NationStates Jolt Archive

A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that climate change directly or indirectly contributes to about 77 000 deaths annually in Asia and the Pacific.

A figure for the Pacific itself could not be obtained however WHO representative to Samoa, Dr Kevin Palmer told Newsline the figures are a cause for concern.

"The total number of deaths in the region is significant and the impacts are pretty specific," Dr Palmer said.

Major changes related to climate change such as the gradual disappearance of atolls, do make a contribution to health problems, he said.

"The mosquito population is on the increase and with that the prevalence of malaria."

[...] WHO says millions of people could be at risk of malnutrition and hunger if arable lands become unworkable.


It's not just all problems for the future...

The discussion of whether or not the risk of climate changes is real is no longer relevant. It is a statistic fact that temperatures tend to be more extreme and weather phenomena tend to be more severe. A few years ago, thousands died because of heat in Central and Western Europe, and a similar thing happened recently in Balkan and in Eastern Europe. The sea level rise is measurable, threatening several densely populated regions. Glacier shrinkages at the current rate have never before been observed. New plants and animals appear in otherwise stable biotopes.

In short, whether anything should be done is no longer an issue; the question now is what to do.

Personally, and this is probably me being a pessimist, I think humanities doomed. If not from extinction, then at least being thrown back to a hunter-gatherer society.

I simply dont believe that we can find a plan that everybody can agree to and will work, get it funding, and implement it in time to save the ecosystem. If we dont saved the ecosystem, then we're screwed.

Ah, well... its been a good 6,000 years.

Well, since we have no control over climate change, so this means we can only sit bak and watch.

Personally, and this is probably me being a pessimist, I think humanities doomed. If not from extinction, then at least being thrown back to a hunter-gatherer society.

I simply dont believe that we can find a plan that everybody can agree to and will work, get it funding, and implement it in time to save the ecosystem. If we dont saved the ecosystem, then we're screwed.

Ah, well... its been a good 6,000 years.

YOu may well be right, which is quite a depressing thought. I'm not sure that it has been a 'good' 6000 years, but it's certainly been better than it's shaping up to be in future.


Well, since we have no control over climate change, so this means we can only sit bak and watch.

That's not altogether true. The climate is changing, yes, and it's those changes that are going to cause the problems that will put us in jeapordy. However, we shouldn't just be focussing on that. Climate change will not directly kill us all... it's more likely that secondary effects of the changes will make our current attitudes towards resource consumption clearly impractical (as opposed to the present day, when our methods only appear impractical to the people who actually take the time to do the math). We should instead focus on what can be done to alter the way that we live:

More efficient ways of feeding the world's population do exist.

More efficient ways of extracting and making use of the world's rapidly depleting supplies of potable water exist.

If you consider the way that things are done at present - with the world's largest countries (population-wise) unable to produce enough food for their own people (witness China's annual imports of wheat from the U.S.) and so much of the planet's arable land underutilised (e.g. most of Africa) - it is easy to see that there is room for improvement. It is my view that globalised business, contrary to such much else that I believe, might actually be beneficial in setting new paradigms for international co-operative efforts in food production. It is the global corporations, and the growing influence that they hold over disparate governments across the globe, that look to be best placed to get the ball rolling.

Things are pretty grim, that's for sure, but it's not dark yet and - if you look closely enough - there is still room for optimism.

Personally, and this is probably me being a pessimist, I think humanities doomed. If not from extinction, then at least being thrown back to a hunter-gatherer society.

I simply dont believe that we can find a plan that everybody can agree to and will work, get it funding, and implement it in time to save the ecosystem. If we dont saved the ecosystem, then we're screwed.

Ah, well... its been a good 6,000 years.

But Jesus will come and save us...

But Jesus will come and save us...

I'll keep that in mind when I go to confession today.

Ive just seem an article that says most bees are dying, and that the majority of the population in most countries is falling rapidly.

In my opinion, its partialy due to global warming and changes in the climate.

For example, here in Brazil, we are in the middle of winter. Yet, thursday we got 30° celsius. Come on, how bad is that?

And when you consider Asia and Africa, places with millions of poor, you can see any change in the climate can kill a lot of people.

But Jesus will come and save us...

Maybe he will come back today? After all it is 7-7-7! :D

I hope the mosquitoes save some for the superstorms. *nod*

Ive just seem an article that says most bees are dying, and that the majority of the population in most countries is falling rapidly.

In my opinion, its partialy due to global warming and changes in the climate.

And when you consider Asia and Africa, places with millions of poor, you can see any change in the climate can kill a lot of people.

I dont think that is true....get the aricle, and then I will find that truthfull...

It's not just all problems for the future...

Why should I care? I mean, yes it's sad people several thousands of miles away are dying, but how does this affect me? I mean honestly, why should I try to help these people Not like it's ever possibly going to affect me.

[/sarcasm]

Oh no!! I am being killed! I will die!

There was a climate change after the last Ice Age. And humans had absolutely NO impact on how the weather changed.

Those dumb asians, they just need to use more DDT. Its not harmful. I for one welcome climate change. Longer summers, less snow! More people die from hypothermia than heat stoke anyway so some lives are being saved.

There was a climate change after the last Ice Age. And humans had absolutely NO impact on how the weather changed.

So?

There have been lots of climate changes, but the only time they happen rapidly it's from an outside source and is usually followed by a mass extinction.

There was a climate change after the last Ice Age. And humans had absolutely NO impact on how the weather changed.

