climate change (Page 136)

They don’t just warn us about disease, they’re worried about global warming too (which can lead to disease), and they’re trying to communicate this concern to us.

18 of the world’s professional medical organizations say that the recent failure to reach a UN climate agreement will lead to a “global health catastrophe” and urge physicians to “take a lead” on the climate issue.

In BBC News, Richard Black quotes an article in the medical journal the Lancet as saying, “Effects of climate change on health will put the lives and wellbeing of billions of people at increased risk.”
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desperate measures? – One way of defeating climate change may be through geo-engineering. Suggestions include sending giant mirrors into space to reflect sunlight away from our plant to building gigantic “scrubbers” that would clean CO2 out of the air. Are these ideas gimmicks or real possibilities? If they won’t work (or won’t work well), we don’t want to waste a lot of time and talent on them.

Some of them could be downright dangerous, such as putting iron filings into the ocean to encourage the growth of algae, which would absorb CO2 (as all plans do) and “breathe out” oxygen. But this could also cause substantial damage to marine life.
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While most Americans think climate change is an important issue, they don’t see it as an immediate threat (even though it’s affecting people’s lives RIGHT NOW in many places) so getting people to “go green” requires policymakers, scientists and marketers to look at our psychological barriers to change. What will lead people to take the action that is needed?

A national Pew Research Center poll shows that 75-80% of respondents think climate change is an important issue. But respondents ranked it last in a list of 20 compelling issues, such as the economy or terrorism. Despite warnings from scientists and environmental experts that limiting the effects of climate change means humans need to make some severe changes now, people don’t feel a sense of urgency.
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The secret is out: US scientists monitoring shrinking glaciers in Washington and Alaska are warning that a major glacier meltdown is under way. Glaciers worldwide are melting faster than anyone had predicted they would, which will lead to rapidly rising ocean levels along the coasts. Major cities may drown, and since this news is so sudden and unexpected, many of them will be caught unawares.
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