Many question whether man is causing global warming, whether it is really occurring, and exactly how bad it really is.  While the jury may be out on the first question, recent studies have indicated that the world is indeed warming, either due to natural or anthropogenic (human-induced) factors.  Many put the blame on greenhouse gases.

That debate aside, a recent study by the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) sought to answer the third question, looking at the impact of global warming on mankind.  What it claims is shocking -- it blames global warming for 315,000 deaths a year since 2003.  The deaths are resulting from hunger, sickness and weather disasters attributed to climate changes.  Further, based on current predicted temperature rises, it expects this death toll to reach half a million yearly by 2030.

The study also found that climate change impacts the lives of 325 million people worldwide, and that by 2030 it will likely impact 10 percent of the world's population (670 million, based on current figures).  It also placed the financial losses due to global warming at $125B USD per year, and expects this figure to rise to $340B USD annually by 2030.

Kofi Annan, former U.N. secretary-general and GHF president states, "Climate change is the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time, causing suffering to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.  The first hit and worst affected are the world's poorest groups, and yet they have done least to cause the problem."

The report also found that nine tenths of the human and economic losses from global warming are borne by developing nations.  Meanwhile, the 50 poorest countries only contribute 1 percent of emissions.  He says 500 million people, living in poverty worldwide, are particularly vulnerable, as they live in locations extremely vulnerable to droughts, floods, storms, sea-level rise and creeping deserts caused by climate changes.  Mr. Annan urges world leaders to adopt a binding and effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol at a planned December U.N. meeting in Copenhagen.

Mr. Annan states, "Copenhagen needs to be the most ambitious international agreement ever negotiated.  The alternative is mass starvation, mass migration and mass sickness."

He says even the worst-case U.N. reports fall short of the true impact climate change may have.  With new evidence he cites pointing to faster than previously predicted warming, he says the time for inaction is past.  He says funds to combat climate change will have to rise from the current level of $400M USD annually to an estimated $32B USD annually.

Barbara Stocking, chief executive of Oxfam in Britain and a GHF board member, chimes in stating, "Funding from rich countries to help the poor and vulnerable adapt to climate change is not even 1 percent of what is needed.  This glaring injustice must be addressed at Copenhagen in December."