And because they had no impact last time, let's ignore scientific evidence, and say they can't possibly this time. Right. Impeccable logic you have there. :rolleyes:

And because they had no impact last time, let's ignore scientific evidence, and say they can't possibly this time. Right. Impeccable logic you have there. :rolleyes:

Much of that scientific evidence has been and continues to be called into question. The truth is that if you look back at the temperature changes as long as man has been keeping track, SOME YEARS ARE HOTTER AND SOME YEARS ARE COLDER.

Those dumb asians, they just need to use more DDT. Its not harmful. I for one welcome climate change. Longer summers, less snow! More people die from hypothermia than heat stoke anyway so some lives are being saved.
Seriously, if you like summers, wait 'till you get to my country. You will learn to absolutely hate it. So here, drink this. *passes a can of DDT*

Much of that scientific evidence has been and continues to be called into question. The truth is that if you look back at the temperature changes as long as man has been keeping track, SOME YEARS ARE HOTTER AND SOME YEARS ARE COLDER.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious, but the "controversy" that the usual ostriches like to clamour on about is a conveniant way of concealing the almost complete consensus of the scientific community. Seriously, does accepting the overwhelming probability of man's role in climate change bother you so much on a personal level that you feel the need to go into denial?

You'll note from the link that the Samoan government (for example) is actively looking for solutions to see what they can do. Although they have very limited means to do anything. While they are facing very real and catastrophic problems, you can still afford the luxury of sitting back and saying they haven't really got a problem.

Seriously, if you like summers, wait 'till you get to my country. You will learn to absolutely hate it. So here, drink this. *passes a can of DDT*

You can't drink DDT stupid. Its can be harmful if consumed regularly in large amounts. You're stupid. And I do like summers alot.

Seriously, if you like summers, wait 'till you get to my country. You will learn to absolutely hate it. So here, drink this. *passes a can of DDT*

DDT has saved tens of millions of lives.

DDT has saved tens of millions of lives.

I know, its so true. How many people have to die of malaria before they stop banning it?

You can't drink DDT stupid. Its can be harmful if consumed regularly in large amounts. You're stupid. And I do like summers alot.
Yes! Join my band of intentionally thick people. We tend to get confused without [/sarcasm] tags. ;)

Yes! Join my band of intentionally thick people. We tend to get confused without [/sarcasm] tags. ;)

No, sorry, I am being quite serious (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2004/sci_techs/3124ddt_africa.html).

No, sorry, I am being quite serious (http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2004/sci_techs/3124ddt_africa.html).
Wasn't referring to that. Welcome!

DDT has saved tens of millions of lives.

And nearly drove the Bald Eagle to extinction, but that's a small price to pay eh?

And nearly drove the Bald Eagle to extinction, but that's a small price to pay eh?

The evidence for that is highly disputed.

And it probably is a small price to pay to stop one african child dying every thirty seconds from malaria.

ok... some people here aren't being too intelligent, so, for those of us that know climate change is occurring and that, even though it does happen on its own, humans are greatly speeding it up, i will try to straighten out the unintelligent global-warming deniers that seem to have flocked to this thread.
First, the forum member known as Katganistan has said that he enjoys global warming, and that "longer summers and less snow" would be wonderful, and that "more people die of hypothermia than heatstroke anyway". :headbang: Hypothermia and heatstroke aren't the dangers, you twit, and if you had any reason at all then you'd be able to understand that these aren't all the dangers, and that with global warming (climate change is a euphemism, so i only use it if i have to) there also comes crop devastation, superstorms (take a look at what Hurricane Katrina did (it was amped up by warmer temperatures)), flooding on coastal regions (from the melting of the ice caps), and habitat + species destruction, as many plants and animals either cannot cope with the higher temperatures or, in the case of polar region animals, are losing their ice platforms and hunting grounds (polar bears are dying in record numbers of starvation because they cannot catch the seals they depend on for food as the seal comes out of an airhole, because they simply cannot guess what airhole the seal chooses). So, katganistan, the problem isn't heat stroke vs. hypothermia.
Also, there were some people who were saying DDT is a good thing... UNTRUE. It does cause poisoning in animals that are exposed to it (it can also occasionally cause infertility, which was one of the reasons that the bald eagle population dropped so low, in addition to the babies not being able to survive very long if they managed to hatch), and it is a disgusting pollutant. So, please, keep DDT banned and don't endorse its use, for the sake of the environment and other species.

Also, there were some people who were saying DDT is a good thing... UNTRUE. It does cause poisoning in animals that are exposed to it (it can also occasionally cause infertility, which was one of the reasons that the bald eagle population dropped so low, in addition to the babies not being able to survive very long if they managed to hatch), and it is a disgusting pollutant. So, please, keep DDT banned and don't endorse its use, for the sake of the environment and other species.

And yet after testimony from multiple independent scientists and nine odd months of hearings, the EPA concluded exactly the opposite.

Bald Eagles were dying out because people were shooting them and stealing their eggs.

And yet after testimony from multiple independent scientists and nine odd months of hearings, the EPA concluded exactly the opposite.

Bald Eagles were dying out because people were shooting them and stealing their eggs.

Well, the best argument against overuse of DDT is the way mosquitoes become resistant to it.

Well, the best argument against overuse of DDT is the way mosquitoes become resistant to it.

As with all things, it can be misused. But that's no reason for a blanket ban.

It also seems a bit rich that the west can wipe out malaria from its borders using it (australia, the US, parts of southern europe), and then decide that it's just too damn nasty for anyone else. I also have no doubt that if the US faced a malaria problem on the scale of central africa, DDT would become a 'wonder chemical' again tomorrow.

Not saying we should go swimming in the stuff, or spray every inch of the planet every 24 hrs with the stuff. All I'm asking is a little common sense about it.

All I'm asking is a little common sense about it.
Hah, same here.