
With soaring petrol prices, food prices, interest rates and housing prices, we could be entering into an "age of scarcity" which could drag millions of people into poverty, according to a new book released by
Oxfam.
Author of
From Poverty to Power, Duncan Green, said we need to do something about it now.
"Unless we act quickly, the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ will grow uncontrollably, exacerbating existing inequalities and condemning millions more people to poverty,” said Mr Green.
The Oxfam book argues that poverty has to be dealt with from the ground up, rather than having the wealthy being the only ones to try resolve it.
“Now it is clearer than ever that the only way to end the gross inequalities that have condemned more than a billion people to linger in poverty is through a massive redistribution of power, assets and opportunities.”
Green said that success in dealing with poverty depends on how effectively we respond to the increasing impact of climate change and rapidly diminishing resources, such as oil.
“Dirty, carbon-hungry growth is no longer an option.
“Unless we can find a route to low-carbon growth then we face either catastrophic climate change or serious economic decline.”