Sanctuary | News
CLIMATE
WATCH
CLIMATE CHANGE DEADLY
FOR HEALTH
Climate scientists have been crying hoarse for
a long time, warning us of the changing climate
and its impact. And now, the direct impact of
this man-made phenomenon can be seen in the
form of failing human health, air pollution and
heatwaves that are taking a toll on millions every
year. Air pollution, especially in New Delhi, largely
due to burning of fossil fuels and agricultural
waste grabbed headlines last month after the
air quality index plummeted to dangerously low
levels warranting a public health emergency to be
declared. Respirable pollutants PM2.5 reached 999
in certain areas in the city when the safe levels
are believed to be just 60. Particulate matter in
such high concentrations suspended in the air
we breathe can result in them lodging deep in
our lungs. The World Meterological Organisation
(WMO) announced that atmospheric carbon
dioxide levels have reached an all-time high in
three million years. Rise in global temperature
and resultant heatwaves are very serious causes
of worry as they allow for rapid transmission of
deadly diseases such as dengue fever.“Climate
change is happening and it’s a health issue today
for millions worldwide,” said Prof Anthony Costello
of the World Health Organization to The Guardian.JELLYFISH POPULATION
EXPLODES
Overfi shing is depleting our oceans of countless
marine species, which play crucial roles in
maintaining ecosystem equilibrium. These include
predators (such as sharks and turtles), which prey
on jellyfi sh, thereby keeping their population
under control. With the decline of such predators,
coupled with the rise in temperatures resulting
in more acidic waters, jellyfi sh numbers are at an
all time high, swarming coasts in several parts of
the world. Jellyfi sh blooms cause a lot of damage,
not only to the ecosystem, but also to the fi shing
industry. Jellyfi sh sting incidences among peopleMALENE THYSSEN, HTTP://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/USER:MALENEthat come in close proximity to
these blooms are naturally on the
rise. On a positive note, scientists
are working to utilise the massive
jellyfi sh bio mass as food for
humans, as well as potentially
using the sticky mucus they
secrete to control the infl ux of
microplastic into the seas.INDIA HIGHLY
VULNERABLE
An independent Germany-based
environmental organisation,
Germanwatch, recently released
its latest global climate risk
index (CRI), which pegged India
as the sixth-most vulnerable
country in the world to extreme
weather episodes. Only Haiti,
Zimbabwe, Fiji, Sri Lanka and
Vietnam were stated to be more
vulnerable in the face of climate
change to events such as fl oods,
extreme temperatures and heat
(and cold) waves .The CRI is
projected after analysis of the
death toll per 100,000 individuals
complemented by economic
loss per unit of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) of the respective
country based on the population
and economic data acquired from
the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). India ranked fourth in the
CRI 2016, with a loss of property
worth $21 billion and 2,119 human
lives. As per the data collected
and analysed from 1997 to 2016,
more than 5,00,000 lives
have been lost to the tune of
$3.16 trillion in fi nancial losses
due to more than 11,000 extreme
weather events globally.EUROPE BANS
NEONICOTINOIDS?
Neonicotinoids are globally used
as insecticides and recent studies
have confi rmed the detrimental
eff ects they have on bees and
various other insect populations
around the world. Michael Gove,
British Environment Secretary,
emphasised the need to support
the ban on the use of these
chemicals proposed by the
European Union in 2013. “The
weight of evidence now shows
that the risks neonicotinoids
pose to our environment,
particularly to bees and other
pollinators, which play such
a key part in our £100billion
food industry, is greater than
previously understood,” he said.
Signifi cant fi eld trials and analysis
have gathered enough scientifi c
evidence that suggest that
neonicotinoids are hazardous to
the world’s bee populations.
The decline in bee numbers has
begun to aff ect crops as these
natural pollinators are crucial for
crop yields.Rising temperatures and overfi shing are leading to hazardous jellyfi sh blooms in seas across
the world.Well done WWF!
The appointment of Pavan
Sukhdev as President of the
WWF International Board
spells good news for all of us
who understand the turmoil at
the tri-junction of biodiversity,
economics and climate change.
For more information visit
http://wwf.panda.org. – Ed.