents a “misplaced autarky” dream. The world economy is a certain kind of “traffic jam” which needs a new global growth pathway to exit the gridlock. This means global systemic change. Obama in 2009 made his Cairo Speech, attended the G20 Pittsburgh Economic Conference and the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December. He was groping towards such inclusive global systemic change in these three places but failed to deliver.
More Background:
CAMBRIDGE FORECAST GROUP GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
CFG LAWRENCE FEINER YOUTUBE INTERVIEW
GLOBALIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
OLD GLOBAL LOCOMOTIVE VERSUS NEW: CURRENT TRAFFIC JAM
Global crude oil price of Indian Basket increases to US$ 111.59/bbl on 03.09.2013
Effects of Diluted Bitumen on Crude Oil Transmission Pipelines
BIOFUEL POLICY AND PALM OIL 2013
CO-GENERATION STRATEGIES AND GHG
CLIMATE AND DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE
CARBON-DIOXIDE EMISSIONS: U.S. ENERGY-RELATED
ISLAMIC FINANCE AND LOW-CARBON DEVELOPMENT:
Islamic finance nears its big breakthrough in Africa
Islamic banking has grown rapidly around the world but the industry remains in its infancy in Africa; however that might be set to change, presenting the African banking market with a huge opportunity for growth, according to Wasim Saifi, Global Head of Islamic Banking, Consumer Banking, Standard Chartered Saadiq.
Dubai to launch global Islamic economy summit
The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry will launch the first Global Islamic Economy Summit in Dubai in November. The conference is aimed at bringing together leading thinkers and policy makers from around the world.
WORLD ISLAMIC BANKING CONFERENCE
FINANCIAL TIMES OCT 16: AFRICA SUKUK FINANCE
ISLAMIC TAKAFUL: GLOBAL GROWTH POTENTIAL
CFG COMMENT: Islamic Finance is roughly speaking a kind of Muslim venture capital for Third World development based on profit-sharing. Low-carbon development is integrable.
Muhammad bin Ibrahim: Role of the Islamic financial system in supporting green technology
by lawrence feiner, richard melson
CAMBRIDGE FORECAST GROUP
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS AUGUST 5 2011: ZAMBIA
August 5, 2011 at 3:11 pm | Posted in Africa, Development, Economics, Financial, Globalization, History | Leave a comment
Central bankers’ speeches for 5 August now available
Press, Service (press@bis.org)
Fri 8/05/11
Central bankers’ speeches for 5 August 2011
now available on the BIS website
- Athanasios Orphanides: Interview with Reuters
- Caleb M Fundanga: Recent economic developments in Zambia
All speeches from 1997 onwards are available from the BIS website at:
http://www.bis.org/list/cbspeeches/index.htm.
Communications
Bank for International Settlements
E-mail: press@bis.org
Website: www.bis.org
Phone: +41 61 280 8188
Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
Central bankers’ speeches for 5 August now available
http://www.bis.org/list/cbspeeches/index.htm
Press, Service (press@bis.org)
Fri 8/05/11
GLOBAL CONDITIONS: GRAIN STORAGE AND CLIMATE
June 13, 2011 at 9:51 pm | Posted in Africa, Earth, Ecology, Economics, Financial, Globalization, History, Research, Science & Technology, Third World | Leave a comment
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS, UN AGENCY SAYS
New York, Jun 6 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Mon, 6 Jun 2011
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS,UN AGENCY SAYS
Climate change will result in increased migrations and displacements of people, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said today, and the world needs to develop new methods to deal with it.
Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “http://www.unhcr.org/4decc5276.html told a conference on climate change and displacement in Norway that it has become increasingly clear that natural disasters and climate change cannot be regarded or addressed in isolation from the other global mega-trends that are conditioning the future of our planet and its people.
Population growth, urbanization, water, food, and energy insecurity will increasingly interact with each other and create the potential for competition and conflict over scarce natural resources, he said. As a result we are also likely to see growing numbers of people being displaced from one community, country and continent to another.
Mr. Guterres called on the countries which bear primary responsibility for climate change to establish a massive programme of support to the most seriously affected countries, thereby reinforcing the resilience of their citizens and their ability to adapt to the process of climate change.
I strongly believe that a viable approach would be to at least develop a global guiding framework for situations of cross-border displacement resulting from climate change and natural disasters, he said. UNHCR stands ready to support states in the development of such a framework, which could take the form of temporary or interim protection arrangements.
We could assist in the identification of scenarios in which such arrangements would be activated. And we could help to develop procedures and standards of treatment for affected populations, he said.
He also urged countries to switch from the usual emergency-mode response to natural disasters.
The billions of dollars spent on relief in recent decades have evidently not led to the sustainable strengthening of national and local capacities, he said.
Mr. Guterres spoke in Oslo at the Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century, organized by Norway’s environment and foreign affairs ministries to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees under the League of Nations.
Jun 6 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS, UN AGENCY SAYS
http://www.unhcr.org/4decc5276.html
New York, Jun 6 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Mon, 6 Jun 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
New York, Jun 5 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
Sun, 5 Jun 2011
Investing a relatively small amount each year in the forestry sector could halve deforestation, create millions of new jobs and help tackle the devastating effects of climate change, according to a United Nations report released today to mark World Environment Day.
