PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Climate change threatens global security, warn medical and military leaders

Editorial: Climate change, ill health and conflict

2011-04-06
(Press-News.org) Medical and military leaders have come together today to warn that climate change not only spells a global health catastrophe, but also threatens global stability and security.

"Climate change poses an immediate and grave threat, driving ill-health and increasing the risk of conflict, such that each feeds upon the other," they write in an editorial published on bmj.com today. Their views come ahead of an open meeting on these issues to be held at the British Medical Association on 20 June 2011.

The authors point to several reports, highlighting the threat that climate change poses to "collective security and global order."

For example, the Pentagon's 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review to Congress stressed the potential for climate change to contribute to "poverty, environmental degradation, and the further weakening of fragile governments."

The UK's Ministry of Defence also states that "climate change will amplify existing social, political and resource stresses" and will shift "the tipping point at which conflict ignites," while the UK's Foreign Secretary, William Hague, recently described climate change as "perhaps the 21st century's biggest foreign policy challenge."

A recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies concurs: "Climate change will increase the risks of resource shortages, mass migration, and civil conflict. These could lead to failed states, which threaten global stability and security." It stresses the need for "sustained investment in infrastructure and new technologies" of which "a shift to renewable energy sources will be the most visible effect of efforts to mitigate emissions."

"It might be considered unusual for the medical and military professions to concur," say the authors. "But on this subject we do."

They conclude: "Although discussion is good, we can no longer delay implementing tough action that will make a difference, while quibbling over minor uncertainties in climate modelling. Unlike most recent natural disasters, this one is entirely predictable. Doctors, often seen as authoritative, trusted, and independent by their communities, must make their voices heard in calling for such action."

Such subjects will be discussed at a forthcoming open meeting "Climate change - how to secure our future wellbeing: a health and security perspective" to be held at BMA House on 20 June 2011.

INFORMATION:

Journalists wishing to attend should contact Emma Dickinson on 020 7383 6529, Email: edickinson@bmjgroup.com Click here for more information: bit.ly/climatechange2011

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Diabetes treatment may also provide protection against endometrial cancer

Diabetes treatment may also provide protection against endometrial cancer
2011-04-06
Research led by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that Metformin, a drug treatment used to treat diabetes and also in women with Polycystic vary syndrome (PCOS), may potentially provide protection against endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract and the fourth most common cancer in women in the UK and the US. Up to a third of PCOS women also have endometrial hyperplasia which, in turn predisposes these women to endometrial cancer. PCOS affects 5%-10% of women of reproductive age, where ...

Record depletion of Arctic ozone layer caused increased UV radiation in Scandinavia

2011-04-06
Bremerhaven/Vienna, 05.04.2011. Over the past few days ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia leading to higher than normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland. These air masses will move east over the next few days, covering parts of Russia and perhaps extend as far south as the Chinese/Russian border. Such excursions of ozone-depleted air may also occur over Central Europe and could reach as far south as the Mediterranean. On an international press conference by the World Meteorological Organisation ...

LateRooms.com - Theatertreffen to Showcase Top Productions in Berlin

2011-04-06
Berlin's Theatertreffen is one of the most important events of the year for fans of German-language theatre. Taking place at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele between Friday May 6th and Monday May 23rd, this 'theatre meeting' is based around a showcase of the ten best productions from the previous season. The plays are selected by an independent jury of experts from a list of approximately 400 productions staged in the German capital. In addition, Theatertreffen includes a varied programme of discussions, premieres, prize ceremonies, concerts and exhibitions. The ...

Scientists develop new technology for stroke rehabilitation

Scientists develop new technology for stroke rehabilitation
2011-04-06
Devices which could be used to rehabilitate the arms and hands of people who have experienced a stroke have been developed by researchers at the University of Southampton. In a paper to be presented this week (6 April) at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Assisted Living Conference, Dr Geoff Merrett, a lecturer in electronic systems and devices, will describe the design and evaluation of three technologies which could help people who are affected by stroke to regain movement in their hand and arm. Dr Merrett worked with Dr Sara Demain, a lecturer in ...

LateRooms.com - Kid Koala Brings DJ Skills to Bilbao

2011-04-06
Kid Koala is poised to give a demonstration of his world-renowned turntable skills in Bilbao later this month. The Montreal-based DJ - real name Eric San - will appear at the Spanish city's Kafe Antzokia on Friday April 29th, when fans of his inventive and idiosyncratic style are expected to be out in force. Having released several albums on the influential British dance music label Ninja Tune, Kid Koala has established an international fan base and performed to packed venues around the world. The artist, who has also published his own full-length graphic novel, ...

The heartfelt truth about sudden death in young athletes

The heartfelt truth about sudden death in young athletes
2011-04-06
The sudden death of a young athlete always prompts full media attention, most recently spurring a call for preventative screening methods, including costly electrocardiogram (EKG) tests for all school-age athletes. But a new study by Dr. Sami Viskin of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine found that these screening measures, which are now mandatory in Israel and other countries, does not reduce the incidence of sudden death syndrome. "There's a lot of debate about this in the U.S. right now," says Dr. Viskin, even though cardiac arrest in athletes remains ...

LateRooms.com - Rome Gets Ready for Primo Maggio Concert

2011-04-06
Every year on May 1st, the people of Rome gather for a special day of music in the Piazza San Giovanni. Known as the Primo Maggio concert, this free event represents the Italian capital's first festival of the spring season and is usually attended by people from all over the country. The line-up is traditionally announced just days before the festival, so visitors will have to wait to see who is performing. However, the event usually features a number of well-known Italian pop bands, solo acts and international artists, with the likes of Hard-Fi and Marlene Kuntz ...

Discovery of protein that alters nutrition of breast cancer cells

2011-04-06
Research published in the Cancer Cell journal in March was a significant step in knowing the causes of cancer better, especially breast cancer, revealing that the lack or loss of a protein in the cells known as SIRT3, induces the proliferation of this disease and thereby, this protein can be an may be a therapeutic target in the development of effective therapies for cancer. The research was led by Dra. Marcia Haigis of the Harvard Medical School, with the participation of Dr. Arkaitz Carracedo, from the Proteomics Laboratory at CIC bioGUNE. One of the grand aims of the ...

LateRooms.com - See Napoli Take on Udinese in Serie A

2011-04-06
Visitors to Naples next month may get a chance to see the city's football team take on Udinese in a crucial Serie A fixture. Both sides are chasing the title in Italy's top domestic league, as Napoli currently occupy third place in the table and their rivals from the north-east are just three points behind in fourth. The two sides will face each other at the famous Stadio San Paolo in Naples on Sunday April 17th, with the match shaping up to be a decisive moment in the season. Although league leaders AC Milan and second-placed Internazionale are considered more ...

Half the patients with bipolar disorder suffer work, social or family disabilities

2011-04-06
According to the study, 50% of patients suffering from bipolar disorder suffers some type of work, social and family disability, and approximately 20% present some disorder at the three levels. This was the conclusion drawn in a cientific article recently published in the prestigious journal Psychiatry Research, prepared by Dr. Luis Gutiérrez Rojas, a member of the Research Group of Psychiatry Research and Neuroscience of the University of Granada coordinated by professor Manuel Gurpegui Fernández de Legaria. This study analyzed the factors associated to serious work, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia

Evolution of fast-growing fish-eating herring in the Baltic Sea

Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector

Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?

Development of a global innovative drug in eye drop form for treating dry age-related macular degeneration

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49

[Press-News.org] Climate change threatens global security, warn medical and military leaders
Editorial: Climate change, ill health and conflict