Deaths per year from Climate Change

[EdEarl]

Estimating deaths from climate change is a complex process, and bound to be controversial. However, it's being done. Previously the UN estimated 100M deaths by 2030, a new report suggests the number will be much smaller, perhaps 9M.

 

 

thedailybeast

 

Nearly 1,000 children a day are now dying because of climate change, according to a path-breaking study published Wednesday (PDF), and the annual death toll stands at 400,000 people worldwide.

 

Climate change also is costing the world economy $1.2 trillion a year, the equivalent of 1.6 percent of economic output, reports the Climate Vulnerability Monitor, a study commissioned by 20 of the world’s governments whose nations are most threatened by climate change and released on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

 

Most of the 400,000 annual deaths are “due to hunger and communicable diseases that affect above all children in developing countries,” concludes the study, written by 50 scientists and policy experts from around the world.

During WWII Nazis killed about 6M Jews, including 1.5M children. The Nuremberg trials convicted a number of Nazis for this genocide. Should there be similar trials for people who are responsible for perpetuating climate change?

[CharonY]

For starters there is no intent behind global warming. The question could be liability, though.

[StringJunky]

For starters there is no intent behind global warming. The question could be liability, though.

Culpable negligence - recklessly acting without reasonable caution and putting another person at risk of injury or death (or failing to do something with the same consequences).

[Phi for All]

It would be interesting to see what impact a group of young legal minds drafting up cases (pro bono, of course) against some of the major corporations behind the denier movement would have. "Just getting ready for the inevitable lawsuits that will be leveled at your company for all the foot-dragging and active efforts to halt regulations designed to mitigate climate change effects."

[EdEarl]

Intent to kill would probably be difficult to prove. However, culpable intent sounds like manslaughter to me. With millions killed, I'd think some could be put away for life. I like Phi's idea.

[Ken Fabian]

To what extent is "But I didn't know" acceptable when reports and advice from the leading science advisory bodies - like NAS or Royal Society - is consistent? I have begun to suspect the main value of the handful of credentialed climate scientists who reject the science of their peers isn't to persuade the public it is to provide a reasonable seeming excuse for those who should know better and hold positions of trust and responsibility to assist in avoidance of that responsibility and potential liability. Of course having elected governments - politicians being effectively immune from legal redress no matter how irresponsible - who are sympathetic to those seeking to avoid the burden of climate responsibility can short circuit any attempts to use the legal system to enforce the "acting in good faith" and other requirements.

[EdEarl]

Politicians may be difficult to prosecute, but they are not immune.

[CharonY]

Another big issue is that there are many more issues that we kind of accept but for convenience or other reasons tend to ignore. For example according to WHO there are an estimated 7 million deaths due to air pollution per year. Much of what we enjoy on a daily basis is detrimental in the long run.