The report, “Forests in a Green Economy: A Synthesis,” finds that an additional $40 billion spent each year in the forestry sector — or just 0.034 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) — could result in substantial environmental improvements.
The rate of deforestation could be halved by 2030, the number of trees planted could rise by 140 per cent by 2050 and as many as 30 million new jobs could be created by that same year.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which issued the report, said forestry is one of the key sectors capable of helping the world transition to a ‘green economy’ model that is resource-efficient and low in its use of carbon.
“There are already many encouraging signals; the annual net forest loss since 1990 has fallen from around eight million to around five million hectares and in some regions such as Asia, the Caribbean and Europe forest area has actually increased over those 20 years,” he said.
The area covered by freshly planted forests has also grown from 3.6 million hectares in 1990 to just below five million hectares last year.
Jan McAlpine, the Director of the Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, said the capacity of poorer countries to switch to green economies and protect their stocks of forests needs to be strengthened.
“Encouraging a transition to green economies will require a broad range of financial, regulatory, institutional and technological measures,” she said.
Forests and the benefits they provide represent the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, which is marked every year on 5 June. This year is also
the UN-declared International Year of the Forests.
Celebrations are being held across the globe, including in India, which is this year’s designated host.
On Friday Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described forests as central to economic development, poverty reduction and food security.
“By reducing deforestation and forest degradation we can make significant progress in addressing the combined threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation,” he said in a message to a forestry conservation meeting held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Jun 5 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
New York, Jun 5 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
Sun, 5 Jun 2011
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
New York, May 31 2011
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
Large amounts of food in sub-Saharan Africa goes to waste as a result of inappropriate storage, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report unveiled today, which calls for investing in post-harvest technologies to reduce to the losses and boost the continent’s food security.
The joint FAO-World Bank report, entitled Missing Food: The Case of Postharvest Grain Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, estimates the value of grain losses in sub-Saharan Africa at around $4 billion a year.
This lost food could meet the minimum annual food requirements of at least 48 million people, “http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79444/icode/ said Maria Helena Semedo, the FAO Assistant Director-General. If we agree that sustainable agricultural systems need to be developed to feed 9 billion people by 2050, addressing waste across the entire food chain must be a critical pillar of future national food strategies, she said.
According to estimates provided by the African Postharvest Losses Information System, physical grain losses prior to processing can range from 10 to 20 per cent of African annual production, which is worth $27 billion.
Losses occur when grain decays or is infested by pests, fungi or microbes, and physical losses, but the waste can also be economic, resulting from low prices and lack of access to markets for poor quality or contaminated grain.
According to the report, food losses contribute to high food prices by removing part of the food supply from the market. They also have a negative environmental impact as land, water and resources such as fertilizer and energy are used to produce, process, handle and transport food that no one consumes.
Reducing food losses is increasingly recognized as part of an integrated approach to realizing agriculture’s full potential, along with making effective use of today’s crops, improving productivity on existing farmland, and sustainably bringing additional acreage into production, said Jamal Saghir, the Director of the Sustainable Development Department of the World Bank’s Africa Region.
A variety of practices and technologies are available for reducing post-harvest losses, including crop protectants and storage containers such as hermetically sealed bags and metallic silos, the report notes.
Those technologies have proved successful in Asia, but more research is needed to identify methods adapted to local environments in Africa. To succeed, interventions must be sensitive to local conditions and practices.
The report recommends that governments create enabling conditions for farmers by reducing market transaction costs through investing in infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water, and strengthening agricultural research and extension services.
May 31 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79444/icode/
New York, May 31 2011
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS, UN AGENCY SAYS
New York, Jun 6 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Mon, 6 Jun 2011
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS,UN AGENCY SAYS
Climate change will result in increased migrations and displacements of people, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said today, and the world needs to develop new methods to deal with it.
Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “http://www.unhcr.org/4decc5276.html told a conference on climate change and displacement in Norway that it has become increasingly clear that natural disasters and climate change cannot be regarded or addressed in isolation from the other global mega-trends that are conditioning the future of our planet and its people.
Population growth, urbanization, water, food, and energy insecurity will increasingly interact with each other and create the potential for competition and conflict over scarce natural resources, he said. As a result we are also likely to see growing numbers of people being displaced from one community, country and continent to another.
Mr. Guterres called on the countries which bear primary responsibility for climate change to establish a massive programme of support to the most seriously affected countries, thereby reinforcing the resilience of their citizens and their ability to adapt to the process of climate change.
I strongly believe that a viable approach would be to at least develop a global guiding framework for situations of cross-border displacement resulting from climate change and natural disasters, he said. UNHCR stands ready to support states in the development of such a framework, which could take the form of temporary or interim protection arrangements.
We could assist in the identification of scenarios in which such arrangements would be activated. And we could help to develop procedures and standards of treatment for affected populations, he said.
He also urged countries to switch from the usual emergency-mode response to natural disasters.
The billions of dollars spent on relief in recent decades have evidently not led to the sustainable strengthening of national and local capacities, he said.
Mr. Guterres spoke in Oslo at the Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century, organized by Norway’s environment and foreign affairs ministries to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees under the League of Nations.
