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Climate change, Swiss minarets vote, Honduras, Senegal

by Tony Cross

Article published on the 2009-12-04 Latest update 2009-12-04 14:13 TU

A tree stands on the dried-up riverbed of Ai River in Dandong, Liaoning province, China
(Photo: Reuters)

Climate, the Swiss minarets referendum, Honduras's post-coup poll and President Senegal's Abdulaye Wade are on your minds this week.

With the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference approaching, concern over the environment has caused a storm in our postbag.

“The Polluter Pays”, Adequate or not?” asks Dorothy Hodson of Nairobi after listening to a Crossroads debate on the question. Here are her thoughts on the matter:

“Main issues arising:

• To who?

• How much?

• Where/when?

A Marketing Perspective:

• Target: within reasonable geographic area and to the most affected.

• Pricing: proportionate to the cost or damage (quantitative & qualitative).

• Delivery (of payment benefit): past, current, future & anticipated or unanticipated.

So are changes to the principle necessary? Not really, there can be explanatory notes to the principle: e.g. the polluter pays proportionately to those nearest and most affected etc.”

Australian John Berbatis cites the movie 2012 and Albert Einstein in defence of his belief that the rotation of the earth will “produce a movement of the earth's crust over the rest of the earth's body, and this will displace the polar regions toward the equator”.

The result will be tidal waves, hurricanes and earthquakes, he says, concluding “God help us?”

Myfanwy Johns of Portumna in Ireland is critical of RFI’s failure to report a problem with the climate today.

“Ireland is devastated by floods,” she writes. “I have been sitting for a week surrounded by water, can't get out or in to my property, where is it noted in your web site? Nowhere. Cattle are stranded, fodder having to be donated by farmers in other places. The Shannon is rising, the LoughDerg is a raging torrent and you have not one item about it. Where are you?”

“As one that was abused in an Irish institution I wrote a piece of how it feels,” writes Ray Jaker in response to admissions of sexual abuse in Catholic church-run institutions. You can read his poem by clicking here.

Switzerland's referendum on minarets inspires the following comments from Aig Hedd of Frankfurt, Germany.

“1)The Swiss can decide what they want in their own country.
2) In the last 60 years, how many churches have been constructed in the muslim countries? Zero!
3) In the last 60 years, how many mosques have been constructed in Europe? Thousands!
4) Every islamic commentator speaks about "discrimination" but tolerance is a 2-way street.
5) When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
6) Are the muslims in Europe listening?”

US President Barack Obama “is following the directions of corporations” in accepting the results of Honduras’s post-coup election, believes Francisco Duarte from Fresno, USA.

“Everyone knows who controls the hondureans economy-US- and few powerful families in that empoverished country,” he writes. “As we expected, some of US satellites will back the american policy. Right now, - Costa Rica and Panama and by sure, Colombia. Imagine The Militia, Chomsky- or any other- taking this country by military power while supporting some kind of elections to make the country and the international community to forget the coup and continue business as usual. Absurd.”

From Senegal, Ousmane Moreau writes:

"The President of the Independent Electoral Commission was forced to resign last week by President Wade, which gets everybody talking in Dakar. RFI French talked about it this morning."

He also accuses Wade of blocking a broadcasting license to internationally acclaimed singer Youssou N'Dour.

A Senegal government response will be more than welcome.

News about RFI:

Christopher Thompson is reporting from Djibouti and has already sent one all-action report.

Zeenat Hansrod has visited Sierra Leone for a report on media in post-conflict situations.

Rosslyn Hyams will be reporting from the Copenhagen conference from 13 December, having covered climate questions in Taiwan this week.

RFI and France 24 TV, who are both part of the French public world broadcasting service AEF, this week presented to the press redesigned websites, in French only for RFI at the moment.

The English-language website will go over to the new format in February next year.

Most viewed on RFI this week:

• Swiss vote to ban minarets.
• Thierry Henry's handball, sex abuse by Irish priests, RFI in Kenya.
• European far right pushes for more minaret referendums;
• Sarkozy talks climate change with Commonwealth;
• Sexual abuse by priests hidden for decades, says report.

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