Each year, an estimated 5 million trees are cut down just to publish the White Pages phone book. It's hard to cut down on the environmental harm because many states require phone companies to publish and deliver white pages phone books to every landline subscriber. On Wednesday, Whitepages.com, an online directory, released a survey of 1,000 adults showing the great majority of people want laws to allow people to "opt-in" if they want a hard copy of the white pages.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Why Don’t We Act on Climate Change?
You know you are worried about climate change, but you do nothing. If that describes how you feel you are not alone.
A new report highlights the perverse dichotomy that although about 80 percent of us believe climate change is really important, we rank it last in a list of 20 issues of concern such as the economy or terrorism.
The study by the American Psychological Association has found that despite warnings from scientists, politicians and environmental groups about climate change, people still don’t feel a sense of urgency about climate change.
This means getting people to “go green” requires policymakers, scientists and marketers to look at psychological barriers to change and what leads people to action or inaction, the report argues.
“What is unique about current global climate change is the role of human behavior,” said task force chair Janet Swim, PhD, of Pennsylvania State University. “We must look at the reasons people are not acting in order to understand how to get people to act.”
The task force identified numerous psychological barriers which they say are to blame, including:
Uncertainty – Research has shown that uncertainty over climate change reduces the frequency of “green” behavior.
Mistrust – Evidence shows that most people don’t believe the risk messages of scientists or government officials.
Denial – A substantial minority of people believe climate change is not occurring or that human activity has little or nothing to do with it, according to various polls (yes, its the flat earth sceptics again!!)
Undervaluing Risks – A study of more than 3,000 people in 18 countries showed that many people believe environmental conditions will worsen in 25 years. While this may be true, this thinking could lead people to believe that changes can be made later.
Lack of Control – People believe their actions would be too small to make a difference and choose to do nothing.
Habit – Ingrained behaviors are extremely resistant to permanent change while others change slowly. Habit is the most important obstacle to pro-environment behavior, according to the report.
The task force did show positive feedback mechanism at work though. For example, people are more likely to use energy-efficient appliances if they are provided with immediate energy-use feedback. Devices that show people how much energy and money they’re conserving can yield energy savings of 5 percent to 12 percent, according to research.
The task force identified other areas where psychology can help limit the effects of climate change, such as developing environmental regulations, economic incentives, better energy-efficient technology and communication methods.
“Many of the shortcomings of policies based on only a single intervention type, such as technology, economic incentives or regulation, may be overcome if policy implementers make better use of psychological knowledge,” the task force wrote.
Campaign group WWF has been looking at exactly this for a number of years. The group’s climate change strategist Dr Tom Crompton argues it is all very well asking people to change their light-bulbs, but how do you move people to bigger behavioural changes? He says that ‘The environmental movement has for too long focused on the policy response, without considering the social and psychological barriers”.
Other research has shown that people feel overwhelmed by the scale of climate change. Others do not like being lectured too. Bottom up grass-roots initiatives are more likely to succeed than top down approaches.
If people are in the UK looking for empowering action on climate change – later this week there is the empowering march against Chevron in Richmond, California. If you are in the UK, there is the Camp for Climate Action happening from 26th August to 2nd September in London.
And in the run up to Copengahen there will be any number of events in any number of countries. So why not get involved and empower yourself …. You might even enjoy it…
A new report highlights the perverse dichotomy that although about 80 percent of us believe climate change is really important, we rank it last in a list of 20 issues of concern such as the economy or terrorism.
The study by the American Psychological Association has found that despite warnings from scientists, politicians and environmental groups about climate change, people still don’t feel a sense of urgency about climate change.
This means getting people to “go green” requires policymakers, scientists and marketers to look at psychological barriers to change and what leads people to action or inaction, the report argues.
“What is unique about current global climate change is the role of human behavior,” said task force chair Janet Swim, PhD, of Pennsylvania State University. “We must look at the reasons people are not acting in order to understand how to get people to act.”
The task force identified numerous psychological barriers which they say are to blame, including:
Uncertainty – Research has shown that uncertainty over climate change reduces the frequency of “green” behavior.