Jun 6 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
NEW TOOLS NEEDED TO COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATIONS, UN AGENCY SAYS
http://www.unhcr.org/4decc5276.html
New York, Jun 6 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Mon, 6 Jun 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
New York, Jun 5 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
Sun, 5 Jun 2011
Investing a relatively small amount each year in the forestry sector could halve deforestation, create millions of new jobs and help tackle the devastating effects of climate change, according to a United Nations report released today to mark World Environment Day.
The report, “Forests in a Green Economy: A Synthesis,” finds that an additional $40 billion spent each year in the forestry sector — or just 0.034 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) — could result in substantial environmental improvements.
The rate of deforestation could be halved by 2030, the number of trees planted could rise by 140 per cent by 2050 and as many as 30 million new jobs could be created by that same year.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which issued the report, said forestry is one of the key sectors capable of helping the world transition to a ‘green economy’ model that is resource-efficient and low in its use of carbon.
“There are already many encouraging signals; the annual net forest loss since 1990 has fallen from around eight million to around five million hectares and in some regions such as Asia, the Caribbean and Europe forest area has actually increased over those 20 years,” he said.
The area covered by freshly planted forests has also grown from 3.6 million hectares in 1990 to just below five million hectares last year.
Jan McAlpine, the Director of the Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, said the capacity of poorer countries to switch to green economies and protect their stocks of forests needs to be strengthened.
“Encouraging a transition to green economies will require a broad range of financial, regulatory, institutional and technological measures,” she said.
Forests and the benefits they provide represent the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, which is marked every year on 5 June. This year is also
the UN-declared International Year of the Forests.
Celebrations are being held across the globe, including in India, which is this year’s designated host.
On Friday Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described forests as central to economic development, poverty reduction and food security.
“By reducing deforestation and forest degradation we can make significant progress in addressing the combined threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation,” he said in a message to a forestry conservation meeting held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Jun 5 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
New York, Jun 5 2011
SPENDING MORE ON FORESTS COULD REAP ENORMOUS BENEFITS — UN REPORT
Sun, 5 Jun 2011
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
New York, May 31 2011
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
Large amounts of food in sub-Saharan Africa goes to waste as a result of inappropriate storage, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report unveiled today, which calls for investing in post-harvest technologies to reduce to the losses and boost the continent’s food security.
The joint FAO-World Bank report, entitled Missing Food: The Case of Postharvest Grain Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, estimates the value of grain losses in sub-Saharan Africa at around $4 billion a year.
This lost food could meet the minimum annual food requirements of at least 48 million people, “http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79444/icode/ said Maria Helena Semedo, the FAO Assistant Director-General. If we agree that sustainable agricultural systems need to be developed to feed 9 billion people by 2050, addressing waste across the entire food chain must be a critical pillar of future national food strategies, she said.
According to estimates provided by the African Postharvest Losses Information System, physical grain losses prior to processing can range from 10 to 20 per cent of African annual production, which is worth $27 billion.
Losses occur when grain decays or is infested by pests, fungi or microbes, and physical losses, but the waste can also be economic, resulting from low prices and lack of access to markets for poor quality or contaminated grain.
According to the report, food losses contribute to high food prices by removing part of the food supply from the market. They also have a negative environmental impact as land, water and resources such as fertilizer and energy are used to produce, process, handle and transport food that no one consumes.
Reducing food losses is increasingly recognized as part of an integrated approach to realizing agriculture’s full potential, along with making effective use of today’s crops, improving productivity on existing farmland, and sustainably bringing additional acreage into production, said Jamal Saghir, the Director of the Sustainable Development Department of the World Bank’s Africa Region.
A variety of practices and technologies are available for reducing post-harvest losses, including crop protectants and storage containers such as hermetically sealed bags and metallic silos, the report notes.
Those technologies have proved successful in Asia, but more research is needed to identify methods adapted to local environments in Africa. To succeed, interventions must be sensitive to local conditions and practices.
The report recommends that governments create enabling conditions for farmers by reducing market transaction costs through investing in infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water, and strengthening agricultural research and extension services.
May 31 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
UN CALLS FOR GRAIN STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AFRICA’S POST-HARVEST LOSSES
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79444/icode/
New York, May 31 2011
GLOBAL CONDITIONS: CLIMATE CHANGE
June 13, 2011 at 5:35 pm | Posted in Africa, Development, Earth, Ecology, Economics, Financial, Globalization, Third World | Leave a comment
CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED WATER SCARCITY TO AFFECT GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION – UN
New York, Jun 9 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Thu, 9 Jun 2011
CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED WATER SCARCITY TO AFFECT GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION – UN
The world will increasingly experience water scarcity for agriculture as a result of climate change, a phenomenon that will affect the livelihoods of rural communities and the food security of urban dwellers, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a survey released today.
The impact of climate change on the availability of water include reduction in river run-off and aquifer recharges in the Mediterranean and the semi-arid areas of the Americas, Australia and Southern Africa, regions that are already showing signs of water stress, according to the FAO survey entitled “Climate Change, Water, and Food Security.”
In Asia, large areas of irrigated land that rely on snowmelt and mountain glaciers for water will also be affected, while heavily populated river deltas are at risk from a combination of reduced water flows, increased salinity, and rising sea levels.
