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The human cost of climate change: Estimating long-term mortality

Date/Time: Friday, 30 August 2019, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Location: Benham G10 Benham Lecture Theatre, North Terrace, The University of Adelaide

Cost: Free

More information: Visit website

Professor Richard Parncutt, University of Graz, Austria is touring Australia, travelling with a low-carbon footprint whilst delivering his lecture series.

Abstract: Greenhouse-gas emissions are indirectly causing future deaths by multiple mechanisms. For example, reduced food and water supplies will exacerbate hunger, disease, violence, and migration. Predicted death tolls are crucial for policy formulation, but uncertainty increases with temporal distance from the present and estimates may be psychologically biased.

  • How will anthropogenic global warming (AGW) affect global mortality due to poverty around and beyond 2100?
  • Roughly how much burned fossil carbon corresponds to one future death?
  • What are the ethical, legal, psychological, medical, political, economic implications?
  • Order-of-magnitude estimates can be made by comparing literature from diverse relevant disciplines. The carbon budget for 2°C AGW (roughly 1012 tonnes of carbon) will indirectly cause roughly 109 future premature deaths (10% of projected maximum global population), spread over one to two centuries.

Please see the website for more information.

The Environment Institute is providing Richard the opportunity to speak and share his own personal views at this event.

Contact: Ms Annemarie Gaskin, Email: annemarie.gaskin@adelaide.edu.au, Website: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/, The University of Adelaide, G05 Benham Building, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Business: (08) 8313 0543