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Follow @Uncle_Ernie Global Warming Strikes Again! By Ernest Stewart "Human use of fossil fuels is altering the chemistry of the atmosphere; oceans are polluted and depleted of fish; 80 per cent of Earth's forests are heavily impacted or gone yet their destruction continues. An estimated 50,000 species are driven to extinction each year. We dump millions of tonnes of chemicals, most untested for their biological effects, and many highly toxic, into air, water and soil. We have created an ecological holocaust. Our very health and survival are at stake, yet we act as if we have plenty of time to respond." ~~~ David Suzuki The one thing that seldom gets discussed is the effects of global warming on insects. Having lived in the South, I'm well aware of fire ants; and the warmer it gets, the farther north they go. When I lived in the flat lands of South Carolina, they were pretty much wall-to-wall everywhere; but when I lived in the mountains in North Carolina, there were none to be seen; even though they were all over the flatlands and 'The Piedmont' of North Carolina. Oh, and ask the folks out west how they like killer bees! And while fire ants and killer bees aren't the end of civilization, there are things maybe heading your way that are! According to several leading climate scientists and public health researchers, "global warming will lead to higher incidence and more intense versions of disease. The direct or indirect effects of global warming might intensify the prevalence of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, dengue and Lyme disease; but the threat of increased health risks is likely to further motivate the public to combat global warming;" but I rather doubt it, I know, my bad! Oh, and let's not forget malaria, which too, is heading north! "The environmental changes wrought by global warming will undoubtedly result in major ecologic changes that will alter patterns and intensity of some infectious diseases," said Gerald Friedland, professor of medicine and epidemiology and public health at the Yale School of Medicine. "Global warming will likely cause major population upheavals, creating crowded slums of refugees. Not only do areas of high population density facilitate disease transmission, but their residents are more likely to be vulnerable to disease because of malnutrition and poverty. This pattern of vulnerability holds for both tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, increasing the incidence of both the acquisition and spread of the diseases. These potential effects are not surprising, since tuberculosis epidemics historically have followed major population and environmental upheavals," Friedland explained."By contrast, global warming may increase the infection rates of mosquito-borne diseases by creating a more mosquito-friendly habitat. Warming, and the floods associated with it, are likely to increase rates of both malaria and dengue, a debilitating viral disease found in tropical areas and transmitted by mosquito bites," said Maria Diuk-Wasser, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. "The direct effects of temperature increase are an increase in immature mosquito development, virus development and mosquito biting rates, which increase contact rates (biting) with humans. Indirect effects are linked to how humans manage water given increased uncertainty in the water supply caused by climate change.Diuk-Wasser said. And if climate doesn't do it, remember that the CIA and Army labs let loose the West Nile mosquito virus from New York labs, spreading across the country on the backs of infected birds; so, if nature don't get you, the government will! And again, we're only talking about the tip of the iceberg of Global Warming; and there's plenty more that doesn't meet the eye! I know you don't mind suffering the effects of Global Warming; but should your children and grandchildren have to suffer, too; or will you get up off the couch and do something about it before it's too late? Hmmm? *****  09-30-1928 ~ 07-02-2016 Thanks for the exposure!  02-03-1939 ~ 07-02-2016 Thanks for the film!  11-25-1920 ~ 07-03-2016 Thanks for the film!  08-21-1929 ~ 07-07-2016 Thanks for the stage & film! ***** We get by with a little help from our friends! So please help us if you can...? Donations ***** So how do you like Bush Lite so far? And more importantly, what are you planning on doing about it? Until the next time, Peace! (c) 2016 Ernest Stewart a.k.a. Uncle Ernie is an unabashed radical, author, stand-up comic, DJ, actor, political pundit and for 14 years was the managing editor and publisher of Issues & Alibis magazine. Visit me on Facebook. Follow me on Twitter. Email:uncle-ernie@issuesandalibis.org
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