SoylentNews

Hugh Pickens writes:

The Washington Post reports that according to President Obama global warming isn’t just affecting the weather, it’s harming Americans’ health, as he announced steps government and businesses will take to better understand and deal with the problem. Obama said hazards of the changing climate include wildfires sending more pollution into the air, allergy seasons growing longer and rising cases of insect-borne diseases. “We’ve got to do better in protecting our vulnerable families,” said Obama.. “You can’t cordon yourself off from air."

Speaking at Howard University Medical School, Obama announced commitments from Google, Microsoft and others to help the nation’s health system prepare for a warmer, more erratic climate. Google has promised to donate 10 million hours of advanced computing time on new tools, including risk maps and early warnings for things like wildfires and oil flares using the Google Earth Engine platform, the White House said. Google’s camera cars that gather photos for its “Street View” function will start measuring methane emissions and natural gas leaks in some cities this year. Microsoft’s research arm will develop a prototype for drones that can collect large quantities of mosquitoes, then digitally analyze their genes and pathogens. The goal is to create a system that could provide early warnings about infectious diseases that could break out if climate change worsens. “The sooner we act, the more we can do to protect the health of our communities, our kids, and those that are the most vulnerable,” according to a White House statement. The actions “will allow us to better understand, communicate and reduce the health impacts of climate change on our communities.”