The findings of the survey also show that an acceleration of the world’s hydrological cycle is anticipated as rising temperatures increase the rate of evaporation from land and sea. Rainfall will increase in the tropics and higher latitudes, but decrease in already dry semi-arid to mid-arid latitudes and in the interior of large continents.
A greater frequency in droughts and floods will need to be planned for, but already water scarce areas of the world are expected to become drier and hotter.
The report points out that even though estimates of groundwater recharge under climate change cannot be made with any certainty, the increasing frequency of droughts is expected to encourage further exploitation of available groundwater to boost production for farmers.
Loss of glaciers, which support around 40 per cent of the world’s irrigation, will eventually have an impact on the amount of surface water available for agriculture in key producing basins.
Rising temperatures will lengthen the growing season in northern temperate zones, but reduce the length almost everywhere else. Increased rates of crop moisture loss will also result in reduced yields.
“Both the livelihoods of rural communities as well as the food security of city populations are at risk,” “http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79964/icode/ said Alexander Mueller, the FAO Assistant Director General for Natural Resources. “But the rural poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be disproportionately affected.”
The FAO report recommends that countries implement effective systems for “water accounting” thorough measurement of water supplies, transfers, and transactions to inform decisions about how water resources can be managed and used under increasing variability.
“Water accounting in most developing countries is very limited, and allocation procedures are non-existent, ad hoc, or poorly developed,” according to the survey. “Helping developing countries acquire good water accounting practices and developing robust and flexible water allocations systems will be a first priority.”
At the farm level, growers can change their cropping patterns to allow earlier or later planting, reducing their water use and optimizing irrigation. Yields and productivity can be improved by shifting to soil moisture conservation practices, including zero- and minimum tillage. Planting deep-rooted crops would allow farmers to better exploit available soil moisture, FAO recommends.
Mixed agro-forestry systems also hold promise. The systems both sequester carbon and also offer additional benefits such as shade that reduces ground temperatures and evaporation, added wind protection, and improved soil conservation and water retention.
Jun 9 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED WATER SCARCITY TO AFFECT GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION – UN
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/79964/icode/
New York, Jun 9 2011
UNNews UNNews@un.org
Thu, 9 Jun 2011
AFRICAN TRADE DIVERSIFICATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED – UN-BACKED REPORT
New York, Jun 6 2011
African countries should develop closer ties with both traditional and emerging partners, to boost sustainable and inclusive growth, according to a United Nations-backed report released today.
The report, African Economic Outlook 2011, said that “Africa is becoming more integrated in the world economy and its partnerships are diversifying, revealing unprecedented economic opportunities.”
The report, co-authored by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), also said that governments’ efforts need to include measures to create jobs, invest in basic social services and promote gender equality.
“New partners bring new opportunities for African countries. Defining national development priorities, trade, aid and investment is key to reaping the benefits of this new configuration,” said Mario Pezzini, Director of the OECD Development Centre.
In 2009, China surpassed the United States and became Africa’s main trading partner, while the share of trade conducted by Africa with emerging partners has grown from approximately 23 per cent to 39 per cent in the last 10 years, the report said.
While traditional partners, as a whole, still account for the largest proportion of Africa’s trade, investment and official development assistance, the report said that emerging economies can provide “additional know-how, technology and development experiences required to raise the standard of living for millions of people on the continent.”
Africa’s economies have weathered the global crisis relatively well and have rebounded in 2010. Recent political events in North Africa and high food and fuel prices are likely to slow the continent’s growth down to 3.7 per cent in 2011. During this year, sub-Saharan Africa will grow faster than North Africa.
“Africa is growing but there are risks. Urgent attention is needed to foster inclusive growth, to improve political accountability, and address the youth bulge,” said Mthuli Ncube, chief economist and Vice-President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“Putting people first must go hand in hand with efforts to accelerate regional coordination and integration. Trade agreements that benefit the continent as a whole, unleash the full potential of the private sector and develop regional investment opportunities are the way forward,” the report said.
Jun 6 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
AFRICAN TRADE DIVERSIFICATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED – UN-BACKED REPORT
New York, Jun 6 2011
GLOBAL CONDITIONS: WORLD INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
June 13, 2011 at 4:57 pm | Posted in Africa, Asia, Development, Earth, Ecology, Economics, Financial, Globalization, History, India, Third World, World-system | Leave a comment
WORLD INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION ON THE RISE, UN REPORT FINDS
UNNews UNNews@un.org
New York, Jun 1 2011
World manufacturing output has grown by 6.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) reported today.
“The figure clearly indicates the progress of the recovery of world industrial production from the recent financial crisis,” UNIDO “http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2011/unisous085.html said, in the first edition of its new plan to report industrial statistics quarterly. Formerly the presentations were annual.
The report, based on an analysis of quarterly production data, said developing countries were in the lead with their manufacturing production increasing by 11.5 per cent. The major contribution to this growth was by China, with its output growing by 15 per cent.
Newly industrialized countries also performed well, with Turkey displaying a growth rate of 13.8 per cent, while Mexico’s was estimated at 7.4 per cent and India’s at 5.1 per cent.
The manufacturing output of industrialized countries increased by 4.4 per cent during the named period, with strong growth of 7.1 per cent observed in the United States, the world’s largest manufacturer.
