The Ford Foundation has committed $85 million to advancing rural land rights and helping rural and indigenous communities become more involved in stopping climate change.
The New York-based foundation hopes that the grants, to be used over a five-year period, will help people living in low-income rural communities in countries including Brazil, Indonesia, China, India and Mexico, as well as those living in grasslands, forest and marginal agricultural land in Eastern Africa and Central America. The aim of the project is to help these rural and indigenous populations take a more active role in preventing and reversing global climate change. By engaging these communities, the foundation hopes to reduce poverty and increase quality of life.
"This work heralds a new way of thinking about natural resources and sustainable development. It unlocks the potential for people, especially rural and indigenous communities, to be a part of the solution," said Ford Foundation president Luis Ubiñas.
The initiative will work to strengthen the voice and influence of rural leaders, encourage investments that benefit rural communities and demonstrate effective methods of community management. Since more than 30 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emission comes from the rural sector, helping these communities get involved in sustainable climate change solutions has enormous implications for the worldwide effort to end global warming.
"As sustainable development programs are ramped up globally, we have the responsibility of ensuring that the people who have historically lived in and preserved forests and natural resources are included in the global dialogue about the future of their lands," added Ubiñas.
The Ford Foundation was founded by the Ford Motor Company in 1936 thanks to an initial grant of $25,000 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford. Today, the foundation makes grants in all 50 states and supports programs in more than 50 countries.
I am a retired chief meteorologist, MS MIT
Save your money! All the global warmers have to show for their scary predictions, bought by the politicians and news media, are 22 years of broken forecasts. Sea levels, instead of rising 20 ft. as predicted in 1988, have only risen and inch or two. Global temperatues, both air and ocean, stopped rising 11 years ago. While some glaciers have been retreating since the little ice age 250 years ago, 91% of the world’s ice is located in Antatctica and getting thicker.
The effect of carbon dioxide, a weak greenhouse gas with only 1 molecule out of 100,000 contributed by man, is overwhelmed by natural influences such as solar variations, ocean current oscillations and changes in the amount of cloud cover as influenced by these oscillations.
Shortly after making their extravagant predictions, they conveniently stated that the “science was settled”, effectively shuting off debate before any research into the causes of ice ages, warming and cooling cycles throughout the Earth’s history.
Geologic history shows that we are getting closer to the next ice age than any other climate change. This planet has withstood Yellowstone super volcanic eruptions, impacts by large meteors, ice ages every one hundred thousand years and countless other vicissitudes, which makes man’s imprint by comparison, a mere pin prick!
“Mr. McDonald”
At least when you Google scholars to impersonate, make sure they haven’t been dead for almost a half century, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound no less.
Obituary for James McDonald, chief meteorologist from MIT (1920-1971).
http://www.project1947.com/shg/mccarthy/obit.html
Sincerely,
Someone with half a brain.
Oh snap! Well, I’m sorry that there are people out there who have to stoop to underhanded means to argue their point. Thanks for the heads up Dr. Richardson for exposing this fraud. Still, in all fairness, the global warming issue remains a contentious one. Integrity is the key to the resolving this issue.