"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, We borrow it from our children" - Native American Indian saying

Our Children

•"This is a bad diagnosis not just for children in different lands. It's for our children and grandchildren,"

•"Even the most conservative estimates are profoundly disturbing and demand action. Climate change raises an important issue of intergenerational justice, that we are setting up a world for our children and grandchildren that may be extremely frightening and turbulent." Anthony Costello, a professor of international child health and director of the Institute for Global Health at University College London. 

An 'urgent and dangerous threat'

•Climate change is now a fact of life on this planet. "The vast majority of experts, 95%, maybe even 99%, agree that global warming is taking place,“ Kirby Donnelly, head of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M Health Science Centre School of Rural Public Health.

•"The big issue is the model: When will global warming become a problem?"

Health issues from Global warming

•High levels of air pollution can adversely affect lung function and trigger asthma and COPD exacerbations. People living in areas with high traffic, especially when stagnant air is created by thermal inversions, are at particular risk. Long-term exposure may increase respiratory infections and symptoms in the general population, especially children.

•Particulate air pollution is a complex mixture, derived from fossil fuel combustion. The particles can have both local and systemic inflammatory effects, suggesting an explanation for their impact on both pulmonary and cardiovascular health. Data suggest that particulate air pollution increases death rates from all causes, especially cardiovascular and respiratory illness.

•"This is a problem that affects the entire planet, and the longer it takes 'us,' the people on this planet, to take action, the more difficult it will be to resolve the problem," Donnelly said. "We urgently need to take at least minimal action to try to reduce emissions and move toward taking more significant action to reduce global warming." – (HealthDay News, May 2009)