Major European economies, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, also demonstrated significant growth in manufacturing output. But other European countries, such as Greece, witnessed a 6.9 per cent drop, while Portugal and Spain maintained a marginal growth of less than one per cent.
Japan’s figures fell by 2.4 per cent. The full impact of the March Tsunami disaster was not yet reflected in manufacturing production data for the first quarter.
Negative growth was observed in North Africa, where the manufacturing output of Egypt and Tunisia fell by 8.9 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively.
The UNIDO report also contains the growth estimates for the first quarter by major manufacturing sectors. It suggests that production of general machinery has increased by more than 15 per cent, electrical machinery and apparatus by 12 per cent, and medical and precision equipment by 11 per cent.
While industrialized countries performed well in high-tech sectors, their growth in traditional manufacturing areas such as food and beverages, textile and wearing apparel was quite low. Developing countries maintained higher growth across all sectors.
Jun 1 2011
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WORLD INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION ON THE RISE, UN REPORT FINDS
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GLOBAL RECOVERY MUST START WITH THE POOR – UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT
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New York, Jun 1 2011
GLOBAL RECOVERY MUST START WITH THE POOR – UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT
Unjustified cuts in aid to the poor during a financial crisis could violate human rights standards, and economic recovery must start with the most vulnerable, according to a United Nations human rights expert.
Magdalena Sepúlveda, the UN Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, “http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11095&LangID=E told a Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva that “unjustified reductions in expenditures devoted to implementing public services that are critical to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights will be in violation of human rights standards.
“There is no space in human rights for a trickle-down approach,” she said on Monday. “From a human rights perspective, recovery must start with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.”
“Human rights are not expendable during times of crises and recovery. Even when resources are limited, States are legally bound to respect, protect and fulfil international human rights obligations,” Ms. Sepúlveda said. “The challenge of recovering from the global economic and financial crises is an opportunity to embrace a vision for the future aimed at the full realization of human rights.”
The independent expert said that several recovery measures adopted by States in the aftermath of the crises seriously jeopardize the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the poorest and most vulnerable groups.
“Austerity measures such as cuts to social protection systems, regressive taxation measures, and elimination of food subsidies are proving detrimental to the poorest of the poor, exacerbating their already precarious situation,” Ms. Sepúlveda said.
Increasing inequalities and food insecurity, the declining availability of natural resources and unpredictable changes to climate patterns are likely to increase the potential for social unrest throughout the world, she said.
“Any recovery plan must anticipate these challenges and assume that there will be many more crises to recover from,” she said. “Only human rights-based change can directly address the long-term structural barriers to equality and set the foundations for a sustainable, socially inclusive society.”
Ms. Sepúlveda urged States to view the challenge of recovery as a unique opportunity to aim towards the full realization of all economic, social and cultural rights for all individuals.
“Through a human rights-based recovery, States have the chance to embrace new and ambitious approaches to reducing inequality, eliminating poverty and creating stable societies that will withstand future shocks.”
The expert’s report outlines a number of innovative measures to which States should lend serious consideration when formulating their economic recovery, including implementing a comprehensive social protection floor, adopting socially responsible taxation policies, and enhancing regulation that protects individuals from abuse.
Ms Sepúlveda, who serves in an unpaid and independent capacity, reports to the Human Rights Council. She has been in the current post since May 2008.
Jun 1 2011
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GLOBAL RECOVERY MUST START WITH THE POOR – UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11095&LangID=E
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Wed, 1 Jun 2011
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE KEY TO GREEN GROWTH, POVERTY REDUCTION – UN OFFICIALS
New York, Jun 1 2011
United Nations officials today called for boosting support for sustainable agriculture, including smallholder farmers, as a way to drive green growth and reduce poverty.
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the challenge of feeding more than nine billion people by 2050, along with tackling climate change and maintaining productive land and sufficient water resources require a “more intelligent pathway” for managing the world’s agricultural systems.
“Agriculture is at the centre of a transition to a resource-efficient, low-carbon Green Economy,” “http://www.ifad.org/media/press/advisory/2011/6.htm said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “The challenge is to feed a growing global population without pushing humanity’s footprint beyond planetary boundaries.”
Mr. Steiner called for galvanizing support for smallholder farmers, who are an “untapped resource” in addressing food security and today’s environmental challenges.
Investments through official development assistance (ODA) are one way of stepping up support for this important group, as is scaling-up and accelerating government policies for unleashing investment flows from the private sector, he noted.
“Well-managed, sustainable agriculture can not only overcome hunger and poverty, but can address other challenges from climate change to the loss of biodiversity,” said the UNEP chief.
“Its value and its contribution to multiple economic, environmental and societal goals needs to be recognized in the income and employment prospects for the half a million smallholdings across the globe,” he added.
The world’s rural poor and especially farmers of the 500 million smallholdings in developing countries feed one-third of the global population and account for 60 per cent of global agriculture.
Smallholder farmers also provide up to 80 per cent of the food consumed in Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Smallholders in developing countries – the majority of them women – manage to feed 2 billion people, despite working on ecologically and climatically precarious land, with difficult or no access to infrastructure and institutional services, and often lacking land tenure rights that farmers in developed countries take for granted,” said Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD.
