History shows future warming repercussions will be far worse than expected

Australian National University (ANU) Professor Tony McMichael published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last week detailing dire consequences from climate change as analysed from historical records.

Working from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Dr McMichael looked at climate changes and their impacts over the last 6,000 to 7,000 years using historical, archaeological and fossil records.

He said in a press release that his study showed time and time again weather extremes and climatic changes posing a threat to human health, safety and survival.

“Unfortunately the long-term impacts to human health, safety and wellbeing are overlooked. I wanted to go back over the historical record to see how the factors crucial to our survival were affected by climate change." He told press.

Professor McMichael added that it was time we examined history to help us look forward and meet the challenge of contemporary climate change. Further, that “Modern societies, while larger, better resourced and more interconnected than past societies, are less flexible, more infrastructure-dependent, densely populated and therefore more vulnerable. Recent trends in climate change-related indicators, along with ongoing political procrastination, means a three to four degree Celsius surface warming this century is becoming more likely."

He warned that such a temperature change will threaten the survival humanity.

Read more on Climate change history reveals future threats.