There's a catastrophic black hole in our climate data – and it's a gift to deniers | George Monbiot

A Looming Black Hole in Climate Data Raises Concerns About Denial and Inaction

A recent study has uncovered a staggering "black hole" of ignorance about the impacts of climate change, particularly in Africa. The research, which analyzed global datasets to determine the number of deaths caused by heat versus cold, found that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of deaths from cold and the lowest rate of deaths from heat – a finding that is both surprising and alarming.

The study's authors attempted to fill in the gaps in data for Africa using models, but the records are patchy, with many countries and regions lacking comprehensive data. This limits the accuracy of their findings, which suggest that 58 times as many people die of cold than heat in sub-Saharan Africa. However, critics argue that this figure may be an overestimation due to a lack of reliable data.

Furthermore, the study highlights a worrying trend: the decline of weather stations and weather radar across Africa. In rural areas, where livelihoods are most vulnerable to climate variability and change, coverage is particularly poor. This omission has significant implications for early warnings and disaster response, which can be critical in saving lives during extreme weather events.

The article's author, George Monbiot, warns that the vast lack of understanding about these impacts serves as a "index of how little powerful governments give a damn about human life." He argues that rich countries have failed to provide sufficient funding for climate data collection and compensation to vulnerable nations, exacerbating the problem. The UN's fund for climate loss and damage is woefully underfunded, with only $788.8 million pledged so far – a paltry sum of 44 US cents per citizen in Climate Vulnerable Forum nations.

The article concludes that the lack of data on these issues serves as a "shrug of rich-world indifference." It calls for increased funding and investment in climate research and data collection, as well as more effective policies to address the devastating impacts of climate change.

I mean, come on... 58 times more deaths from cold than heat in sub-Saharan Africa? That's crazy! But what's even crazier is that we don't have accurate data on this stuff because rich countries aren't funding it . It's like, we're so busy making money and living our best lives, we forgot about the people who are struggling to survive because of climate change . I think it's time for us to take responsibility and give those countries the support they need . We can't just shrug off this problem and say "oh well" . We gotta do something, like invest in climate research and data collection . It's not that hard, right?

the fact that we're only now realizing how much we don't know about our planet's impact on human life is a huge red flag . its like we're running around in circles, trying to make sense of the mess we've made, and meanwhile, the most vulnerable are still paying the price. it makes me wonder if we're just so caught up in our own self-interest that we can't see the devastating consequences of our actions. but at the same time, its also a wake-up call for us to take responsibility and make some real changes . maybe thats the lesson here - that ignorance is not just about what we dont know, but also about what we choose to ignore

like, can you even believe the state of our climate data? I'm talking like, literally black holes of ignorance about heat and cold deaths in Africa. 58 times more people dying from cold than heat? That's wild! But seriously, it's a huge problem and we need to take action ASAP. I mean, what's even the point of having weather stations and radar if we're not gonna use them to save lives? It's all about prioritizing our planet and its people, you know? We can't just shrug off climate change like it's no big deal. We need to step up and fund more research and data collection, and make some real changes in our policies. Rich countries gotta start taking responsibility for their actions (or lack thereof). This is not a problem that only Africa faces, we're all in this together!

this is crazy right? i mean, 58 times more people die from cold than heat in africa? that's like, totally not what you'd expect, you know? and it's even more shocking when you think about how little we actually know about the impacts of climate change on the continent. it's like, rich countries are all "we're gonna solve this problem" but meanwhile they're not putting in enough cash to collect data or support vulnerable nations. 44 cents per citizen? come on! that's just not right. what's the point of having a fund for climate loss and damage if you're not gonna put in enough money to make it effective? we need more investment, better policies, and a serious commitment from governments to address this issue. otherwise, we're just gonna keep living in denial and watching our fellow humans suffer

this is wild, like, i just thought we were getting better at tracking climate stuff, but it turns out we're still pretty clueless about cold-related deaths in africa... 58 times more people die from cold than heat? that's insane and yeah, the lack of data is a huge issue, especially in rural areas where weather stations are few and far between ️ i feel like we need to invest way more money into climate research and data collection, it's not like it's going to cost us anything but knowledge and maybe some extra cash what do you guys think? should governments be doing more to support vulnerable nations in collecting climate data?

this is wild, 58 times more people dying from cold than heat in africa? it's gotta be a miscount, right? like, what's up with that? and don't even get me started on these rich countries just not caring i mean, $788.8 million for the whole world? that's like 0.02 cents per person lolol this is some serious messed up stuff. we need to do better, period

I'm totally bummed about this news... it's like, we already know that climate change is a huge issue, but to find out that there are these massive "black holes" in our data on it? It's wild . And the fact that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of deaths from cold and the lowest rate of deaths from heat? That's just not right .

And can we talk about how crazy poor this funding is? $788.8 million for all those Climate Vulnerable Forum nations? That's, like, a drop in the bucket . It's clear that rich countries aren't taking climate change seriously enough. We need to step up our game and support each other on this.

