Andy Epstein worked as a nurse in Mozambique. Loretta J. Williams is director of Myers Book Awards at Boston University. At the same time, developed nations have an obligation to respond to the mounting damages from the extreme weather associated with climate change. Extreme weather events, particularly intense precipitation, have been especially punishing for poor nations, such as Honduras, Venezuela, those in the Horn of Africa, China, and Bangladesh. Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina and the twin Christmas windstorms felling France's forests demonstrate that no nation is immune.
Climate change comes from burning fossil fuels, as released carbon traps heat in the atmosphere.
Thousands may lie under the flood waters, while the deluge displaced hundreds of thousands, destroyed 141 schools, numerous roads and bridges, and is spreading malaria, respiratory disease, dysentery, and cholera. The disaster in Mozambique can become a turning point for public awareness of the enormous potency of climate disruption and the need for development based on alternative fuels. In the immediate future, clean energy sources are needed to pump and purify water and to power rural health centers and schools. In the long run, new energy sources can complement environmentally sound policies that preserve forests and protect coastal zones.