September 7, 2016
June 2015 Report warns: there are major potential global health implications from climate change
I know. Isn’t this merely old news? Unfortunately, it’s still highly relevant today. In fact, more recent evidence has emerged that some scientists fear that the rate of greenhouse gas emissions, especially from methane, which is up to 36 times more potent than CO2, had not previously been taken into full account.
Following the reports by leading climate scientists and health organizations, the message of climate change is clear. Unless we keep global climate temperatures this century within 2C, the consequences including for public health may be catastrophic. That will not be easy to do.
This June 2015 report was “produced by the Lancet/UCL commission on health and climate change, a collaboration of dozens of experts from around the world, and is backed by Margaret Chan, head of the UN World Health Organization.”
One of their conclusions: we must direct an immediate phase-out of coal energy.
As the report indicates, there have not been an adequate assessment of the global health threats posed by climate change, especially if average temperatures exceed 2C by the end of this century. Warmer temperatures and flooding will increase the spread of mosquito born illnesses and other diseases.
At the same time, the report is not all doom and gloom. If we act now in a decisive manner to ween ourselves off fossil fuel, that will not only help mitigate the worst impacts of climate change but will also produce a substantial boost to overall public health. Translation: less air pollution, heart attack, stroke and other serious illnesses.
From the NYTimes, an insightful interview with President Obama about climate change
(published September 8, 2016):
One of the surprises mentioned in the report is the amount of money that taxpayers are paying to subsidize the fossil fuel industry. As the Guardian article indicates, the International Monetary Fund financial experts have pegged the annual cost at a whopping $10 million per minute to support the industry. That adds up to roughly 5.26 trillion dollars. Wow!
How will we respond? And, how soon!
Our necks and those of future generations hang in the balance.