“Right now, we are squandering the potential of rural poor people to contribute to global prosperity. Investing in sustainable smallholder agriculture is a smart way to right this wrong,” he stated.
IFAD also stressed that investments in sustainable smallholder agriculture must go hand-in-hand with policy and institutional reforms, investments in infrastructure and improvements in market access. They must also be informed by the knowledge and needs of the rural poor.
On 5 June, UNEP will celebrate World Environment Day (WED) in India with one of the fastest growing economies in the world and whose 1.2 billion people continue to put pressure on land and forests, especially in densely populated areas where people are cultivating on marginal lands and where overgrazing is contributing to desertification.
This year’s theme – ‘Forests: Nature at Your Service’ – underscores the intrinsic link between quality of life and the health of forests and forest ecosystems.
Jun 1 2011
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE KEY TO GREEN GROWTH, POVERTY REDUCTION – UN OFFICIALS
New York, Jun 1 2011
UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
http://www.ifad.org/media/press/advisory/2011/6.htm
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New York, Jun 1 2011
“NATURAL EXPERIMENTS OF HISTORY”: DIAMOND AND ROBINSON BOOK
June 11, 2011 at 2:05 am | Posted in Africa, Books, History, India, Latin America | Leave a comment
Natural Experiments of History
Jared Diamond (Editor), James A. Robinson (Editor)
Editorial Reviews
Review
A superb collection of eminently teachable essays bound together by a common methodological framework that connects it directly to cutting-edge theoretical and empirical research across the disciplines of anthropology, archeology, history, political science, and sociology.
–John Coatsworth, Columbia University
Natural Experiments of History reaches across a wide variety of disciplines, in ways that should be accessible to just about every educated reader. It is tied together not by topic or region but by the idea that we can make useful and insightful comparisons in ways that are not casual or sloppy, but actually contribute to our understanding of human life.
–Jeffrey Frieden, Harvard University
Natural Experiments of History is a short book packed with huge ideas. Its collected essays advocate how controlled experiments can be applied to the messy realities of human history, politics, culture, economics and the environment. It demonstrates productive interdisciplinary collaborations but also reveals gulfs between different cultures of academia…All of the essays in Natural Experiments of History will trigger debate.
–Jon Christensen (Nature )
This ambitious, at times challenging, book aspires to contribute new ways of historical thinking and historical research by drawing attention, on the one hand, to the similarities between science (including social sciences) and history, and on the other, by using social sciences methods, especially statistical analysis, to study history. The editors argue that though the difference between studies of nature and human history is obvious, there are clear overlaps. They can be viewed through studying comparative history or by conducting “natural experiments of history” and analyzing the “perturbations” and their causes (exogenous or endogenous) in the involved cases. The book offers a broad array of case studies to illustrate and explain the argument, ranging from nonliterate to contemporary societies and from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to Brazil, India, and tropical Africa. The comparative methods showcased are quite versatile, from two-way to multiple-way comparisons. All the case studies are interesting and help demonstrate how, via comparative study, one society’s, region’s, or country’s situation is better displayed and explained by juxtaposing it with other, similar ones. A useful read in macro, global history.
–Q. E. Wang (Choice )
Natural Experiments of History is a thought-provoking collection of essays that covers an impressive array of topics and would make an excellent text for a course on comparative studies of human history.”
–Thomas E. Currie (Cliodynamics )
Product Description
Some central questions in the natural and social sciences can’t be answered by controlled laboratory experiments, often considered to be the hallmark of the scientific method. This impossibility holds for any science concerned with the past. In addition, many manipulative experiments, while possible, would be considered immoral or illegal. One has to devise other methods of observing, describing, and explaining the world.
In the historical disciplines, a fruitful approach has been to use natural experiments or the comparative method. This book consists of eight comparative studies drawn from history, archeology, economics, economic history, geography, and political science. The studies cover a spectrum of approaches, ranging from a non-quantitative narrative style in the early chapters to quantitative statistical analyses in the later chapters. The studies range from a simple two-way comparison of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, to comparisons of 81 Pacific islands and 233 areas of India. The societies discussed are contemporary ones, literate societies of recent centuries, and non-literate past societies. Geographically, they include the United States, Mexico, Brazil, western Europe, tropical Africa, India, Siberia, Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific islands.
In an Afterword, the editors discuss how to cope with methodological problems common to these and other natural experiments of history.
Product Details:
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press; Reprint edition
- April 15, 2011
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0674060199
- ISBN-13: 978-0674060197
This book is a collection of 7 essays, most of which are quite dry and academic.
Diamond co-wrote the prologue (which is mostly a summary of the book’s contents) and afterword. He also authored (alone) one chapter, which is a comparison of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Specifically, he examines why Haiti and the DR have turned out so differently, despite the fact that they share the same island. Much of this is discussed also in his book Collapse, but the chapter is still very interesting.
Another chapter (by Kirch) compares a few different Polynesian islands, to try and discover which variables led to different political histories. Some areas of the world discussed in other chapters are: West Africa, India, and the western US, among a couple of others.
