(Press-News.org)
Climate change goals set out in the Paris Agreement are only economically reasonable if non-market factors such as human health and loss of biodiversity are prioritised, according to a new study published by Dr Taikan Oki, former Senior Vice-Rector of United Nations University headquartered in Japan, in IOP Publishing’s academic journal Environmental Research Letters.
A multi-disciplinary, collaborative effort from researchers at 23 institutions including The University of Tokyo, National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Kyoto University, the new study provides a cost-benefit analysis of climate change including previously neglected non-market factors such as biodiversity loss and the impact on human health. The team calculated the cost of climate change for varying priority systems, estimating the total cost including mitigation between 2010 and 2099 to be 46-230 trillion US dollars.
The results show that the financial benefits of reducing climate change are often similar to the cost of mitigation efforts. The research team estimate the cost of additional mitigation efforts to be 45 to 130 trillion US dollars, while the financial benefits of these reduction efforts range from 23 to 145 trillion US dollars. They found that for the 2°C temperature goal to be economically feasible there must be a greater emphasis placed on the future impact of biodiversity and health factors, arguing that these factors will become ever more pressing in the future.
The study shows that climate change would be best approached in an integrated manner with biodiversity and health issues considered side-by-side with economic factors. This is especially true when non-market values are taken into full account including health factors such as diarrhoeal diseases and malaria, and the decrease of species on Earth such as fish and insects.
Dr Oki, who was formerly the Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says: “The world’s pursuit of climate goals is currently not on track. Our future will depend on how much importance we place on risks such as large-scale irreversible events, as well as how we accept and deal with them. One reason for this is that the costs of mitigation are often similar to, or in excess of, the economic benefits of reducing climate change. We must place a higher priority on non-monetary commodities such as human health and biodiversity and accelerate technological innovations to reduce the mitigation cost.”
END
The cost of climate change: 2°C global warming target is not economically reasonable unless we make major changes
2023-08-01
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
56 percent of Saudi Arabian women never had a cervical cancer screening test | BGI Insight
2023-08-01
Only 19% of Saudi Arabian women are diagnosed at stage I of cervical cancer where survival rates are highest, according to a study published by the King Abdulaziz University. To further motivate action to combat cervical cancer, BGI Genomics today released its State of Cervical Cancer Awareness Report in Saudi Arabia. This report assesses the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination. By examining these key areas, this survey seeks to highlight the associated barriers and opportunities. 1,878 female respondents from six countries ...
E-cigarettes may be better than nicotine patches in helping pregnant women stop smoking and in reducing the risk of low birthweight
2023-08-01
Smoking in pregnancy can harm developing babies, especially their growth . Current guidelines recommend that pregnant smokers who find quitting difficult should be provided with nicotine replacements products and stop-smoking services usually recommend nicotine patches.
This research published in NIHR Journals Library, suggests that pregnant women should also consider e-cigarettes.
The study included 1,140 pregnant women who were trying to stop smoking who were divided into two groups. Half of the women received e-cigarettes; the other half received nicotine patches. Both approaches were equally safe. The only meaningful difference was that fewer ...
Researchers unveil new cipher system that protects computers against spy programs
2023-08-01
A group of international researchers has achieved a breakthrough in computer security with the development of a new and highly efficient cipher for cache randomization. The innovative cipher, designed by Assistant Professor Rei Ueno from the Research Institute of Electrical Communication at Tohoku University, addresses the threat of cache side-channel attacks, offering enhanced security and exceptional performance.
Cache side-channel attacks pose a significant threat to modern computer systems, as they can stealthily extract sensitive information, including secret keys and passwords, from unsuspecting victims. ...
Drinking kombucha may reduce blood sugar levels in people with type-two diabetes
2023-08-01
WASHINGTON — People with type-II diabetes who drank the fermented tea drink kombucha for four weeks had lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to when they consumed a similar-tasting placebo beverage, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by researchers at Georgetown University's School of Health, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and MedStar Health. This finding, from a pilot 12-person feasibility trial, points to the potential for a dietary intervention that could help lower blood sugar levels in people ...
Deadly fungus beaten with new type of treatment
2023-08-01
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science (CSRS) and the University of Toronto have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is increasing and this new approach will be particularly useful because it works in a new way and affects a broad range of fungal species. The study was published in the scientific journal Cell Chemical Biology.
Most of us are familiar with athlete’s ...
62 percent of young Thai women put off by pap smears | BGI Insight
2023-08-01
Only 28.5% of Thai women are diagnosed at stage I of cervical cancer when survival rates are highest, according to a study published by the Mahidol University. To further motivate action to combat cervical cancer, BGI Genomics released its State of Cervical Cancer Awareness Report in Thailand. This report assesses the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination to highlight the associated barriers and opportunities. 1,878 female respondents from six countries and ...
When cheating pays – survival strategy of insect uncovered
2023-08-01
Researchers have revealed the unique ‘cheating’ strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten – mimicking a highly toxic species.
In nature, poisonous species typically advertise their toxicity, often by producing high contrast colours such as black, white and yellow, like wasps and bees.
Along similar lines, New Zealand’s cyanide-producing stonefly, Austroperla cyrene, produces strong ‘warning’ colours of black, white and yellow, to highlight its threat to potential predators.
In a new study published in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Department of Zoology researchers reveal that an ...
Nuisance vegetation removal in Senegalese waterways reduces the overall prevalence of parasitic infections and increases local food production
2023-08-01
It’s an elegant solution: Remove the habitat of a parasite-carrying aquatic snail and reduce the level of infection in the local community; all while generating more feed and compost for local farmers.
A collaboration of scientists from the United States and Senegal focused on doing just that by removing overgrown aquatic vegetation from areas upstream of the Diama Dam in northeastern Senegal. In doing so, they generated positive impacts to the local communities’ health and economies.
“It is rare and gratifying when we can find a potential win-win solution to both human health ...
The Lancet: New study reveals global anemia cases remain persistently high among women and children. Anemia rates decline for men.
2023-08-01
**Embargo: 23.30 [UK time] / 6.30pm [ET] Monday, July 31, 2023**
Peer-reviewed
The Lancet: New study reveals global anemia cases remain ...
Genome data rewrite the story of oat domestication in China
2023-08-01
Oat is among the top ten cereal crop species in terms of global production. It can adapt to different climates, and farmers can grow it successfully even in harsh environments where other crops such as rice and corn fail. However, not all oat plants are the same. Based on their grains, two major oak varieties can easily be distinguished: hulled, grains that are covered in a non-edible husk, and naked, grains that have a soft outer casing that easily separates from the edible grain during threshing. To gain information on the origins of these different varieties, researchers in China have sequenced the ...