The Never-ending Cycle
We're all pretty much fed up with COVID-19, right?
I'm just going to assume you all said "right!" The pandemic has taken an immeasurable toll – lost lives, lost jobs, lost connections, and lost time. Even today, we're still fighting to break free from this virus and recover from the far-ranging damage it has caused.
This is not something any of us want to relive. But we may have to. Why? Because of climate change.
According to a new study published in Nature yesterday, over the next 50 years, climate change will drive thousands of viruses to jump from one species of mammal to another. The spread of viruses between animals may increase the risk that one will infect humans and cause a new pandemic.
The idea that a warming planet could increase the burden of diseases is not new – scientists have been sounding alarm bells about this for a long time. For example, malaria is largely expected to spread as the mosquitoes that carry the disease are able to expand their range into regions that are warming due to climate change. But experts say climate change may also welcome a completely new trove of diseases by allowing pathogens to move into new host species.
Are we paying close enough attention to how all of our most pressing issues interconnect?
We reached out to Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), a former clean energy entrepreneur and member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, for his thoughts on the new report. "Weeks after the most recent IPCC report made crystal clear that our window for action is rapidly closing, I am alarmed but frankly unsurprised by this week's finding that climate change is likely to fuel future pandemics," the congressman told us.
"Rather than treating climate as a siloed issue, we must take concrete and immediate steps to prepare for its full scope of consequences, especially when it comes to pandemic preparedness and other serious threats to public health," Casten said.
— Kimberly Givant, Editor of The Recount Newsletter
Source:
Kimberly Givant