Mistrust – Evidence shows that most people don’t believe the risk messages of scientists or government officials.
Denial – A substantial minority of people believe climate change is not occurring or that human activity has little or nothing to do with it, according to various polls (yes, its the flat earth sceptics again!!)
Undervaluing Risks – A study of more than 3,000 people in 18 countries showed that many people believe environmental conditions will worsen in 25 years. While this may be true, this thinking could lead people to believe that changes can be made later.
Lack of Control – People believe their actions would be too small to make a difference and choose to do nothing.
Habit – Ingrained behaviors are extremely resistant to permanent change while others change slowly. Habit is the most important obstacle to pro-environment behavior, according to the report.
The task force did show positive feedback mechanism at work though. For example, people are more likely to use energy-efficient appliances if they are provided with immediate energy-use feedback. Devices that show people how much energy and money they’re conserving can yield energy savings of 5 percent to 12 percent, according to research.
The task force identified other areas where psychology can help limit the effects of climate change, such as developing environmental regulations, economic incentives, better energy-efficient technology and communication methods.
“Many of the shortcomings of policies based on only a single intervention type, such as technology, economic incentives or regulation, may be overcome if policy implementers make better use of psychological knowledge,” the task force wrote.
Campaign group WWF has been looking at exactly this for a number of years. The group’s climate change strategist Dr Tom Crompton argues it is all very well asking people to change their light-bulbs, but how do you move people to bigger behavioural changes? He says that ‘The environmental movement has for too long focused on the policy response, without considering the social and psychological barriers”.
Other research has shown that people feel overwhelmed by the scale of climate change. Others do not like being lectured too. Bottom up grass-roots initiatives are more likely to succeed than top down approaches.
If people are in the UK looking for empowering action on climate change – later this week there is the empowering march against Chevron in Richmond, California. If you are in the UK, there is the Camp for Climate Action happening from 26th August to 2nd September in London.
And in the run up to Copengahen there will be any number of events in any number of countries. So why not get involved and empower yourself …. You might even enjoy it…
India makes forestry key plank in climate change plan
The Indian government unveiled a major plan to protect its forests on Tuesday, saying the initiative was a key element in its strategy to combat climate change.
"Countries like India must get adequate credit for increasing its forest cover that absorbs greenhouse gases," said Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who is under pressure ahead of global climate change talks in December.
"We are amongst the few countries in the world who are not just stopping deforestation but are actually increasing forestation," he told reporters here.
India has set up a fund to manage its forests with an initial budget of 2.5 billion dollars and annual funding of one billion dollars, a report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests showed Tuesday.
Forests cover 65 million hectares of Indian territory or just over 20 percent of the country, according to the ministry.
While per capita emissions are low in India -- the average Indian produces one tonne of carbon dioxide per year to the average American's 20 tonnes -- its huge population puts it among the world's leading emitters.
India and fellow emerging market heavyweight China have consistently opposed binding emission cuts in a new climate treaty until developed nations, particularly the United States, present sufficiently stringent targets of their own.
Ramesh's statement came ahead of the December conference in Copenhagen, which is meant to seal a new international accord on fighting climate change after the Kyoto Protocol's requirements expire in 2012.
Ramesh also reiterated his belief that the Indian scientific community found "no robust scientific evidence" that climate change was causing Himalayan glaciers to melt.
"There could be other factors," he said.
The United Nations has warned that rising surface temperatures have led to rapid melting of regional ice caps, which are the headwaters for Asias nine largest rivers.
"Countries like India must get adequate credit for increasing its forest cover that absorbs greenhouse gases," said Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who is under pressure ahead of global climate change talks in December.
"We are amongst the few countries in the world who are not just stopping deforestation but are actually increasing forestation," he told reporters here.
India has set up a fund to manage its forests with an initial budget of 2.5 billion dollars and annual funding of one billion dollars, a report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests showed Tuesday.
Forests cover 65 million hectares of Indian territory or just over 20 percent of the country, according to the ministry.
