So far, it was the climatologists and environmentalist who were mainly warning the world about the hazards of climate change. Now, medical doctors have joined them.

A study by the University College London, published in the medical journal Lancet, has warned that the problems caused by climate change such as food shortages, heat waves and increased threat of tropical diseases like malaria, will kill billions of people worldwide.

This is the first authentic medical assessment of the dangers of global warming.

And, what it would mean is that climate change is now the biggest threat to humanity.

The authors of the study – which included doctors, climatologists and economists – concluded that climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.

The effects of climate change will affect most populations in the next decades and put the lives of and well-being of billions of people at increased risk.”

The study, which took a year to complete, predicted that temperatures are likely to rise in the next century by over 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), resulting in “catastrophic consequences”. It also stresses that the health of people in poorer countries would be hit the hardest since they do not have the money to respond to floods, crop failures or to an increase in insect-borne diseases.

But developed countries will be hit, too. Extreme weather conditions will become more frequent across the world and rises in temperature will particularly affect the elderly and vulnerable.

The result of all these could be mass migration, health problems like starvation and the threat of disease, and even war caused by shortages of food and water. Doctors also warn that even “the fear of climate change” will have a psychosocial effect on health, with patients requiring counseling.

Meanwhile, doctors around the world themselves are being asked to become “advocates for encouraging a low-carbon lifestyle” – for example, by cycling rather than using a car.

Source – Image by pagedooley

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

There is a point beyond which you cannot trample with the mightily patient Mother earth. She has taken everything that has been thrown at her and has tried to balance the planet and keep it up and running by making tiny adjustments and giving us gentle jolts once in a while. But when the planet that you call home is heading towards a chaotic order, then she has to step in at some point to wipe out the infestation and set the record straight.

Image courtesy of Roberto Rizzato

With the way man has been destroying delicate balance of natural ecosystems and causing a steep rise in the global temperatures, global warming seems to be the cause that will one day bring about a catastrophic end to much of human race, much like nature put dinosaurs in their place millions of years ago. And when you have Nobel Laureates and the best minds in the world talking about how bad the situation is, then it is hard to dismiss it away.

This is why GP has compiled a list with what we believe to be the 15 most deadly effects of global warming. (more…)