Chances are this will never make the TV news: According to an estimate by Eric De Place of Sightline Daily, “every cent of Africa’s crushing debt” could be retired for $350 billion. (The sum was actually estimated at $320B by the U.N. in 2003, so De Place just adds another $30 billion to make a round number. It could be higher, or lower.)
Now, that would leave $350 billion. Working from this figure, De Place then states,
You could install solar panels on 20 million American homes for $300 billion. …
We could install ground source heat pumps for 5 million American homes for $50 billion.
So, for the $700 billion used to bailout Wall St and drive the Dow Jones down 800 points, De Place thought-experiments, he, first, freed up the African continent.
Then using conservative estimates, I provided an eternal supply of free electricity or heat to 25 million households — thereby drastically reducing US carbon emissions.
Alternatively, some credible analysts have suggested that paying the full cost of implementing the Kyoto Protocol for the entire world would run $716 billion. (I should mention that other credible estimates are much, much lower.) And this figure doesn’t count the tremendous savings from avoiding the potential costs of climate change impacts — estimated at trillions of dollars just for the U.S.
Needless to say, our priorities are complete crap.
[via WorldChanging.com]
3 comments ↓
Who wants to save Africa? Noone has ever wanted to “save African”. The western part of the world crushes African with a debt, given to dictators, that will never be paid. Save Africa? Are you joking. I know you are joking.
You’r just making the point how insane it is to give all that money to institutions that causes African debt in the first place.
Right?
joseph
my initial thought was to respond to joseph’s comment cuz i was pissed about his implications of indifference. i feel a spiritual responsibility to do what i can to be of service to african-descended folk – meaning africa doesn’t need to be saved it needs to be affirmed in our actions with the continent & her people wherever they are throughout the diaspora. sometimes it begins with a blog post & continues with financial contributions.
The amount of money sent to Nigeria by the west over the last 40 years? $400 BILLION.
The amount of money estimated to have been stolen from the Nigerian treasury over the last 40 years? $400 BILLION.
‘Save Africa’ my butt.
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