While per capita emissions are low in India -- the average Indian produces one tonne of carbon dioxide per year to the average American's 20 tonnes -- its huge population puts it among the world's leading emitters.
India and fellow emerging market heavyweight China have consistently opposed binding emission cuts in a new climate treaty until developed nations, particularly the United States, present sufficiently stringent targets of their own.
Ramesh's statement came ahead of the December conference in Copenhagen, which is meant to seal a new international accord on fighting climate change after the Kyoto Protocol's requirements expire in 2012.
Ramesh also reiterated his belief that the Indian scientific community found "no robust scientific evidence" that climate change was causing Himalayan glaciers to melt.
"There could be other factors," he said.
The United Nations has warned that rising surface temperatures have led to rapid melting of regional ice caps, which are the headwaters for Asias nine largest rivers.
'Complicated, Controversial and Pressing' Climate Issues Loom for Justice's Enviro Division
The Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division will play a pivotal role in implementing a governmentwide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to former DOJ officials and experts familiar with the division."The division's attorneys have extensive knowledge of federal environmental statutes, have worked with regulatory programs and enforcement approaches, and have been involved with U.S. attorneys and state governments in every state," according to a transition report for the Obama administration written by Georgetown University law professor Richard Lazarus and Lois Schiffer, former assistant attorney general for ENRD.
At present, none of the division's roughly 420 attorneys are assigned exclusively to climate-related litigation, DOJ spokesman Andrew Ames said. "As cases are referred to the department and ENRD, they are assigned to attorneys following the normal procedures used by the division."
While Ames declined to get into specifics, Roger Martella, an attorney at ENRD for more than seven years before moving to U.S. EPA in the George W. Bush administration, said most climate issues will be handled by the division's Environmental Defense Section, which defends EPA decisions in district court and on petitions for review; the Appellate Section, which defends decisions on appeal and advises the solicitor general's office on Supreme Court issues; and ENRD's policy section, which focuses on overreaching and cutting-edge environmental issues.
"Once climate change regulations take effect, I would anticipate that the environmental enforcement section and perhaps the environmental crimes section would be more actively engaged on climate change issues," said Martella, now a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. "For example, the greenhouse gas reporting rule could create obligations as early as Jan. 1, 2010, meaning that enforcement lawyers could be bringing the first federal climate-change enforcement cases in 2011 for failure to comply with the rule."
Some, including Lazarus and Schiffer, believe the division would benefit from creating a separate section or informal working group to focus exclusively on this sprawling issue.
"The legal issues that arise will be complicated, controversial and pressing, and a division-wide Climate Change Initiative would be an effective tool in this key area," Lazarus and Schiffer wrote. "To assure a comprehensive approach, the division should work closely with other components of the department and with its client agencies."
They also suggest that ENRD work in concert with the departments of Energy and Agriculture, in addition to EPA and other agencies, on climate change-related programs.
"If corn-based ethanol, or other sources of ethanol, are subsidized by USDA to encourage their development, litigation that arises from such programs will have a direct effect on the environment and could benefit from [ENRD's] expertise," they wrote.
Schiffer pointed to a large-scale initiative undertaken by the Clinton administration to address management of federal lands in the Pacific Northwest.
"When President Clinton developed the Northwest Forest Plan, it really affected a wide number of agencies, and there was a cross-agency informal working group called together by the Council on Environmental Quality," Schiffer said. "That was probably the last far-reaching issue before climate change."
Similarly to the Northwest working group, ENRD could set up regular meetings with point people at relevant agencies, Schiffer said.
"You could also have one person from each of the nine sections in the division form a intersection group, or the policy section could take the lead," Schiffer said. "It is up to the new head of the division to decide how to proceed."
Role reversal?
