Earthsky

Online population discussion: Does climate change threaten our cities?

International Day of Climate Action, October 2009, courtesy 350.org

Join the discussion on Friday, October 30, 2009. Where are the greatest health risks, and what can be done to manage them?

10-29-2009 - Human World

On Friday, October 30, the Population Reference Bureau of Washington D.C. will host an online discussion: “Does Climate Change Threaten Our Cities?”

When: Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, 1 – 2 p.m. (EDT) (GMT –4)

Where: Go to http://discuss.prb.org. You may submit questions in advance and during the discussion. A full transcript of the questions and answers will be posted after the discussion.

Who: Mark Montgomery, professor at Stony Brook University and senior associate of the Population Council’s Poverty, Gender, and Youth Program.

At PRB’s online discussion, Dr. Montgomery will answer your questions about urban growth, health, and climate change. He studies the implications of global climate change on urban areas of developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Look here for questions already asked for Friday’s discussion.

The cities and towns of developing countries are projected to absorb at least 2.5 billion additional people by 2050. At the same time, these areas will experience global climate change likely to bring floods, droughts, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods. These converging trends pose mounting health risks for people living in urban areas in developing countries, especially for the poorest residents. Where are the greatest health risks and what can be done to manage them?

(The photo at the top of this post, by the way, shows people in Addis Ababa – the largest city in Ethiopia, which is in sub-Saharan Africa – participating in the International Day of Climate Action on October 24, 2009. On that day, according to organizers at 350.org, people in 181 countries participated in over 5,200 climate action events around the world. The name 350.org reflects what many scientists say is the safe upper limit for the greenhouse gas CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere. That safe upper limit is 350 parts per million. The current level of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere, according to some estimates, is about 384 parts per million.)

Written by Deborah Byrd

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