Wednesday, September 17, 2008

PART II :: Immediate effects of climate changes on human population...

Vaniel Louis, (Dienane Cherie) and I have talked about immediate health effects of climate changes on human populations last Sunday on Haimusique (la radio cayenne d'outre-mer).
We reviewed some of the current environmental stresses that form the back drop for climate changes (potential) additional impacts on human populations. We identified ways that climate changes can either ameliorate or exacerbate some of the existing social and health issues faced by human populations (the Haitian population in particular) and talked about ways to deal with climate changes.

(Unfortunately), in the Haitian context, we had to talk about the old concept of "miasma" and identified corresponding-parameters and indicators through current stages of salubrity in urban Haitian populations; the direct correlation between salubrity and air pollution (among other) was analyzed.

Some health impacts associated with extreme weather events, storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme precipitations were also reviewed (death, respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, behavioral changes, hunger, etc.). During that Talk Show, we mentioned two different ways to deal with climate changes. The Do-Nothing comportment that will increase the likelihood for the Haitian population to suffer more from the (immediate) effects of climate changes and to be wired to dealing with periodic high death rates and social-economic catastrophes. The second attitude is to take sustainable actions _ as a society_ to manipulate those risk factors and reduce their potential outcome on the nation. Those actions entail a more comprehensive leading role of scholars and the Haitian University towards the identification of working-models capable of building resilience to current environmental stresses or lesser climate change impacts on the population, while enabling the Haitian Congress to make better legal decisions to protect, conserve and manage the nation's natural resources/areas; the PAE is an example.
Civic actions need to be developed/taken to engage young minds (and the old ones as well) into this new setting of behaviors and responsibilities, by encouraging community services (coastal and drain cleanups, waste management, reforestation, literacy/alphabetization, etc.), establishing public funding for environmental micro-projects, etc.

The last episode will be aired on Sunday, Sept. 28th on http://www.aux-cayes.com/ http://www.haimusique.com/ at 2PM (ET). We will focus on ways to develop public interest research groups, civic associations, and how to raise money or seek for funds.

Don't miss out!
M. Medozile

Monday, September 1, 2008

Part I : Immediate Effects of Climate Changes on Deforested Environment

Last Sunday, Vaniel, Christella Coeur-Aimable and I talked about current consequences of climate changes, particularly on deforested environment in Part I of our radio talk show on www.haimusique.com

One of the intelligent ways to comprehend the problematic of climate changes is by concurring that the earth is undergoing that phenomenon, by searching for the causes, identifying health effects associated with it (among others) and seeking ways to deal with it; while taking comprehensive and sustainable actions to minimize future outcomes on human and other ecological populations.

Pictures taken within the last 30 years illustrate a significant reduction of the polar ice cap, an increase of the globe's temperature (global warming)along with an average of the sea level. As a natural phenomenon, climate changes have recently been accelerated and its change in atmospheric compositions are widely thought to be due to human activities.

We (Vaniel, Kris and I) talked about the three major factors that influence the earth's climate more than all others combined: the sun, the atmosphere and the ocean. (Although we had some translation difficulties), we analyzed the contribution of the greenhouse gases towards the "global warming potential". Of course CO2 is identified as a "weak greenhouse gas" but the amount releases into the atmosphere through fossil fuel combustion (about 82% of all greenhouse gases) makes it one of the most "dangerous" enemy of the globe.

In the Haitian context, we analyzed the outcomes of deforestation towards the immediate effects of climate changes in that environment. The lost of "canopy cover" and "rhizomatous biomass" are directly correlated with an increase in "water velocity" (rivers, tributaries, chanels, etc.), in lost of cultivable soil, wildlife habitat, an increase of erosion, sedimentation, among others.

In Part II (next Sunday), we will focus on health impacts and ways to deal with climate changes.
Please note that broadcast is on the air at 2:00 PM (ET) every sunday on www.aux-cayes.com or www.haimusique.com

Macceau P. Médozile
Eco-Toxicologist