Rather than enforcing rules and regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions, ENRD spent much of the last eight years defending federal agencies' inaction in lawsuits brought by various state and environmental groups. This could change under the Obama administration, according to Martella
"It is likely that ENRD's role will transition over time, and perhaps in the near future, from defending suits by some states and nongovernmental organizations, claiming EPA and the administration is not doing enough, to defending suits by other states and industry groups, claiming EPA is acting outside the bounds of existing Clean Air Act authority," Martella said
"We've already seen a transition occur on the California waiver decision after the Obama administration granted California its request to regulate greenhouse gases from cars, reversing the position of the Bush administration," Martella said. "DOJ also will assume more of a prosecutorial role once EPA regulations and climate change legislation go into effect, enforcing against GHG emitters who are not in compliance with the rules."
At the same time, claims that the government is not acting quickly enough on climate change are unlikely to go away, Martella said.
"For example, NGOs are continuing to challenge the Department of Interior's 4(d) rule for the polar bear, which affirmed that greenhouse gas emissions do not trigger adverse impacts to the polar bear, and industry has intervened to help ENRD defend those cases," he said.
Even if major climate legislation fizzles this year, environmental groups still have several avenues to pursue legal solutions to climate problems.
"Even if there isn't a new law, there are still going to be cases," Schiffer said. "They range from everything to people who are suing under the Endangered Species Act to the National Environmental Policy Act. The litigation cuts across a lot of work in the sections even now."
And if the House-passed climate and energy bill does become law, there are still likely to be climate cases brought based on ESA and NEPA, she said.
There will also be new legal challenges, and ENRD should be preparing for immediate litigation.
"The Justice Department not only has to work hand in hand with other agencies like EPA, but it has to be geared up and ready to hit the ground running when new rules and legislation become finalized," said Frank O'Donnell of Clean Air Watch.
In a July speech marking ENRD's 100th anniversary, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson touched on the role the division could play in combating climate change:
"Congress is working through a landmark clean energy and climate bill as we speak -- one that stands to create millions of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the emissions that cause climate change," she said. "If that bill passes, then, inevitably, with a new set of laws comes a new set of lawsuits. I'm sure we'll all be busy working through whatever role EPA eventually plays in that process."
Confirmation hearing for ENRD nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold confirmation hearings on President Obama's pick to head ENRD next month, according to a DOJ official who spoke on background.
The nomination of Ignacia Moreno continues to generate controversy among those who object to her role as counsel of corporate environmental programs at General Electric Co.
"She has a very slim resume when it comes to working for the public," O'Donnell said. "Our fundamental criticism of her hasn't changed since she was first nominated. She's someone who's a lot better versed at working for the bad guys as we would depict them."
"And she's worked for some pretty serious bad guys -- if you look at GE and General Motors Corp.," he said, adding: "GE is king of the bad guys when it comes to Superfunds, and a large part of Justice's job is looking at Superfund cases."
Prior to joining GE in 2006, Moreno worked at the Washington law firm Spriggs & Hollingsworth, where she specialized in environmental and mass tort litigation. She also worked for DOJ during the Clinton administration, serving as special assistant and principal counsel to the assistant attorney general for ENRD. She began her career at Hogan & Hartson LLP, where she practiced with the firm's environmental and litigation groups.
Despite her private-sector work, she won the endorsement of Schiffer, who hired Moreno in 1994.
"She will be a strong and effective leader," Schiffer said. "She has a strong legal and litigation background, which is imperative to doing this job well."
Moreno received another vote of confidence from Gerald Torres, who served as deputy assistant attorney general for ENRD and as counsel to then-Attorney General Janet Reno.
"She was a relatively new attorney when we hired her, but I remember her being committed to environmental law and being very sharp," Torres said. "One of the things that impressed me was her capacity to look at a wide range of issues and get up to speed very quickly."
If confirmed, Moreno would lead a staff of more than 600 who carry an active file of about 6,000 cases. John Cruden has served as the acting assistant attorney general since January.
At present, none of the division's roughly 420 attorneys are assigned exclusively to climate-related litigation, DOJ spokesman Andrew Ames said. "As cases are referred to the department and ENRD, they are assigned to attorneys following the normal procedures used by the division."
While Ames declined to get into specifics, Roger Martella, an attorney at ENRD for more than seven years before moving to U.S. EPA in the George W. Bush administration, said most climate issues will be handled by the division's Environmental Defense Section, which defends EPA decisions in district court and on petitions for review; the Appellate Section, which defends decisions on appeal and advises the solicitor general's office on Supreme Court issues; and ENRD's policy section, which focuses on overreaching and cutting-edge environmental issues.
