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Obama Says Climate Change Is Harming Americans' Health
HughPickens.com writes: The Washington Post reports on new comments from President Obama, who says global warming isn't just affecting the weather — it's harming Americans' health. He has announced steps government and businesses will take to better understand and deal with the problem. Obama said hazards of the changing climate include wildfires sending more pollution into the air, allergy seasons growing longer, and rising cases of insect-borne diseases. "We've got to do better in protecting our vulnerable families," said Obama. "You can't cordon yourself off from air."
Speaking at Howard University Medical School, Obama announced commitments from Google, Microsoft and others to help the nation's health system prepare for a warmer, more erratic climate. Google has promised to donate 10 million hours of advanced computing time on new tools, including risk maps and early warnings for things like wildfires and oil flares using the Google Earth Engine platform, the White House said. Google's camera cars that gather photos for its "Street View" function will start measuring methane emissions and natural gas leaks in some cities this year. Microsoft's research arm will develop a prototype for drones that can collect large quantities of mosquitoes, then digitally analyze their genes and pathogens. The goal is to create a system that could provide early warnings about infectious diseases that could break out if climate change worsens.
Speaking at Howard University Medical School, Obama announced commitments from Google, Microsoft and others to help the nation's health system prepare for a warmer, more erratic climate. Google has promised to donate 10 million hours of advanced computing time on new tools, including risk maps and early warnings for things like wildfires and oil flares using the Google Earth Engine platform, the White House said. Google's camera cars that gather photos for its "Street View" function will start measuring methane emissions and natural gas leaks in some cities this year. Microsoft's research arm will develop a prototype for drones that can collect large quantities of mosquitoes, then digitally analyze their genes and pathogens. The goal is to create a system that could provide early warnings about infectious diseases that could break out if climate change worsens.
You assume AGW is the cause for the current drought.
Previous to the California "dry spell", climatologists were saying that AGW would make Calif WETTER, not dryer.
Your claim is based on erroneous assumption.
GIGO.
Because Climate Change stopped the controlled burns and built houses in wildfire prone areas.
And worse than the Dust Bowl? I'm afraid not.
Most of California's problems are caused by California.
When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
You would?
So, I gather you have some evidence that the current drought is caused by "climate change"?
Last I checked, this drought is a "500-year drought" (which means that one this severe can be expected every 500 years, on average). Since we haven't got records going back to 1500 in CA, I'm not sure that we can call this drought a result of AGW....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Tree rings, for starters. There are species of trees that have lived that long, at least one of which happens to be in California (look up the Bristlecone Pine - there are two verified trees that have lived well beyond 5,000 years and counting). It wouldn't be too much to take a core sample and do some checking. Relatively thin rings mean drought years, fat ones mean wet years.
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
You could always choose another insurer, you could choose to pay out of pocket.. you at least have some options. In a nationalized system that's rationing care, you have no options. I'll take having a choice to not having a choice, thanks.
Besides which, I don't know what kind of crap insurance you have, but I don't tend to have problems with claims. I can see a specialist within weeks whereas my not-so-far-away neighbors in Canada wait years depending on the specialist. I don't want that. You shouldn't either.
See I choose not to be a dumb fuck and live in a state that is going to fall in the ocean if it doesn't burn to death before then. And because I choose better then you, I am going to make fun of you for your stupid fucking decision.
And the winner of the most insufferable little twat award goes to...
Fully licensed blockchain psychiatrist
You assume AGW is the cause for the current drought.
Previous to the California "dry spell", climatologists were saying that AGW would make Calif WETTER, not dryer.
Your claim is based on erroneous assumption.
GIGO.
Do you have citations for that? I did a search for agw predictions california rainfall and the first hit I got (and the only relevant one I saw) was an article about a 2005 paper predicting a very similar drought.
It's only one paper and I have no idea whether it was widely accepted, but if you asked me a few years ago what AGW meant for California rainfall my very limited understanding would have lead me to say less rainfall.
I stole this Sig
California is experiencing the worst drought (ever, perhaps). It is so bad, they are starting to ration water consumption. Scientific studies indicate climate change is real (unless you live in the USA), so in all likelihood the severe drought is an effect of climate change. And dry land causes fires easily. Ergo Climate change -> drought -> wildfires.
How is that simple deduction a red-herring?
Depends which prices you're quoting. At many health care facilities, the amount charged to insurers is way higher than the amount charged to individuals if they don't have coverage. It's very difficult to say whether or not care is expensive because so many of the figures are bogus.
The waiting lists aren't BS. The article you linked even says as much. General care you'll probably be fine with but many specialties do have long wait lists. My point is bigger than that though. If you nationalize it, you're stuck with the official waiting list. Right now, you can at least "shop around".
Our system really isn't that bad. There are things that could be done to improve it, things that should have been done instead of the AHA. Making it all the domain of the feds is the last thing you want to do. They couldn't even launch a website with years of preparation. They can't even keep the Veterans Administration out of the news for any length of time. They'd have to prove competency in something before a majority of Americans are going to want more federal intrusion in their lives.
My healthcare is between me and my doctor. Not the government.