is clearly Man-made. Burning fossil fuels is one of the main sources of
energy for most countries, coal mine is also a big business in countries
like china were coal mines are opened every single week, cars doubled
in numbers thus doubled its annual emissions in most developed countries.
This may be the most selfish, insensitive, self-serving act that the human
population has done to its planet, one that will go down to history. In
the bible, the Lord ordered noah to build an ark to accomodate his family
and animals (2 of each kind), for he will flood all of earth to cleanse
the land of sin, after the flood, God promised not to flood the earth
again out of love for his people, this is a very good example of how evil
acts could kill us in so many ways, but now this flood will come back
if we don't change our ways, and there's no Ark to save us. The only thing
that could prevent this disaster is our God-given skill and our ability
to survive and our ability to change, yes change, change our lifestyle,
change our ways. Scientists predict that within 30 to 50 years,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7137462.stm
http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/research/index.htm
when the ice in the polar regions melts due to
global warming most low-lying cities will be under water, some important
life-giving rivers will dry up like the amazon river, which is home to
a gazillion species of animals, polar bears will die-out due to ice-melt,
fishes will also die out, because the ocean absorbs most of the Co2 and
they can only absorb as much, the ocean will heat up and marine animals
will die. Tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons increase in strenght, size
and consistency. Most countries experience drought but others will also
experience flooding, these are just appetizers, the main course is about
to begin if we don't do nuthin'
Global
Warming, Poverty and Global Health
Global warming is connected
to the deterioration of health conditions and the increase of diseases
especially among the billions of people around the world who live in
poverty. These three--environment, health and poverty--are inseparable.
Global warming is connected to the deterioration
of health conditions and the increase of diseases especially among the
billions of people around the world who live in poverty. These three--environment,
health and poverty--are inseparable.Global warming and care for the
environment are, much belatedly, getting the attention they deserve.
Foot-dragging by the U.S. government is being countered by initiatives
by private individuals such as Sir
Richard Branson, who announced this week that he will fund development
of alternative fuel for jetliners, and public initiatives by many governments
around the world, such as California's emission control laws. The local
NPR station reported that Al Gore is training 1,000 volunteers this
weekend to take his message about global warming to the grassroots.
I hope this attention translates into long-term problem-solving and
that care for the environment is not the cause de jour, receiving
attention one day and fading shortly after. The survival of the planet
is too important to be treated like another election issue, here today
and gone tomorrow, and so is combatting global health problems and poverty.
The connection between global warming, poverty and health must not be
forgotten. These three are so intertwined it's hard to separate one
from the other.
Dr. Paul Epstein of the Center
for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard Medical School,
explains how wetter, warmer weather results in a favorable environment
for disease-bearing insect pests to thrive. As a result of warming in
mountainous areas, mosquitos have moved to higher elevations, bringing
with them diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus,
he writes. In this audio
interview he explains that malaria is now present in the mountains
of Ethiopia as well as in Nairobi, Kenya and Harare, Zimbabwe, high
altitude cities once malaria-free.
Extreme changes in weather patterns such as heavy rains that flooded
Mozambique in 2000 resulted in a five-fold increase in malaria. The
rains provided breeding grounds for insects and drove rat populations
from nests and into sources of drinking water, polluting the water supply.
Weather changes also alter the balance between predators and prey that
keeps disease-bearing pests in check. Drought in the western U.S. in
the mid 1990s reduced the population of snakes, owls and coyotes that
keep the rat population in check. Monsoonal rains broke the drought
and provided rat populations with abundance of pinion nuts and other
food sources that resulted in a ten-fold increase in rats. Out of this
extreme weather fluctuation the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a deadly
disease associated with rat feces, nest debris and contact with the
rodent itself, emerged from the increased rat population.
Malaria alone consumes 40% to 50% of public health expenditures in some
developing nations. Survivors are often too sick to work productively,
if at all, increasing the burden of poverty. Add to this dilemma the
policies
of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank requiring
developing nations to privatize many government services, including
health care. The poor can't afford fees so they don't take advantage
of the limited health services that are available, adding to the decline
in productivity among workers, increasing poverty and the spread of
infectious, untreated diseases such as tuberculosis, for example.
For people of faith in the Judeo-Cristian tradition the biblical understanding
of the earth is that it is sacred creation. We are instructed to steward
with care. This biblical wisdom is more relevant than ever. The life
of faith is about holistic understanding of our place in the universe
and our purpose under God. Nothing could reveal faithfulness more than
to give urgent concern and action to care for the earth, heal the sick
and bring justice to those trapped in the bonds of poverty.
Many religious groups such as The United Methodist Church have significant
presence in the developing world in the form of local churches, health
clinics, mission hospitals, and schools and universities. But they often
lack resources to attack problems at a scale great enough to significantly
end long-standing problems. Partnerships with others to achieve greater
coverage of health services, environmental protection and economic development
should become part of an urgent response. Viewed holistically, each
part of the attempt to reduce global warming and human suffering from
poverty and lack of health care represents faithfulness to God who created
us, gave the earth and told us to thrive upon it. zassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
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