Natural experiments in history is a fascinating set of essays looking at seven historical “experiments”. Each chapter has a different author who presents the reader with a wealth of information of their subject of expertise. The writing styles vary, as expected, from author to author. Jared Diamond’s chapter on the origin of the differences between Haiti and the Dominican republic, and on different Pacific Islands is the highlight of the book.
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS APRIL 28 2011: SOUTH AFRICA FINANCIAL STABILITY
April 28, 2011 at 2:33 pm | Posted in Africa, Development, Economics, Financial, Globalization, Research | Leave a comment
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Thu 4/28/11
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Barry Whiteside: Development of micro-insurance in Fiji
Xolile P Guma: South Africa’s Financial Stability Review – key issues in March 2011
Brian Wynter: Jamaica’s recent economic path and prospects – the view from the Bank
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ISLAMIC FINANCE IN AFRICA
April 15, 2011 at 3:00 pm | Posted in Africa, Development, Economics, Financial, Globalization, Islam | Leave a comment
3rd Gulf African Bank Annual East & Central Africa Islamic Finance Conference, Nairobi, 28 March 2011.
Njuguna Ndung’u: Islamic finance – a paradigm shift in Africa
Remarks by Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, at the 3rd Gulf African Bank Annual East & Central Africa Islamic Finance Conference, Nairobi, 28 March 2011.
Mr. Suleiman Shahbal, Chairman, Gulf African Bank Ltd;
Mr. Najmul Hassan, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf African Bank Ltd;
Board Members of Gulf African Bank Ltd here present;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am delighted and honoured to have been invited to preside over the opening ceremony of this important conference. At the onset, let me extend a warm welcome to all participants attending the 3rd Gulf African Bank Annual East and Central Africa Islamic Finance Conference, with the theme: “Islamic Finance: A Paradigm Shift in Africa”
Allow me to compliment Gulf African Bank for organising this Islamic Finance Conference. Indeed, this landmark conference brings together financial experts, central bankers, financial regulators, lawyers, financial institutions and Islamic banking consumers from Kenya and beyond. To all international participants, let me extend a particularly hearty welcome, “Karibuni Kenya”.
This conference gives participants the opportunity to discuss emerging industry developments as well as reflect on the gains and challenges since the last Islamic Finance Conference held in May last year.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Sharia compliant banking is viewed by many as the fastest growing segment of the banking sector in the world. In Africa, Islamic banking is a fast growing financial sector attracting all customers even of different religious orientation.
The uptake of Islamic banking is projected to grow exponentially in sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is among other African countries, that are taking up the lead in Sharia compliant banking services.
Today, Sharia compliant banking services in Kenya have made huge strides since its introduction in 2007. The banking sector boasts of two exclusively Sharia compliant banks. As at the financial year ended December 31, 2010 the two banks collectively commanded a market share of 0.9% of the banking sector with gross assets of Ksh.16.54bn, net loans and advances of Ksh.9.23bn and deposits of Ksh.13.76bn. The two banks had 58,101 deposit accounts and 2,609 loan accounts as at the end of December 2010 – in less than 4 years of operation.
In addition, several conventional banks now offer Sharia compliant products as part of their product range through specifically created Islamic banking divisions or windows. Other conventional banks have also expressed interest in providing Sharia compliant products to an increasing customer base.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Among the challenges facing Kenya’s ambition to be a hub of Sharia compliant investment products to compliment the Islamic banking in the country are lack of; Shariah compliant investment vehicles, an enabling legal and regulatory framework and awareness by majority of the populace that hinder the uptake of these investments.
For the country to fully embrace Islamic Finance, there is need to extend beyond the offering of Sharia compliant products by introducing such investment vehicles like unit trusts, corporate bonds (sukuks) and insurance (takaful) products and Sharia compliant treasury bills and bonds (government Sukuk).
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It is encouraging to note the ongoing efforts by the Government and other players especially the Capital Markets Authority and Insurance Regulatory Authority to come up with a range of shariah compliant financial products. Already there are positive signals of these efforts with the introduction of Shariah compliant investments and Insurance Products.
It is in this spirit that the Kenyan government through the Finance Act 2010, amended Section 45 of the Central Bank of Kenya Act, to allow the Central Bank as the Government’s fiscal agent to recognize the payment of a “return” rather than “interest” on government securities. This amendment opens up the spectrum of Sharia compliant investments in the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The future of Islamic finance in Kenya and in the region remains bright. On its part, the Government of Kenya will continue to pursue policies that create an enabling environment that will eventually culminate in Kenya establishing itself as a regional financial hub as envisaged in Vision 2030. In addition, the Central Bank will continue to partner with the sector to promote financial inclusion by supporting innovation in the Sharia compliant banking sector.
With these few remarks, let me wish all participants to this conference, fruitful deliberations over the next two days and declare the 3rd Gulf African Bank Annual East and Central African Islamic Conference officially opened.
Thank You.
DE GAULLE’S “HOMME DE CONFIANCE”: GASTON PALEWSKI
April 13, 2011 at 9:18 am | Posted in Africa, France, History | Leave a comment
Gaston Palewski (20 March 1901 – 3 September 1984)
Gaston Palewski (20 March 1901 – 3 September 1984), French politician, was a close associate of Charles de Gaulle during and after World War II.
He is also remembered as the lover of the English novelist Nancy Mitford, and appears in a fictionalized form in two of her novels.
