Among the hysterical news releases emanating from the UN conference on the Environment was the report that global warming is already resulting in increases in malaria and other tropical diseases that are sensitive to increases in temperatures that may or may not be caused by man. Malaria is a serious disease responsible for 2.2% of of worldwide deaths per year according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
But as Bjorn Lomborg, the “Skeptical Environmentalist” has pointed out, too many environmental observers like to focus only on the “dark side of life”. The same 2003 WHO report that ranks malaria the 8th highest cause of global mortality also ranks lower respiratory infections as the 3rd highest cause of mortality. This includes diseases such as pneumonia that are more common when it’s cold.
Where is the UN scientific study outlining the benefits of global warming on reducing the incidence of pneumonia and other cold weather diseases?
If cold weather diseases could decrease with global warming, what would result in a decrease in warm weather diseases such as malaria? Global cooling? Actually, malaria occurs in areas that are warm, but the main cause of malaria is the lack of economic development. In warm areas with strong economies, malaria is not a problem. Singapore’s malaria death rate is .00003%, compared to Liberia, with a similar latitude but weaker economy with a rate of.21000%.
Therefore, if the so-called scientists at the UN conference wanted to really reduce warm weather diseases, they would focus more on economic development.
And what does the US complain is the main flaw with the Kyoto protocol? Besides that it’s useless in terms of saving the environment, it will damage the economies of the countries that adhere to it. I guess the US is on the right track regarding the environment after all!
Just another example of the misguided, negligent, and even deceitful news generated by the global warming kool-aid drinkers.