Cornwall Switch

Oxfam

The world’s poorest people are feeling the impact of climate change the hardest – though they are least responsible for it. People in developing countries are becoming even more vulnerable to floods, droughts and other ‘natural’ disasters, and are less able to put resources into infrastructure to protect them from these. Oxfam is committed to helping these people.

Over the last 30-40 years, global warming has taken a firm hold in Africa. If current trends continue, climate models predict that by 2050 sub-Saharan Africa will be warmer by 0.5 – 2 degrees Celsius, with 10 per cent less rainfall in the interior and higher evaporation rates. This will have a huge impact on everything from agriculture to nutrition and health.

Oxfam is supporting research into the impact of global warming in Southern Africa, in conjunction with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. The aim is to help governments and people understand how communities can adapt, and what kinds of assistance will be most effective in enabling them to do this.

It was also one of several charities that sponsored the recent Up in Smoke report that warned of the potentially catastrophic impact of climate change in the developing world. This called for the industrialised countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 60-80% in order to stop climate change running out of control.

The main cause of global warming is the rate we are burning fossil fuels. By switching to green electricity you can help ensure a viable future for the communities Oxfam works with. And the more people who switch, the more money we’ll be able to pass on to Oxfam and our other two charitable causes.