The plague could be coming! Global warming to blame

When people hear “global warming,” they usually think melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and superstorms. But did you know that global warming also makes it easier for diseases to spread? That’s right - the next plague could be looming on the horizon. And the last one took millions of lives!

Bacteria and parasites thrive in warmer temperatures, making them somewhat seasonal in a certain parts of the world. But not anymore. Longer summers mean longer lifespans. More contagious diseases. And “there [are] A LOT of diseases,” stresses Sonia Altizer, an associate professor at the University of Georgia. “Especially in natural systems, where there as a pretty clear signal that either the prevalence or severity of those diseases has increased in response to climate change.”

Altizer is co-author of a recently published study on climate trends over the last decade.  She continues:

“So in the arctic, there are parasitic worms that affect muskox and reindeer that are developing faster and becoming more prevalent and expanding their ranges. And then in tropical oceans, like Caribbean coral reefs, there’s a large amount of evidence that has mounted that shows that warming interferes with the symbiosis of corals – makes them more vulnerable to disease and at the same time increases the growth rate of some lethal bacteria.”

So no matter where you live – in a warm climate, or chilly – no one is safe from bacteria. Thankfully, we have studies like Altizer’s to help us prepare for the future.

“Knowing why different pathogens respond differently to climate change is what’s needed to help us predict and ultimately manage disease outbreaks in people and animals and plants,” she says.

Some continents are much more equipped to handle the next plague than others, like North America and Europe, who have “surveillance, vector control, modern sanitation, drugs, and vaccines. [They] can be deployed to prevent outbreaks of a lot of diseases, especially vector borne disease or diarrheal disease that are much more problematic in the developing world. And so these can counter the effects of climate change and make it hard to detect increases in those pathogens,” says Altizer.

“Controlling vectors” refers to controlling parasites like ticks and mosquitos, which have been known to transmit yellow fever and malaria.

In developing countries, a pathogenic outbreak could destroy the agricultural economy. Lost crops. Dead cattle. The livelihoods of farmers and their families are at stake.

How concerned should we be? Well, according to Altizer, the answer isn’t exactly black and white.

“It really depends on the location. Where, when and what pathogen? So I think we’re at a stage now where in the next five to ten years scientists will be able to move towards a predictive framework that will be able to answer questions about where in the world and what pathogens are responding and will continue to respond most strongly to climate change.”

The effects of global warming are unfolding slowly, and should stretch decades, making it crucial to document and analyze data. 

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Why oil companies are banking on the ice caps melting

By now, it should be common knowledge that the ice caps are melting due to an increase in the Earth’s surface temperature. Blockbuster Hollywood movies and proponents of global warming have offered us one apocalyptic scenario after another. Ice ages. Tsunamis. Super-storms. However, one demographic may actually be banking on the ice caps melting: big oil.

According to a report filed by the U.S. Geological Survey, an estimated 13% of the planet’s reserve of unperturbed oil, and 30% of natural gas, sit beneath the once-thick sheath of Arctic ice. Oil executives are salivating for a chance to begin drilling operations. Nations, too.

Russia has already dispatched a fleet of submarines to explore the North Pole. Amy Crawford, a writer for Smithsonian Magazine, says China is next in line.

"China obviously does not have any Arctic coastline. Their northern border is about 900 miles from the Arctic Circle. But they are seeking influence."

In order for China to get in the game, they’ll need support from Canada, one of their main suppliers of crude oil. But if Canada does throw their support behind the Chinese, the move could damage relations between Canada and their neighbor to the South, the United States.

The U.S. and Canada are currently vying for control of the Northwest Passage, a direct sea route to the North Pole that, thanks to global warming, is ice-free for the first time in years. The route is substantially shorter (4,000 miles and 2 weeks shorter, in fact) than the alternative route through the Panama Canal. Obviously, this represents some financial leverage. Canada contends that stretches of the Northwest Passage fall within its jurisdiction, while the U.S. argues that it’s part of international waters. Let the bickering begin!

