Page 3364 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 October 2022
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news seems to be that, if you move to the Gulf of Carpentaria, you might be better off on that front, as Aedes aegypti will be finding it too hot by then even there. Other mosquito species in Australia spread diseases such as Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and Murray Valley encephalitis. The range of these species is also likely to change as Australia warms.
What does the potential for mosquito-borne disease in Canberra look like from a public health perspective? If you have ever been to Disneyworld in Florida, you may have noticed the eerie absence of insect life in what should be inviting habitats for mosquitoes and their like. Their methods for eliminating them are actually quite enlightened from an environmental perspective. Apparently, they do not use pesticides, apart from garlic spray. Instead, their drainage systems and building constructions are designed to ensure that there is never any standing water for mosquitoes to breed in. Any bodies of water on their landscape are kept moving. All good. And there is a page on the ACT Health website on reducing mosquito risk around our homes, using these same principles.
But, at the moment, we do not need to have a massive push on that, because the risk of serious mosquito-borne disease is not that high here. But what if this changes? Is the landscaping of our public spaces, like that of Disneyworld, designed to prevent water collecting in odd little spots where mozzies love to breed? Or will we discover that hundreds of expensive changes need to be made?
And what about mental health and wellbeing? How prepared are we for epidemic levels of stress, anxiety, depression and the climate grief that many climate scientists and others are already reporting—that huge sense of anticipatory loss for the things humans are already destroying and will destroy in the future? Young people, in particular, report powerful feelings when it comes to climate change. A work experience student in my office, Isabel, wrote down her perspective on this and gave me permission to quote her. She writes:
Climate change from the perspective of a young person is infuriating. As a young person myself, I feel obliged to explain the significant impact the dying world has on my own life, and the lives of the 1.2 billion adolescents in the world …
In year 2 they taught us about recycling and reducing water usage to save the world’s resources. In year 4 we would have sustainable lunch box days where you earnt points for having no plastic packaging, those points going towards a lucky dip where all the toys were plastic that ended up in the bin a week later.
In year 7 they taught us about the world’s food security and the water usage it takes to create different products, including the fact that it takes almost 500 litres of water to make one cup of milk.
Throughout all of this we were being told it was our job to save the world before it is too late, like we are superheros, and the task will be easy for us. This is a lot of pressure to put on children, which creates a lot of stress. On top of that we are forced to live through the consequences of climate change ….
… Worldwide, governments need to understand that the climate change they are so willing to ignore is not only killing the world, but it is affecting the health and wellbeing of the population.
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