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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/28/miscarriages-due-to-climate-crisis-a-blind-spot-in-action-plans-report>
"Miscarriages, premature babies and harm to mothers caused by the climate
crisis are a “blind spot” in action plans, according to a report aimed at the
decision-makers who will attend the Cop29 summit in November.
Potential collapse of the Amazon rainforest, vital Atlantic Ocean currents and
essential infrastructure in cities are also among the dangers cited by an
international group of 80 leading scientists from 45 countries. The report
collects the latest insights from physical and social science to inform the
negotiations at the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan.
“The world faces planetary-scale challenges, from the rise of methane emissions
to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure,” said Prof Johan Rockström, a
co-chair of Earth League, one of the groups behind the report. “The report
shows that rising heat, ocean instability and a tipping of the Amazon
rainforest could push parts of our planet beyond habitable limits. Yet it also
provides clear pathways and solutions, demonstrating that with urgent, decisive
action, we still can avoid unmanageable outcomes.”
The report follows an ultimatum from the UN secretary general, António
Guterres, on the climate emergency: “We’re playing with fire, but there can be
no more playing for time. We’re out of time.” He said global heating was
supercharging monster hurricanes, bringing biblical floods and turning forests
into tinderboxes, and said governments had to rapidly wean the world off its
fossil fuel addiction.
a pregnant person touching their belly
Increasing climate extremes are causing more lost babies, premature births and
cognitive damage to newborns, the report said. For example, a study in India
found a doubled risk of miscarriage in pregnant women suffering heat stress,
while another in California found a significant association between long-term
heat exposure and stillbirth and premature birth.
Flooding is responsible for more than 100,000 lost pregnancies a year in 33
countries in South and Central America, Asia, and Africa, according to another
study, with the danger highest for women with lower income and education
levels. Rising heat also increases the intimate partner violence suffered by
women, a south Asian analysis found.
However, only 27 out of 119 national climate plans submitted to the UN include
action related to mothers and newborns, making this a major “blind spot”, the
report said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