"Once climate change regulations take effect, I would anticipate that the environmental enforcement section and perhaps the environmental crimes section would be more actively engaged on climate change issues," said Martella, now a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. "For example, the greenhouse gas reporting rule could create obligations as early as Jan. 1, 2010, meaning that enforcement lawyers could be bringing the first federal climate-change enforcement cases in 2011 for failure to comply with the rule."
Some, including Lazarus and Schiffer, believe the division would benefit from creating a separate section or informal working group to focus exclusively on this sprawling issue.
"The legal issues that arise will be complicated, controversial and pressing, and a division-wide Climate Change Initiative would be an effective tool in this key area," Lazarus and Schiffer wrote. "To assure a comprehensive approach, the division should work closely with other components of the department and with its client agencies."
They also suggest that ENRD work in concert with the departments of Energy and Agriculture, in addition to EPA and other agencies, on climate change-related programs.
"If corn-based ethanol, or other sources of ethanol, are subsidized by USDA to encourage their development, litigation that arises from such programs will have a direct effect on the environment and could benefit from [ENRD's] expertise," they wrote.
Schiffer pointed to a large-scale initiative undertaken by the Clinton administration to address management of federal lands in the Pacific Northwest.
"When President Clinton developed the Northwest Forest Plan, it really affected a wide number of agencies, and there was a cross-agency informal working group called together by the Council on Environmental Quality," Schiffer said. "That was probably the last far-reaching issue before climate change."
Similarly to the Northwest working group, ENRD could set up regular meetings with point people at relevant agencies, Schiffer said.
"You could also have one person from each of the nine sections in the division form a intersection group, or the policy section could take the lead," Schiffer said. "It is up to the new head of the division to decide how to proceed."
Role reversal?
Rather than enforcing rules and regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions, ENRD spent much of the last eight years defending federal agencies' inaction in lawsuits brought by various state and environmental groups. This could change under the Obama administration, according to Martella
"It is likely that ENRD's role will transition over time, and perhaps in the near future, from defending suits by some states and nongovernmental organizations, claiming EPA and the administration is not doing enough, to defending suits by other states and industry groups, claiming EPA is acting outside the bounds of existing Clean Air Act authority," Martella said
"We've already seen a transition occur on the California waiver decision after the Obama administration granted California its request to regulate greenhouse gases from cars, reversing the position of the Bush administration," Martella said. "DOJ also will assume more of a prosecutorial role once EPA regulations and climate change legislation go into effect, enforcing against GHG emitters who are not in compliance with the rules."
At the same time, claims that the government is not acting quickly enough on climate change are unlikely to go away, Martella said.
"For example, NGOs are continuing to challenge the Department of Interior's 4(d) rule for the polar bear, which affirmed that greenhouse gas emissions do not trigger adverse impacts to the polar bear, and industry has intervened to help ENRD defend those cases," he said.
Even if major climate legislation fizzles this year, environmental groups still have several avenues to pursue legal solutions to climate problems.
"Even if there isn't a new law, there are still going to be cases," Schiffer said. "They range from everything to people who are suing under the Endangered Species Act to the National Environmental Policy Act. The litigation cuts across a lot of work in the sections even now."
And if the House-passed climate and energy bill does become law, there are still likely to be climate cases brought based on ESA and NEPA, she said.
There will also be new legal challenges, and ENRD should be preparing for immediate litigation.
"The Justice Department not only has to work hand in hand with other agencies like EPA, but it has to be geared up and ready to hit the ground running when new rules and legislation become finalized," said Frank O'Donnell of Clean Air Watch.
In a July speech marking ENRD's 100th anniversary, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson touched on the role the division could play in combating climate change:
"Congress is working through a landmark clean energy and climate bill as we speak -- one that stands to create millions of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the emissions that cause climate change," she said. "If that bill passes, then, inevitably, with a new set of laws comes a new set of lawsuits. I'm sure we'll all be busy working through whatever role EPA eventually plays in that process."
