Climate-related disasters in poor nations are caused by greenhouse-gas emissions from wealthy nations and should no longer be termed “natural disasters,” argues the UK organization Christian Aid in a report released today. These catastrophes, which are becoming more and more frequent thanks to global warming, kill thousands of people and cost billions of dollars. “Nine of the past 11 disasters to which we have responded have been caused by extreme weather conditions,” said Malcolm Rodgers, Christian Aid’s head of policy. The group is calling on developed nations to curb their greenhouse-gas emissions and combat global warming. Julian Salt of the Loss Prevention Council, which advises the UK insurance industry, agrees: “We have to get used to the idea that the costs of prevention will be less than the cost of coping with disasters.”
