H1N1 Influenza pandemic is here and more collective actions are needed.

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During the twentieth century, world average surface temperature increased by approximately 0.6? C, and approximately two-thirds of that warming has occurred since 1975. Climatologists forecast further warming, along with changes in precipitation and climatic variability, during the coming century and beyond. Their forecasts are based on increasingly sophisticated global climate models, applied to plausible future scenarios of global greenhouse gas emissions that take into account alternative trajectories for demographic, economic and technological changes and evolving patterns of governance.

The global scale of climate change differs fundamentally from the many other familiar environmental concerns that refer to localised toxicological or microbiological hazards. Indeed, climate change signifies that, today, we are altering Earth’s biophysical and ecological systems at the planetary scale – as is also evidenced by stratospheric ozone depletion, accelerating biodiversity losses, stresses on terrestrial and marine food-producing systems, depletion of freshwater supplies, and the global dissemination of persistent organic pollutants.

In Thailand during summer and the beginning of rainy seasons, reports on damages wrought by strong winds and torrential rains have now become more and more frequent and critical. Most of theses cases happened in villages all over the country. In one case witnessed by the author in 1977 in the Udornthani’s suburb the winds destroyed homes, rice-mills, trees in areas of about 500 metres by 2 kilometers. It was the first in the area that seriously affected more than 200 families.

Now comes the H1N1 influenza pandemic which is affecting almost all over the world. Its impact requires that Thailand close all schools and see to it if sufficient cleanliness is assured to ensure children’s good health. This is a national measure to counteract this influenza and to make all recognize the need for joint action for all people’s health. One form states that humans lead a life as members of the same environment and that humans should not harm it.

The problem currently facing humans at this moment is that how far and seriously humans have thus far destroyed the environment and how long humans would be able to correct this situation. Nobody and no agency can provide answers to this question. And, because of this, this difficult situation will continue or the poor – people and countries – will have to suffer, in spite of every effort undertaken.

Education for the poor can be one response. FRY is ready to be a partner to carry out necessary measures for this.

Sombat Thavorn