The Turkish Academy of Sciences just published a report about climate change and its impact on health.
The perspective of homo-economicus, which is profit-maximization centered, and gain-oriented, implies that all human activities are based on rational thinking and cost-benefit analysis, emerging from the periods of Mercantilism, Capitalism, and rapid industrialization. The spread of this perspective led to the artificialization of natural life with destruction and causes environmental pollution such as air, soil, and water. Humankind is forming a habitat that affects biodiversity negatively with an ambition of earning more and more. As a result of excessive and uncontrolled production, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions and the direct disposal of industrial wastes without the necessary treatment processes divest the rights of future generations to live in a clean world. Humankind has consumed and wasted the natural resources heritage of their ancestors unconsciously and inefficiently until today. Therefore, the resources left to the next generations have higher processing costs and threaten the future of human beings.
This is how the preamble written by TÜBA President Muzaffer Şeker for The Report on Climate Change and Public Health in Turkey begins. Sustainable development is a clear concept for this academy!
And he goes on:
The dimension of destruction caused by developed countries is understood in the last global epidemic process. It has clearly observed that environmental problems have been significantly reduced by people staying in homes, decreasing production, and minimizing transportation during the global epidemic of COVID-19. This is a striking indicator of the impact of people’s destruction on nature. All stakeholders and countries must work together for a more livable world and sustainable resource management. The effect of the struggle on this issue will be increased with projects such as “Zero Waste” project conducted by Turkey and spreading similar initiatives all over the world.
We won’t quote more about this report that you can download from TÜBA website. The academy President makes it clear that Agenda 2030 is about serious issues.
This report examines at a national level what “climate change” means, and what it will mean in the near future. Studies at different scales are important, to be able to define actions that can really be implemented.
Moreover, this report is prepared at the request of the Association of Asian Science Academies and Communities (AASSA), to contribute to the report to be prepared to address the health effects of climate change in countries in the Asian Region.
It covers:
- a country scale of the current climate change situation, future projections, and current situation of health and health infrastructure in Turkey;
- climate change impact on health;
- climate change adaptation and impact reduction studies on health;
- and results and recommendations are presented.
You can read here also a release about the report.
