Editorial
Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Volume 4, Issue 2
Welcome to another issue of IJCCSM. As the global debate on climate change reaches new heights further to the impulse given at the Durban Summit in December 2011, it has become clear that climate change research is very high in the international agenda, and that research about climate phenomena is important in guiding future developments. On this issue of IJCCSM, readers will find a further set of very interesting papers, reporting on climate change management in many parts of the world.
In this editorial, I would like to discuss a new report, produced by the US based Climate Institute[1]. Titled “A climate of suffering: the real costs of living with inaction on climate change”, the report seeks to raise awareness of the mental health consequences of extreme weather events and climate change. By reviewing the evidence and expert opinion, the report hopes that governments, businesses and communities will be prompted to act early, to avoid further unnecessary suffering and cost. As recent disasters like Cyclone Yasi and the Eastern Australian floods have shown, many people prove remarkably resilient in the face of a disaster, but people’s responses to disaster are complex. With the right support, many communities can pull together and pull through. However, for many, the dislocation and suffering caused by extreme events can linger for years, long into the “recovery”.
The report “A climate of suffering: the real costs of living with inaction on climate change” argues that the future mental health burden depends significantly on how quickly and substantially one acts on climate change now. Seeing action on climate change as an investment in preventative health care is considered to be an important first step, and I hope decision-makers from across the world, will soon realize this.
Enjoy your reading!
Note
1. Available at: www.climateinstitute.org.au/our-publications/reports/874-a-climate-of-suffering-the-real-costs-of-living-with-inaction-on-climate-change.
Walter Leal Filho
