Global Warming Will Cause Malaria Epidemic in Australia and Pacific Islands

Malaria and dengue fever will spread across Australia and the Pacific Islands from south and southeast Asia as climate change allows mosquitoes to travel to areas that were once too cold for them to survive, according to a new report.

Though Australia has been free of malaria since 1962, rising temperatures could make areas as far south as Gladstone on the mid-Queensland coast hospitable for mosquitoes. Outbreaks of dengue fever could reach Rockhampton, 100 kilometers further north.

From The Telegraph:

The report, The Sting of Climate Change: Malaria and Dengue Fever in Maritime Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, predicts that in countries where the mosquito-borne diseases are already present, the situation will worsen as temperatures climb.

“Mosquitoes are very sensitive to changes in climate. Warmer conditions allow the mosquitoes and the malaria parasite itself to develop and grow more quickly, while wetter conditions let mosquitoes live longer and breed more prolifically,” it said.

“The sting of climate change is an international public health crisis being felt on Australia’s tropical doorstep. It may soon be pressing on Australia’s northern shores as well.”
Malaria is already a big problem in the lowlands of Papua New Guinea, but the research indicates that global warming will allow mosquitoes to travel into the country’s western highlands, affecting up to another two million people.

This is a serious warning; hopefully the governments of these countries will take immediate action. I’m not familiar with the Australian government’s viewpoints on global warming and whether or not they’re likely to do something about this – any Australians want to weigh in? Seeing as malaria already kills two million people – mostly children – every year, and this number will likely rise dramatically if the events we’re being warned about come to pass, there’s certainly no time to waste.

Link [The Telegraph]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Climate Change Helps Spread Deadly Diseases

The Wildlife Conservation Society said Tuesday that a “deadly dozen” diseases including avian flu and yellow fever are likely to spread more due to climate change.  Closer monitoring of wildlife health is urged by the society in the hopes of getting an early warning of how pathogens might spread with global warming.

From MSNBC:

It listed the “deadly dozen” as avian flu, tick-borne babesia, cholera, ebola, parasites, plague, lyme disease, red tides of algal blooms, Rift Valley fever, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis and yellow fever.

“Even minor disturbances can have far reaching consequences on what diseases (wild animals) might encounter and transmit as climate changes,” said Steven Sanderson, head of the society.

“The term ‘climate change’ conjures images of melting ice caps and rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities and nations, but just as important is how increasing temperatures and fluctuating precipitation levels will change the distribution of dangerous pathogens,” he said.

William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society pointed out that, for thousands of years, people have known of a relationship between health and climate.  The diseases named are already killing millions of animals annually, and all pose a major threat to human health.

It just goes to show the far-reaching effects global warming is having on the earth, and will continue to have in the future.  The time to act is yesterday.

Link [MSNBC]
Photo credit: National Geographic

Get Ready To Die: 7 Reasons You Should Be Losing Sleep Tonight

Global warming, nuclear war, global pandemics, drug-resistant microbes, asteroids hitting earth and a water crisis of epic proportions – these may all be worst-case scenarios, and scary ones at that, but they’re entirely possible and they’d probably kill a huge chunk of the human race. Think our elected officials won’t let these things happen? One of the most important things the people of America should have learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is that we can’t count on the government to protect us, no matter how bad things get. If any of these things happen, we’re screwed.

If you’re reading this within a few hours of going to bed, maybe you’d better leave it for the morning. It’s no lullaby.

7- Global warming is real, and we’re screwed.

Image via 20th Century Fox

Some people would have you believe that there’s nothing to worry about – global warming isn’t real, isn’t happening as fast as scientists say or isn’t caused by our actions. For the average person, the reality of global warming hasn’t set in; the furthest they’ve gone in response to the idea is to start using CFL light bulbs. We’ve got some tough news, guys: covering your eyes and ears isn’t going to stop it from happening.

Flicks like The Day After Tomorrow may be totally cheesy and based on pseudo-science, but they do provide some idea of how serious a total collapse of our environment could be. Some global warming deniers trumpet the idea that the climate has gone through radical changes before man-made influence made it worse, but don’t let that lull you into complacency. Man-made or not, if the average temperatures rise or fall by even a little, we could be toast.

To make things even worse, the frightening reality is we most likely aren’t going to do anything serious to address the problems before it’s too late. Politics in the US and across the world don’t often allow for making big sacrifices. Global warming is going to kill thousands of species and make our planet a very different place -–one that, perhaps, will not sustain human life.