I'm all about living a mindful life, but it seems like we're forgetting one crucial piece of data: the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities . We can't just shrug off this problem and expect everything to be okay. We gotta take action .

this is so concerning , i mean can you even imagine having to deal with these harsh weather conditions without proper data and resources? it's like they're just leaving us to fend for ourselves in a world that's rapidly changing .

anyway, the thing that really gets me is how rich countries are just not stepping up their game when it comes to funding climate research and compensation for vulnerable nations. i mean, $788.8 million for the whole year? that's like, pennies on the dollar compared to what they're making from all these fossil fuel deals .

and then there's this whole "black hole" of ignorance thing... i guess it makes sense why governments would be more interested in pushing their own agendas rather than actually listening to science and taking action. but still, can't we do better? shouldn't we be prioritizing human life and the planet above all else? .

i think what's needed here is a fundamental shift in how we approach climate change. it's not just about throwing money at the problem (although that helps too ), it's about fundamentally changing our values and priorities as a society. we need to start valuing people's lives, particularly those in vulnerable communities, over profits and economic growth. anything less is just not good enough .

come on guys, it's not exactly surprising that sub-saharan africa has high cold death rates, like, its winter there most of the year lol! but seriously, the lack of reliable data is a major issue, and we can't just fill in gaps with models, that's not science, that's just trying to make numbers look good. and yeah, funding for climate research is super low, it's like, rich countries are basically saying "we don't care about your struggles" and the un's fund for climate loss and damage? more like a slap in the face, $788.8 million is literally nothing. we need to step up our game here and prioritize climate research and data collection, not just talk about it

just read this study about climate data and i'm like totally worried sub-Saharan africa is getting slammed by cold weather deaths & we don't even have accurate numbers it's not just about the data tho, its about funding rich countries need to step up their game & give more cash to help develop & collect climate data in vulnerable nations we can't rely on models alone to figure out how many people are dying due to extreme weather events. this lack of data is basically a slap in the face to ppl living in africa who are already struggling we need more funding, better research & policies to tackle climate change ASAP!

I'm like totally down with climate change awareness, right? But, on the other hand, I think we should be careful not to jump to conclusions about the whole "black hole" thing... I mean, don't get me wrong, it's super concerning that there are gaps in data, but maybe we shouldn't just assume all those deaths from cold vs heat is totally accurate? And what if the study was just trying to fill in some holes with models and stuff? Maybe we should be more open-minded about the whole thing?

And, like, I'm all for funding climate research and data collection, no doubt... but shouldn't we also look at ways to, you know, support African countries directly affected by climate change? Can't just rely on rich-world charity, right? And what's with this $788.8 million figure - does that really seem like enough when considering the scale of the problem?

I guess I'm all over the place on this one...

omg u wont bliev wut this new study says about africa & climate change... theres these massive gaps in data thats literally makin me wanna pull my hair out they cant even get accurate numbers on cold vs heat deaths in sub-Saharan africa its crazy!! and dont even get me started on the decline of weather stations & radar coverage in rural areas its like, totally neglectful. rich countries r basically just ignorein the impacts on ppl in africa & other climate vulnerable nations its shameful! we need way more funding for research & data collection ASAP

omg, its like theyre literally trying to ignore the crisis ...can you even believe that theres only 44 cents per citizen pledged by rich countries to help vulnerable nations with climate loss & damage? thats not a solution, thats just a slap in the face ...and yall talk about gaps in data, but its not like theyre trying, its just that they dont care ...sub-Saharan africa is gettin hit hard, and its high time we start takin action, not just throwin money at it ...weather stations & weather radar are crucial for early warnings & disaster response, but noooo, rich countries dont wanna fund it ...its a black hole of ignorance, and were all stuck in it ...we need to wake up, people!

This study is like, super concerning man... Africa gets hit with way more cold deaths than heat deaths? That's wild And it's not just that, but also how limited our data is in those regions ️ It's crazy to think we can make accurate predictions without having solid info. I mean, if governments are gonna do something about climate change, they gotta give us more funding for research & data collection The whole "shrug of rich-world indifference" thing is real, though... it's like, come on guys! We're talking about people's lives here

Ugh , this is so not surprising... I mean, who would've thought that the wealthy nations wouldn't care about the lives of people in Africa? It's like they're expecting everyone else to just deal with the consequences of their own greed . And now we have a "black hole" of data because they won't invest in it . Like, what's the point of even having a UN fund for climate loss and damage if it's just gonna be a tiny fraction of what's needed? The fact that rich countries are just shrugging off the problems of others is just disgusting . We need to get our act together before it's too late . And can you imagine having to deal with these kinds of issues in rural areas without any reliable data or weather stations? It's like they're leaving people to fend for themselves .

I mean, who knew Africa was dying more from cold than heat? Like, what's next? A study saying we're all just too hot-headed . But seriously, 58 times more deaths from cold in sub-Saharan Africa is no joke. It's a huge oversight and it highlights how much richer countries are neglecting the data collection in vulnerable regions.

I'm not surprised the UN's fund for climate loss and damage is woefully underfunded tho... $788.8 million? That's like, what, 10 cents per citizen? Come on! It's time to step up and invest in our planet's future. Or are we all just gonna keep saying "not my problem" ?

omg this is wild i mean who knew african countries are more prone to cold weather deaths than heat? it just goes to show how limited our understanding of the continent's climate really is and its not even surprising when you think about how much funding has been lacking from rich countries to support research in vulnerable nations those numbers are, like, crazy - 58 times more people dying from cold vs heat... it makes sense that there's gonna be some major gaps in the data though especially with weather stations and radar getting cut back in rural areas

I'm thinking about this article... isn't it wild that they found out sub-Saharan Africa has way more deaths from cold than heat? Like, what's going on there? And poor rural areas don't have decent weather data - that's like leaving people to fend for themselves when disaster strikes! We should be helping these countries collect and share climate data. It's not like it's going to solve all our problems, but every little bit counts, right? 44 cents per citizen is basically nothing, though... we need more funding for this stuff. Can't just shrug off human life because of some economic concern

idk why scientists can't just get accurate info first? this black hole thingy is super worrying tho... 58 deaths from cold vs heat in africa? that's crazy! & what's with rich countries not funding climate data collection? we need better data to make a change, but it seems like governments are just shrugging . i feel like we're getting nowhere fast on this whole climate thing... needs more money & action ASAP