Confirmation hearing for ENRD nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to hold confirmation hearings on President Obama's pick to head ENRD next month, according to a DOJ official who spoke on background.
The nomination of Ignacia Moreno continues to generate controversy among those who object to her role as counsel of corporate environmental programs at General Electric Co.
"She has a very slim resume when it comes to working for the public," O'Donnell said. "Our fundamental criticism of her hasn't changed since she was first nominated. She's someone who's a lot better versed at working for the bad guys as we would depict them."
"And she's worked for some pretty serious bad guys -- if you look at GE and General Motors Corp.," he said, adding: "GE is king of the bad guys when it comes to Superfunds, and a large part of Justice's job is looking at Superfund cases."
Prior to joining GE in 2006, Moreno worked at the Washington law firm Spriggs & Hollingsworth, where she specialized in environmental and mass tort litigation. She also worked for DOJ during the Clinton administration, serving as special assistant and principal counsel to the assistant attorney general for ENRD. She began her career at Hogan & Hartson LLP, where she practiced with the firm's environmental and litigation groups.
Despite her private-sector work, she won the endorsement of Schiffer, who hired Moreno in 1994.
"She will be a strong and effective leader," Schiffer said. "She has a strong legal and litigation background, which is imperative to doing this job well."
Moreno received another vote of confidence from Gerald Torres, who served as deputy assistant attorney general for ENRD and as counsel to then-Attorney General Janet Reno.
"She was a relatively new attorney when we hired her, but I remember her being committed to environmental law and being very sharp," Torres said. "One of the things that impressed me was her capacity to look at a wide range of issues and get up to speed very quickly."
If confirmed, Moreno would lead a staff of more than 600 who carry an active file of about 6,000 cases. John Cruden has served as the acting assistant attorney general since January.
Dueling Polls on Support for Climate Change Legislation
In an landmark vote on June 26, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would tackle climate change by imposing mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Now, just about every industry is trying to either get a better deal, or kill the bill entirely. Coal-heavy utilities like Duke Energy, for instance, want to weaken down the targets and timetables in the House bill. Biofuels and bioplastics companies want to get credit for the carbon reductions they create when they make bio-based products.
But what does the American public think? Or more precisely, what do polls say that the American public thinks?
In late June, Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1000 adults. The poll showed that only 12% of respondents were strongly in favor, while 25% were strongly opposed. And 42% said that the measure would hurt the economy, while only 19% said it would help.
Now comes a competing poll from Zogby, which presents a far different picture. In this poll, a stunning 45% of the 1005 respondents were strongly in favor of the climate bill. Only 19% strongly opposed it.
Why the difference? Often with polling, it’s possible to get very different answers depending how the questions are asked. “How you word the question would be very important,” explains Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports. If you ask people if they favor a measure that will help save the environment, for instance, they will probably say yes. If you ask if they favor a measure that may destroy jobs, they will say no.
What makes the wording even more important is that other polls show that the public really doesn’t know much about the climate legislation. If you ask them about cap and trade (the basic idea in the climate bill), only a minority knows this is about an environmental issue, rather than, say, a financial issue.
So how did these polls differ?
In the Zogby poll, which was done for the National Wildlife Federation, respondents were first read the following paragraph:
“The House of Representatives recently passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would require electric power companies to generate 20 percent of their power from clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by the year 2020. Also included is a global warming plan which would reduce greenhouse gases from sources like power plants and factories by 17 percent, and an energy efficiency plan which includes new appliance standards and building codes to conserve energy.”
In contrast, the Rasmussen pollsters merely asked respondents if they’d been following the news reports about the climate change bill, before asking if they support it or not. “We used as neutral language as we could,” says Rasmussen.
You can see why the Zogby poll got a more favorable result. After all, people tend to be in favor of clean renewable power, reducing greenhouse gases, and using energy more efficiently. If the paragraph had said, as opponents charge, that the bill will make they pay more for energy and threaten their jobs, the results would have been very different.