Lose more sleep because of global warming by reading State of the Science: Beyond the Worst Case Climate Change Scenario

6- Terrorists will get and use nuclear weapons.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

We live in a world where regular people routinely blow themselves up in order to take out a crowd and make a statement. Even if you aren’t worried about countries like Iran and North Korea, who we certainly can’t count on keeping their fingers off the button, it’s still entirely possible that nuclear technology could fall into the wrong hands and blow us all to hell as a result.

Imagine an innocent-looking cargo container pulling into, say, New York Harbor… or San Diego, or Baltimore, or one of the dozens of other port cities in America. Those containers don’t get inspected nearly as often as we’d like to think. Regardless of who does it, how or why, it’s coming. So grab your loved one and get that last kiss, because you never know which day will be your last.

Lose more sleep because of nuclear weapons by reading ‘Security Flaws, Terrorists & Nuclear Weapons’

5- A global pandemic sweeps across the world.

Image via MN National Guard

So, bird flu and SARS didn’t end up decimating a large percentage of the population across the world as feared. That doesn’t mean we won’t get hit by some kind Stand-like global pandemic at one point or another. It’s only a matter of time. Globalization and lifestyle changes have made the world a small place, and viruses travel a lot faster than they used to. The British House of Lords intergovernmental organizations committee estimates that the next pandemic will kill between 2 million and 50 million people.

The news reports would start trickling in: thousands of people are dying. It’s spreading fast. There’s no vaccine and no cure. Cases would start popping up in every country around the world – no one would be safe, but children, the elderly and the infirm would be the most susceptible. You can wear a mask if it makes you feel better, but you’d better go ahead and write up that will you’ve been putting off.

Lose more sleep because of a global pandemic by reading ‘Global flu pandemic “inevitable,” says top infectious disease scientist’

4- Antibiotic resistance means get a little cut, and you die.

Image via Flickr user Cape May

In the last decade or so, antibacterial products have become all the rage, and doctors have been over-prescribing antibiotics at alarming rates. Oh, you got a cough? Here’s some erythromycin. Too bad all of this stuff has caused microbes to become resistant to drugs that used to be very effective, and they’re getting stronger. So called ‘super bugs’ could evolve to the point where we can no longer treat infections at all.

That means staph, streptococcus, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases would cause increasing rates of death, and longer periods of infection – hello, pandemic (guess that gets two hits on this list). It also means infections that were never previously considered serious could become gaping, festering wounds resistant to all forms of treatment. Never thought you could die from a cut, did you? So get rid of all of your antibacterial products, but it won’t necessarily save you. We’re all in on this one.

Lose more sleep because of antibiotic resistance by reading The World Health Organization Report on Antimicrobial Resistance

3- A big asteroid will hit the Earth and wipe us out.

Image via NewScientist.com

It might sound a bit far-fetched, but this is not just the premise of dozens of cheesy action movies. There is new and very compelling evidence that asteroid and comet impacts on the surface of the earth are more common than once thought. And instead of using our resources to guard against it – with telescopes and rockets and, y’know, technology – NASA is spending billions on things like sending a manned mission to Mars.

What kind of damage would an asteroid do? Well, 100 years ago a very small meteor or comet – about 40 meters across – hit Siberia. It apparently blew right under the radar of scientists, who don’t track meteorites under a certain size. So what did it do? It leveled more than 800 square miles! It exploded before it hit the ground and it had roughly 10-15 megatons of blast. This is about 1000 times as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. If it had hit Moscow instead of a forest, millions would have died.

So, imagine what would transpire if one just a little big larger hit a population center. Or, consider the effects of one hitting the ocean, which is more likely on our mostly ocean-comprised planet. The tsunami that it would create would do even more damage. Though the chances of an asteroid impact are low, they’re very real all the same. Feeling vulnerable yet? Time to start on that ‘bucket list’.

Lose more sleep about asteroids hitting us by reading ‘Impact Earth: Could we divert a giant asteroid?’

2- A global water crisis makes fresh water more valuable than gold.

Image via Sidney Morning Herald/Reuters

You might think we’ll never run out of water; after all, our planet is mostly ocean. But that doesn’t mean we have an endless supply of potable fresh water, and desalinating seawater is a difficult and energy-intensive process. Rampant economic and population growth is already putting a strain on our water resources, and climate change could cause it to dry up even more. That’s leading many to fear the privatization of water, where our water supply would be in private hands and sell for as much as demand allows.

Water shortages would beget food shortages, and wars would crop up across the world. Water is the oil of the not-so-distant future, and much blood will be shed over it. We’ve ignored the problem for too long, and we’re ill-equipped to deal with it. Obviously, we need water to live, so things aren’t lookin’ so good for people right about now.

