khrisjuhlin:

Many people look at developing country with sadden eyes, and often say “oh poor them, they don’t have a computer”. On the other hand, with this kind of attitude, these people will be the ones surviving climate change, as they are already evolving around it, while the westerns are still discussing if we should or not do something. Ignorance. Just do something.

The climate is a constant topic of conversation among ordinary Ugandans. More than 80 per cent of them are farmers, and people are in no doubt that the climate is changing. The seasonal rains that once arrived with precision are now erratic and unpredictable. When your living depends on the fertility of your farmland, the climate is vitally important. In an office in London or New York it is less of a big deal - and the invisibility of climate change in developed countries is a barrier to communicating the risks.

The fact that climate change is viewed through a local lens in Uganda has another important implication: there seems to be very little anger or resentment directed towards the nations that bear the historical responsibility for climate change. Instead, the national conversation focuses on the ways in which Ugandans can make their environment as resilient as possible. The stark reality is that even though Uganda has done little to cause climate change it will be forced to adapt to its effects.

Many farmers I have spoken to in the UK are similarly very aware of climate change, which may be surprising given the conservative image of UK farming. This survey, reported in the Farmers Weekly last year, supports my personal experience, but I suspect it underestimates current levels of concern.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2010/04/23/120923/Third-of-farmers-hit-by-climate-change.htm