Early last December I watched William Shatner being interviewed on television. He conversed on the topic of climate change, using the following analogy (which I am paraphrasing).
He said that the human body fights an infection by increasing the body temperature to kill the infection. Earth may increase temperature (climate change) to preserve life.
What does preserving life have to do with increasing temperature on the surface of the Earth? Initially one would think the opposite would be more likely — in other words, that increasing temperature on the surface of the Earth would cause loss of life or at least distress to life.
How many deaths have there been recently from floods, forest fires, heat stroke, and increasing from generation to generation?
Look at the effects of increasing temperature on the surface of the Earth.
- Heatstroke or people not being able to cool their body temperature.
- Breathing unwanted gases in large cities — for example, carbon monoxide from partial combustions (and combustions lead to an increase in temperature of the surroundings).
- Over-cutting trees, leading to the unnecessary combustion of wood (Amazon forest decreasing in size).
- Increasing storms, forest fires, and floods
- Melting permafrost releasing pollutants from a former age.
- All of the above can cause death or make life much more uncomfortable for many.
How many deaths have there been recently from floods, forest fires, heat stroke, and increasing from generation to generation? How much property damage has been done? The net result is an increasing loss of life, particularly among those who had not prepared for such disasters. How many people still live on a well-known flood plain?
Compare these disasters with our current pandemic (or previous pandemics) and we find a similarity. The population decreases until the pandemic runs its course or a “cure” is found.
Compared to previous pandemics, such as the Spanish flu, HIV and Ebola, we have now the ability to quickly develop vaccines which can preserve life, and we can wear masks, self-distance, avoid crowds and practice cleanliness, which also helps to preserve life.
Then we have Charles Darwin’s and Alfred Wallace’s philosophy on natural selection, which has been interpreted as the strongest will survive and adapt to changes in the environment. Life is preserved as a result of adaptation.
On the one hand, it seems as if changes to our environment may affect us negatively through primary causes such as pandemics and temperature increases.
Secondary effects may affect us positively by fighting against the negatives, such as developing vaccines, improving agricultural processes and advances in engineering, such as air-conditioning. These secondary effects may be considered forms of adaptations.
On behalf of British Columbians last year, Leslie Anthony writes, “B.C. can expect warmer temperatures in all seasons — a projected additional 2.4 degrees Celsius average in summer and 2.9 C in winter by the year 2100. In addition, now and in coming years British Columbians can expect some or all of the following: more frequent and intense heavy-rain events; changes in growing seasons for crops and gardens; increased drought and water shortages; larger and more frequent wildfires; changes in streamflow patterns, wetland extent and lake levels; a further rise in sea level (up to a metre by 2100) and stronger storm surges; changing forest conditions; smaller snowpack; continued loss of glaciers; and increasing ocean warming and acidification.”
What affects British Columbians affects us all.
An alternative view of world population change was provided by Don Mills in The Telegram on Jan. 5, where he noted world population will decline due to lower fertility rates. A minimum fertility rate of 2.1 per female is needed to maintain a level population. In this province, the fertility rate is 1.45. A change in fertility rates may be considered a form of adaptation.
Using the fertility proposition, the world population will likely peak in 2050.
Much further work needs to be done to reduce primary causes and increase the secondary effects.
Ian McMaster,
St. John’s
