Posted on 09/30/2003 3:17:12 PM PDT by presidio9
About 160,000 people die every year from side-effects of global warming (news - web sites) ranging from malaria to malnutrition and the numbers could almost double by 2020, a group of scientists said on Tuesday.
The study, by scientists at the World Health Organization (news - web sites) (WHO) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said children in developing nations seemed most vulnerable.
"We estimate that climate change may already be causing in the region of 160,000 deaths...a year," Professor Andrew Haines of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told a climate change conference in Moscow.
"The disease burden caused by climate change could almost double by 2020," he added, even taking account of factors like improvements in health care. He said the estimates had not been previously published.
Most deaths would be in developing nations in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, which would be hardest hit by the spread of malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria in the wake of warmer temperatures, floods and droughts.
"These diseases mainly affect younger age groups, so that the total burden of disease due to climate change appears to be borne mainly by children in developing countries," Haines said.
Milder winters, however, might mean that people would live longer on average in Europe or North America despite risks from heatwaves this summer in which about 15,000 people died in France alone.
Haines said the study suggested climate change could "bring some health benefits, such as lower cold-related mortality and greater crop yields in temperate zones, but (that) these will be greatly outweighed by increased rates of other diseases."
Russia is hosting a World Climate Change Conference this week to discuss how to rein in emissions of gases like carbon dioxide from factories and cars that scientists blame for blanketing the planet and nudging up temperatures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites), who opened the conference on Monday, suggested in jest that global warming could benefit countries like Russia as people "would spend less money on fur coats and other warm things."
But Putin also backed away from Russia's earlier pledge to swiftly ratify the key Kyoto pact on curbing global warming, a plan that will collapse without Moscow's backing.
He told 940 delegates to the conference Russia was closely studying the issue of Kyoto. "A decision will be taken when this work is finished," he said, giving no timetable.
Haines said small shifts in temperatures, for instance, could extend the range of mosquitoes that spread malaria. Water supplies could be contaminated by floods, for instance, which could also wash away crops.
Heck we all remember how Al (the Bore) Gore did it very well during the 2000 presidential debates: whipping up stuff like how the cost of medicines cost more than his granny etc.
Then we have the "Stupid White Man" namely "Michael Moore" and his piece of trash fiction called "Bowling For Columbine" which has gone so far as to state and super-hyped on the cover of the book as "The Most important piece of Gun research in the 20th Century - A Must Read".
So you see all liberals are trash, their words are trash and anything being quoted from them MUST be treated & filtered accordingly.
Trust me, that title goes to Arizona. And it's not a close contest.
Finally, some good news around this site. It's about time we start hearing about the professed famines (sp?) caused by overpopulation some jackass predicted back in the 70's and received a nobel prize for. OK, so they're not dying from starvation but rather lack of airconditiong. Don't these morons read the warnings against excessive exercise during hot weather and making sure they drink plenty of fluids?
Now, back to the prize winner: did anyone ever make him give his prize money back?
Hey, problem solved.
Cue "The Circle of Life"...
Or 16 sentences. The author has picked up the annoying Reuters habit of making virtually every sentence a paragraph unto itself.
After giving considerable thought to my previous post, I think there is some serious stuff about this global warming. I was in Honduras for 10 days the beginning of this month and I can tell you for certain that it was hotter than what I expect hell to be (disclaimer meaning I have never been to hell).
I can tell you for a fact that I truly did almost die while there due to the heat. Approx. 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon after a day on the beach, I went to our refrigerator to haul out the Tanqueray for a martini and it was not there! I started to pass out when my brother in law said it was in the freezer........... Whew!
It was very brave of you to share your story with us.
Let's not get rash.
Is that what it says on their death certificate?
But it's a dry heat.
Correction: Hundreds of millions, either directly or indirectly
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