Russia, on the other hand, controls 100% of the Northeast Passage, giving them a distinct advantage in the race to claim the Artic oil, which is technically ‘up for grabs’. Crawford writes: “In 2007, they (the Russians) actually did this symbolic flag planting where they sent a formerly secret mini-submarine down and they planted a titanium flag. So it sounds like something out of Christopher Columbus' playbook."

Big oil companies are scrambling to compete, but so far have been forced to abandon exploratory voyages due to insufficient technology. Most of today’s tankers are unable to withstand the sub-zero Artic temperatures and vicious winds – issues naval submarines don’t have to consider.

Are oil and gas really worth all the trouble we’re going through? Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective for countries to invest in alternative forms of energy? Why hope that the ice caps melt when we can work towards the solution of a clean, renewable infrastructure? Unless we want to spend our retirements under water…

Truly Yours,

Ana Shell

Still fighting for big oil?

Don’t think there are still politicians out there indebted to big oil? Think again! This week, the United States Senate finally passed their 2014 federal budget. Senators introduced hundreds of amendments for consideration; however, it was the conservative leaders in particular who introduced amendments that would have drastically undercut climate policies. Coming as no surprise here, these politicians would rather protect their own interests and fight for big oil then protect the public and fight for green energy.

Here’s a list of the 7 most egregious amendments that were NOT included in the budget, but could’ve been if they had past the floor.

• Blunt #261 would’ve blocked future legislation from imposing a carbon tax to reduce industrial pollution. The amendment would allow any carbon tax measure to be turned down by a three-fifths vote.  And yet, the impacts of global warming have been felt regularly over the past two years.  In 2011 and 2012, the U.S. suffered from 25 climate related storms, heat waves, drought, floods, and wildfires that caused an estimated $188 billion in damages.

• Inhofe #359 would’ve prevented the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing the Clean Air Act, which regulates pollutant emissions. The EPA proposed the carbon standard for new power plants back in 2012 since power plants are responsible for two-fifths of U.S. carbon pollution.

• Murkowski #370 would’ve “increased oil and natural gas production on federal lands and waters,” despite oil production operating at its highest level in several decades. In addition, the Congressional Research Service noted that oil production on federal land was up from 2008 despite a rise in fracking operations on nonfederal lands. The problem? Fracking has the potential to pollute wells, poison livestock and create any number of unpredictable ecological problems.

• Cruz #470 would’ve limited the amount of federally-owned land in each state -- a conservative attempt to hand public property over to private institutions in order to expand drilling operations. The government currently controls 500 million acres of public land which provides two million jobs and over $300 billion in economic stimulus.

• Coats #514 would’ve made cuts to essential protections guaranteed by the Clean Air Act by authorizing the President to pardon any company from complying with air toxics standards for a two-year period. The amendment would’ve essentially offered a “get-out-of-jail-free” card to coal-burning power plants. What’s the worst that could happen? Well, methyl-mercury from coal pollution accrues in fish, which can poison pregnant women. It can impair brain development in young children, including memory, language, and attention span. By keeping coal-burning power plants up-to-date and under-code, it’s estimated that the Clean Air Act prevents up to 17,000 premature deaths each year.  The EPA concluded that “the value of these (lives) would amount to $37–90 billion per year.”

• Alexander #516 would’ve repealed the wind production tax credit. This credit of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity entices people to invest in wind energy. Over the past century, big oil companies have accepted $80 in support for every $1 towards renewable energy alternatives.

• Vitter #544 would’ve stripped the President of the authority to protect the nation’s historical landmarks under the Antiquities Act. Since its inception in 1906, the Antiquities Act has protected sites like the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Muir Woods, Acadia, and Zion.

The world is finally starting to come around to the effects of global warming. However, if you’re waiting for your elected officials to get things done for you, you may be waiting a while. Take a stand against big oil. Fight for clean energy. Fight for the future. Visit nrglab.asia for more information on how you can be a force for change.  

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