But even the more neutral Rasmussen poll isn’t truly representative of what the public thinks either. That’s because the public really doesn’t yet know what to think. Rasmussen conducted his first poll right after the House vote or order to get baseline data, rather than trying to come to any firm conclusions about public opinion. We won’t know what the public thinks until the issue has been out there longer, he suggests. “Until it’s debated more in the public, we will stay away from it,” he says.
As usual, it seems, many polls are themselves part of the campaign to win hearts and minds.
Reader Comments
CHRIS AGRELLA
August 11, 2009 08:43 PM
Polls need to be done with reflection on how many people are in the group. In the case of the American public, that figure would be around 300 million people. To make a federal policy based on 1000-5000 people is both ridiculous and misleading. It's time to get serious about polls, or ignore them completely! And bias presentation has to be eliminated! The time has come to have a pollster group that is both fair and objective in it's delivery, and focus on a true number of responses to represent the issue at hand. Until this procedure is followed, most polls are merely a hint, not a true value of the poll being attempted.
Dubl D
August 12, 2009 12:25 PM
The Green Lobby owes John Carey a thank you. While he does his best to maintain impartiality when speaking to the differences in this poll he leaves out one obvious and clear point.
Without offering some prepared statement about how much good the climate bill would do, a meager 12% of Americans were gung ho about climate change legislation in the Rasmussen poll. In the Zogby poll, which is pre-empted by a hippie utopia pipe-dream scenario with no downside, STILL LESS THAN 50% OF RESPONDENTS WERE IN FAVOR. So the author does well to keep the focus on the polls themselves, but clearly the message that cannot be ignored is that NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN IT AMERICANS DON'T WANT CAP AND TRADE.
Regardless of the finer points of polling, if I'm an elected official, the composite picture that these two poll paint for me is that if I vote for this bill, I'm probably going to anger 55-85% of my constituents. More than enough to cost me my job.
John Carey throws the greens a bone by not resolving the issue with a nod to this clear and obvious point. I won't. Cap and Trade will be a tragedy. No matter how you spin it, the majority of Americans aren't buying it. The revolution is over and once again the hippies lose. Try again in another 30 years...
But what does the American public think? Or more precisely, what do polls say that the American public thinks?
In late June, Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1000 adults. The poll showed that only 12% of respondents were strongly in favor, while 25% were strongly opposed. And 42% said that the measure would hurt the economy, while only 19% said it would help.
Now comes a competing poll from Zogby, which presents a far different picture. In this poll, a stunning 45% of the 1005 respondents were strongly in favor of the climate bill. Only 19% strongly opposed it.
Why the difference? Often with polling, it’s possible to get very different answers depending how the questions are asked. “How you word the question would be very important,” explains Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports. If you ask people if they favor a measure that will help save the environment, for instance, they will probably say yes. If you ask if they favor a measure that may destroy jobs, they will say no.
What makes the wording even more important is that other polls show that the public really doesn’t know much about the climate legislation. If you ask them about cap and trade (the basic idea in the climate bill), only a minority knows this is about an environmental issue, rather than, say, a financial issue.
So how did these polls differ?
In the Zogby poll, which was done for the National Wildlife Federation, respondents were first read the following paragraph:
“The House of Representatives recently passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would require electric power companies to generate 20 percent of their power from clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by the year 2020. Also included is a global warming plan which would reduce greenhouse gases from sources like power plants and factories by 17 percent, and an energy efficiency plan which includes new appliance standards and building codes to conserve energy.”
In contrast, the Rasmussen pollsters merely asked respondents if they’d been following the news reports about the climate change bill, before asking if they support it or not. “We used as neutral language as we could,” says Rasmussen.
You can see why the Zogby poll got a more favorable result. After all, people tend to be in favor of clean renewable power, reducing greenhouse gases, and using energy more efficiently. If the paragraph had said, as opponents charge, that the bill will make they pay more for energy and threaten their jobs, the results would have been very different.
