The
world's top reinsurers, Switzerland-based Swiss Re and Germany's Munich
Re, recently released a report on the human and economic losses of
2010.
At 950 recorded natural disasters last year, 2010 was the
second most devastating year since 1980. In terms of human lives,
295,000 people perished in natural calamities, a stark contrast to the
previous year, when 15,000 succumbed.
In terms of financial cost,
Chile's massive earthquake in February was the most expensive disaster
of 2010, with losses totaling around US$30 billion. Combined with
Haiti's calamitous quake in January, these two disasters were among the
five worst in 2010, which also included the quake in central China, the
heat wave across Russia and widespread floods in Pakistan.
The
worldwide economic loss in 2010 of US$222 billion from natural disasters
was more than triple that of 2009. Munich Re's report read: “The high
number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures
both globally and in different regions of the world provide further
indications of advancing climate change.”
Climate Expert Prof. Peter Höppe - Head of Geo Risks Research at Munich RE:
Seen on a global level, 2010 most probably has been the warmest year
since we have started records 130 years ago. The cold weather which we
have seen November and December in Europe and at the US east coast is no
contradiction to these developments and no contradiction to global
warming at all. To sum up, the year 2010 has been a year with many and
high losses caused by natural catastrophes.
Moreover, these
losses occurred in predominantly in developing countries, identified as
being the most vulnerable and dependent on financial aid both to recover
and prepare for future climate change impacts. Their predicament was
described in a recent study by World Bank lead environmental economist
Mr. Sergio Margulis.
Sergio Margulis - Lead environmental economist, World Bank (M):
If countries need to adapt, what would it cost if the world is going on
a two-degree trajectory? In this case, our estimates are between
US$70-100 billion per year between now and 2050. It's a lot of money
every year. We want to avoid if we can; we shouldn't play with this and
make things worse.
VOICE: We thank Munich Re, Swiss Re, Mr.
Margulis and the World Bank for your research quantifying the harrowing
tolls of climate change, especially in terms of precious human lives.
May this help to awaken everyone to the need to protect one another, our
animal co-inhabitants, and our shared planetary environment.
Addressing
the high costs of climate change- induced devastations during an April
2009 videoconference in South Korea, Supreme Master Ching Hai
highlighted the number one action needed to safeguard all beings on
Earth.
Supreme Master Ching Hai :
Even though the problems of the environment are many, they all come
from more or less one single source. That is the meat industry.
Recently,
for example, a study conducted in the Netherlands found that the
estimated total cost to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level where
the Earth would still be habitable, that total cost was estimated as
US$40 trillion.
If all the people became vegan on this planet, the cost would reduce to 8 trillion dollars only to save the planet.
With
savings like the one just mentioned, we could invest in other
life-improving measures, such as ensuring adequate food and shelter,
education for more people in the world, and more people would
automatically have food if everyone goes vegan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/8237449/Financial
-cost-of-natural-disasters-doubles.htmlb.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/158488.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/
centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/8170133/Disasters-cost-143-billion-in-2010.htm
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