posted 06-08-2001 10:49 PM            

Global warming study

"Climate is one of a number of factors influencing the incidence of infectious disease. Cold-related stress would decline in a warmer climate, while heat stress and smog induced respiratory illnesses in major urban areas would increase. ... Over much of the United States, adverse health outcomes would likely be mitigated by a strong public health system, relatively high levels of public awareness, and a high standard of living." Further study is needed of:
• Future usage of fossil fuels.
• Future emissions of methane.
• How much fossil-fuel carbon will remain in the atmosphere in the future.
• The impact of natural processes on global warming, especially in and around oceans.
• How significantly local climate change affects global observations.
• The impact of aerosols.

posted 06-08-2001 10:52 PM            

Barrier Reef dying- Toxic pesticides to blame

Portions of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are choking under a blanket of toxic pesticide-laced mud that's being washed off local farmlands. As a result, many reefs are unlikely to survive beyond the next 5 - 10 years.

A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report on Australia's Great Barrier Reef says increasing land-based pollution -- along with bleaching due to global warming -- is endangering the world's largest coral reef