Lose more sleep because of the global water crisis by reading ‘US and Global Water Wars Loom’

1- ManBearPig will go on a bloody rampage and kill us all.

Image via South Park Studios

Al Gore has already warned us about ManBearPig, but not everyone is listening. He’s even called us in the middle of the night to warn us, but we insist on ignoring him and it will be our downfall. We’re just continuing to go about our business, taking walks through the woods and even camping knowing that ManBearPig is out there and ready to rip our throats out without a moment’s notice.

Once ManBearPig begins its rampage, it will be too late. It’ll get a taste for blood and all of us will be doomed. MBP is not just a desperate plea for attention on the part of Al Gore. It’s real, and it’s coming to get us. You might as well make peace with death now. We’re totally cereal.

Lose more sleep because of ManBearPig by reading Scientists successfully create human-bear-pig chimera (manbearpig)

If these scary scenarios have you all wound up, check back with us later in the week for ‘7 Reasons You Should Sleep Like a Baby Tonight’, detailing all of the good things we’re accomplishing in the war against ourselves.

Watch the Wal-Mart Virus Spread Across America

Walking through the crowded, narrow aisles of Wal-Mart, you may be inclined to keep your arms as close to you as possible and avoid touching most surfaces. After all, the place is so crowded at any given time, it wouldn’t be surprising if you took home more than just a $20 stereo. So, it stands to reason that Flowing Data’s map of Wal-Mart’s spread across America between 1965 and 2007 looks like a nasty green virus taking over the country.

It’s kind of mesmerizing to watch, really. It starts out slow and then picks up really quickly. I love that you can zoom, I just wish it had a play bar so you could pause, step ahead, go back, etc. Wal-Mart truly is a plague upon the land.

Visit Flowing Data to see it for yourself.

Link [Flowing Data]

Surfing May Help Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers

Talk about a natural remedy: researchers have found that cystic fibrosis sufferers who surf tend to have healthier lungs than their non-surfing counterparts. It might just be the key to prolonging the lives of those with cystic fibrosis, who used to die as children years ago but as of now can expect to live into their 30’s and beyond. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the sweat and mucus glands, leading to lung and pancreas problems.

From Inventor Spot:

A few years ago, Australian doctors discovered that young surfers with cystic fibrosis had noticeably healthier lungs. The doctors determined that inhaling saltwater mist had a powerful effect on rehydrating the lining of the lungs and allowing cystic fibrosis patients to more easily eliminate bacteria-contaminated mucus. Knowing this, researchers then developed a hypertonic saline solution, which is now used daily by people with cystic fibrosis.

Called the “saltwater” breakthrough treatment, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation would like to raise more awareness and be able to continue research into a possible cure for this disease. A chapter of the foundation formed a “PIPELINE TO A CURE” campaign to raise funds and to bring about global awareness of the unique bond between the sport of surfing and those with cystic fibrosis.

Sweet, brah. Now you have a good excuse to move to Hawaii.

Get more info at Pipeline to a Cure.

Link [Inventor Spot] + [Pipeline to a Cure]

Photo credit: Flickr user afu007

The Banana is Heading Toward Extinction

Did you know that the variety of banana that we eat today isn’t as tasty as the one our parents and grandparents enjoyed prior to 1960? That’s right, we’re missing out on better bananas. Sad. Well, enjoy the variety we have left, because it’s next.

From The Scientist:

The banana we eat today is not the one your grandparents ate. That one - known as the Gros Michel - was, by all accounts, bigger, tastier, and hardier than the variety we know and love, which is called the Cavendish. The unavailability of the Gros Michel is easily explained: it is virtually extinct.

Introduced to our hemisphere in the late 19th century, the Gros Michel was almost immediately hit by a blight that wiped it out by 1960. The Cavendish was adopted at the last minute by the big banana companies - Chiquita and Dole - because it was resistant to that blight, a fungus known as Panama disease. For the past fifty years, all has been quiet in the banana world. Until now.

Apparently, Panama disease is back, and Cavendish bananas aren’t resistant to the new strain. There is no cure, and nearly every banana scientist says that although the disease is currently spreading through Malaysia and hasn’t yet hit Latin America, where our bananas come from, it’s only a matter of time. Dun dun dun!

Soon, the only choice we have left may very well be a genetically modifided (GMO) banana. In order to survive the Panama disease, it will have to be carefully created in a biotech lab.

What I think is most amazing about this story is that there are banana scientists. Who knew?

Link [The Scientist]
Photo credit: Flickr user Sister72