Biography
Palewski was born in Paris, the son of an industrialist. His family was of Polish origin and had lived in France since the 19th century. He was educated at the Sorbonne, at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques and at Oxford University – he spoke excellent English and was a convinced Anglophile. Using family connections, he obtained a post with Marshal Hubert Lyautey, the French Resident-General in Morocco. In 1928 he became principal private secretary to Paul Reynaud, a leading politician who was then Minister for Finances and who became Prime Minister of France in March 1940. Through Reynaud, in 1934, he first met Charles de Gaulle, and became a supporter of his political and military views.
On the outbreak of war in 1939 Palewski was commissioned as a lieutenant in the French Air Force, and saw action following the German invasion of France in May 1940. He was in French North Africa at the time of the armistice of June 1940. Refusing to accept France’s defeat, he reached London at the end of August and joined de Gaulle’s Free French Forces. De Gaulle appointed him Director of Political Affairs of the Free French movement, and he played a leading role in negotiations between de Gaulle and the British government, which at first regarded de Gaulle with scepticism. In March 1941 he was given the rank of lieutenant-colonel and command of the Free French Army in East Africa, leading it against the Italian forces during the recapture of French Somaliland (now Djibouti).
In September 1942, he was recalled to London to become de Gaulle’s “Directeur du Cabinet,” a post in which he followed de Gaulle from London to Algiers in 1943 and then in August 1944 to liberated Paris.
He became known as de Gaulle’s “homme de confiance” (right-hand man), and his diplomatic skills and knowledge of the English made him invaluable to de Gaulle, who neither understood nor trusted them.
Palewski remained director of the de Gaulle’s cabinet (that is, his private office) until de Gaulle’s resignation as head of the Provisional Government in January 1946.
He then became a leading proponent of Gaullism and one of the founders of the first Gaullist party, the Rassemblement du Peuple Français (Rally of the French People, or RPF) in 1947. In 1951 he was elected to the National Assembly as an RPF deputy for the Department of the Seine (Paris). From 1953 to 1955 he was vice-president of the National Assembly. Following the failure of the RPF, however, he withdrew from politics. In 1957, at de Gaulle’s request, he was appointed Ambassador to Italy, a post he held until 1962. In 1962 Palewski was appointed by Prime Minister George Pompidou as Minister of State in charge of Scientific Research, Atomic Energy and Space Questions, the first French minister with specific responsibility for such matters. On 1 May 1962 Palewski witnessed the French underground nuclear test codenamed “Beryl” in Algeria. The test shaft failed to contain the blast and he was exposed to radiation as result of a leak of radioactive lava and dust into the atmosphere. He believed that the leukemia which he contracted later in life was caused by this accident.[1] From 1965 to 1974 he was President of the Constitutional Council of France. Palewski died of leukaemia in 1984, aged 83.
Decorations and honorary positions
After 1974 he held a number of honorary posts. An amateur painter of some talent, he was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
Because of his high office and his record in the war Palewski was awarded several French decorations. After his term as an ambassador to the Italian government, not to the Holy See, he was awarded an Italian Grand Cross.
- The Grand Croix of the Légion d’Honneur,
- The title and cross of a Compagnon de la Libération,
- The Croix de Guerre (twice),
- The Médaille Coloniale, with a bar
- The Croix du combattant volontaire 1939–1945.
- The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Character
In his personal life, Palewski was a notorious and reckless womaniser, and this earned him a reputation for frivolity that damaged his prospects for a serious political career. Only his standing with de Gaulle, to whom he was devoted and totally loyal, enabled him to hold high office. During the war in London he met the English writer and society figure Nancy Mitford, and began with her a long, passionate but intermittent affair. They were separated during the latter part of the war, but in 1946 she moved permanently to Paris, and their relationship, though never public, lasted until her death in 1973. This did not prevent him becoming involved with many other women. In 1969, without formally ending his affair with Mitford – he was with her when she died – he married Helen-Violette de Talleyrand-Périgord (1915–2003), duchesse de Sagan, the daughter of the seventh duc de Talleyrand and his wife Anna Gould. The two had been having a long affair prior to the duchesse’s divorce from her first husband and had had a son out of wedlock.
In the English-speaking world Palewski is known chiefly through his appearance as Fabrice, duc de Sauveterre, in two of Nancy Mitford’s novels, The Pursuit of Love (1945) and Love in a Cold Climate (1949). The first of these contains a fairly accurate portrayal of their relationship, although it is moved from postwar to prewar Paris. Despite Mitford’s love for Palewski, she depicted him in a very clear-eyed way in these novels, with no attempt to disguise his many infidelities. He took no offence at this, and when Mitford proposed to dedicate The Pursuit of Love to “The Colonel,” he insisted on his real name being used.
Notes
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS MARCH 23 2011: NIGERIAN BANKS
March 24, 2011 at 8:07 pm | Posted in Africa, Economics, Financial, Globalization, History, Research | Leave a comment
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Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: Banks in Nigeria and national economic development – a critical review
Benny Popoitai: The National Informal Economy Policy
Andrew Sentance: Let it grow – how monetary policy can support sustainable economic growth
Michael Mambo Mukete: Role of the Bank of Namibia in consumer protection issues
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