1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You: The Ultimate Bathroom Reader (68 page)

503

FACT :
Ebola is a lethal virus in humans and has no cure. The source of the disease is unclear, but outbreaks usually occur after droughts and downpours in central Africa,
which will only increase as the planet warms
.
After droughts and downpours? So, it occurs whenever it’s raining or not raining. At least it doesn’t occur all the time.

David Biello, “Deadly by the Dozen: 12 Diseases Climate Change May Worsen,” Scientific American, October 8, 2008,
www.sciam.com
.

504

FACT :
Cholera bacteria thrives in warm waters and
causes diarrhea so severe that it can kill someone within a week
. With no improved sanitation, the rise in global temperatures will lead to deadly outbreaks.
After crapping your brains out for a week, death is probably a relief.

David Biello, “Deadly by the Dozen: 12 Diseases Climate Change May Worsen,” Scientific American, October 8, 2008,
www.sciam.com
.

505

FACT :
As
droughts caused by global warming
bring livestock and wildlife into closer proximity as they compete for water, tuberculosis among both humans and animals is likely to increase.
And the number of livestock is likely to decrease.

David Biello, “Deadly by the Dozen: 12 Diseases Climate Change May Worsen,” Scientific American, October 8, 2008,
www.sciam.com
.

506

FACT :
A malaria-like disease called babesiosis, which is carried by ticks and native to tropical climates,
is spreading to cooler climes
and has recently appeared in places like Italy and Long Island, New York. Babesiosis is rare in humans but that could change with increased global warming.
Babesiosis sounds like something that would turn a plain woman into a hottie, but I don’t really think malaria has that ability.

David Biello, “Deadly by the Dozen: 12 Diseases Climate Change May Worsen,” Scientific American, October 8, 2008,
www.sciam.com
.

507

FACT : One in four mammals is now threatened with extinction
from deforestation, hunting, and climate change.
Do we get to pick which ones? Because armadilloes seem pretty pointless, but we’re gonna need the cows.

“View: The Truth about Trash,” Scientific American, January 9, 2009,
www.sciam.com
.

508

FACT : Hurricane Ike lasted thirteen days, took 114 lives, and caused $10 billion in damage
as it rolled through Cuba, Haiti, and the United States in September 2008.
That’s a lot more damage than Ike Turner ever did.

“Terrifying Tornadoes, Wind Storms and Hurricanes,” Web-Ecoist, October 22, 2008,
www.webecoist.com
.

509

FACT :
In 2004, tens of thousands of people were displaced, injured, and made homeless when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. A combination of 175-mph winds, massive storm surge, lack of preparedness, and inadequate government response turned Katrina,
one of the most powerful
hurricanes in America’s history, into an epic disaster.
In case you happened to miss it on the news. For a year.

“Terrifying Tornadoes, Wind Storms and Hurricanes,” WebEcoist, October 22, 2008,
www.webecoist.com
.

510

FACT :
Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans, but also affected
90,000 square miles of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama
, claiming more than 1,300 lives across the region. Dead bodies were still being found eight months after the hurricane.
It must be delightful to find a corpse after eight months.

I might have to add that to my bucket list.

“Terrifying Tornadoes, Wind Storms and Hurricanes,” Web-Ecoist, October 22, 2008,
www.webecoist.com
.

511

FACT :
Tornadoes are the products of thunderstorms that
pop up suddenly and without warning
.

They produce winds that can exceed 250 mph and can damage areas more than a mile wide and fifty miles long.
For once I will resist the urge to make a fart joke here. Why? Because you’re probably expecting it, and I hate being predictable.

“Terrifying Tornadoes, Wind Storms and Hurricanes,” Web-Ecoist, October 22, 2008,
www.webecoist.com
.