Failure to agree a new UN climate deal in December will bring a "global health catastrophe", say 18 of the world's professional medical organisations.
Writing in The Lancet and the British Medical Journal, they urge doctors to "take a lead" on the climate issue.In a separate editorial, the journals say that people in poor tropical nations will suffer the worst impacts.
They argue that curbing climate change would have other benefits such as more healthy diets and cleaner air.December's UN summit, to be held in Copenhagen, is due to agree a new global climate treaty to supplant the Kyoto Protocol.
But preparatory talks have been plagued by lack of agreement on how much to cut greenhouse gas emissions and how to finance climate protection for the poorest countries.
"There is a real danger that politicians will be indecisive, especially in such turbulent economic times as these," according to the letter signed by leaders of 18 colleges of medicine and other medical disciplines across the world.
"Should their response be weak, the results for international health could be catastrophic."
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Canada has been passed on the newest science showing the actual cause of urban heat islands. That alone will allow North America to meet objectives of emission reduction immediately. Cities like Los Angeles spend 100 million a year reacting to urban heat islands with more emissions, ozone depletion, acid rain, mercury, electrical waste, etc, they have never addressed the heat source.
We have environmental laws and building codes to build responsibly, we just couldn't see it. Education of the world is literally blind to temperature, all the way from science to policy. We use calculators in engineering, energy and emissions, I will show you what we missed. When you see the heat rising from these buildings and impacts every country.
They are meeting in Copenhagen and determine economy of the world as well as the survival of species.(we are one) The world is meeting to stop warming the globe and changing climate but they have never seen the source of heat. Look at this link and use simple heat transfer principles. This is an example of how the west has developed for economy, if you do the same your people will reap what has been sown.
Here are time-lapsed infrared videos showing the cause of urban heat islands and real solutions with immediate results. Make sure you look at the 3rd time-lapse, it will show you what happens inside the building and why people are cooked in their homes during heatwaves. Paint or shade eliminates it. http://www.thermoguy.com/urbanheat.html