But even the more neutral Rasmussen poll isn’t truly representative of what the public thinks either. That’s because the public really doesn’t yet know what to think. Rasmussen conducted his first poll right after the House vote or order to get baseline data, rather than trying to come to any firm conclusions about public opinion. We won’t know what the public thinks until the issue has been out there longer, he suggests. “Until it’s debated more in the public, we will stay away from it,” he says.
As usual, it seems, many polls are themselves part of the campaign to win hearts and minds.
Reader Comments
CHRIS AGRELLA
August 11, 2009 08:43 PM
Polls need to be done with reflection on how many people are in the group. In the case of the American public, that figure would be around 300 million people. To make a federal policy based on 1000-5000 people is both ridiculous and misleading. It's time to get serious about polls, or ignore them completely! And bias presentation has to be eliminated! The time has come to have a pollster group that is both fair and objective in it's delivery, and focus on a true number of responses to represent the issue at hand. Until this procedure is followed, most polls are merely a hint, not a true value of the poll being attempted.
Dubl D
August 12, 2009 12:25 PM
The Green Lobby owes John Carey a thank you. While he does his best to maintain impartiality when speaking to the differences in this poll he leaves out one obvious and clear point.
Without offering some prepared statement about how much good the climate bill would do, a meager 12% of Americans were gung ho about climate change legislation in the Rasmussen poll. In the Zogby poll, which is pre-empted by a hippie utopia pipe-dream scenario with no downside, STILL LESS THAN 50% OF RESPONDENTS WERE IN FAVOR. So the author does well to keep the focus on the polls themselves, but clearly the message that cannot be ignored is that NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN IT AMERICANS DON'T WANT CAP AND TRADE.
Regardless of the finer points of polling, if I'm an elected official, the composite picture that these two poll paint for me is that if I vote for this bill, I'm probably going to anger 55-85% of my constituents. More than enough to cost me my job.
John Carey throws the greens a bone by not resolving the issue with a nod to this clear and obvious point. I won't. Cap and Trade will be a tragedy. No matter how you spin it, the majority of Americans aren't buying it. The revolution is over and once again the hippies lose. Try again in another 30 years...
Manitoba premier, federal environment minister meet to discuss climate change
Manitoba Premier Gary Doer says he would like to see more energy efficiency measures in the federal government's climate change plan that would help consumers save money.
Doer was commenting after a meeting with federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice in Winnipeg.
The meeting was part of federal consultations leading up to the tabling of Ottawa's climate change plan this fall.
Doer says he was happy he got a chance to discuss proposed changes before they're officially tabled.
Prentice says they talked about improving energy efficiency as well as various forms of renewable energy, such as hydroelectricity.
He says Canada will have tabled its plan before the United Nations climate change conference in December.
Doer was commenting after a meeting with federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice in Winnipeg.
The meeting was part of federal consultations leading up to the tabling of Ottawa's climate change plan this fall.
Doer says he was happy he got a chance to discuss proposed changes before they're officially tabled.
Prentice says they talked about improving energy efficiency as well as various forms of renewable energy, such as hydroelectricity.
He says Canada will have tabled its plan before the United Nations climate change conference in December.
xth swine flu death in Pune
35-year-old man became the sixth victim of swine flu in Pune Sassoon Hospital early Wednesday.
According to an official of the State Swine Flu Control Room, Sanjay Mistry, a resident of Pimpri, near Pune, was admitted to the hospital last Sunday in a critical condition and put on a ventilator.
With this, the total number of swine flu casualty in Maharashtra has gone up to eight.
Currently, there are five critical patients in the Pune Sassoon Hospital and another two critical patients in a Mumbai hospital.
Two more people have died of swine flu in Gujarat and one each in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kerala man is 11th swine flu victim
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (IANS) A 31-year-old man died here Tuesday as the swine flu toll in India rose to 11 in a matter of nine days.
Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m., Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi confirmed.
Lukose had come from A 31-year-old man died here Tuesday as the swine flu toll in India rose to 11 in a matter of nine days.
Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m., Kerala the US to Chennai and then to his home here. He was hospitalised five days ago and his condition worsened Monday, officials said.
This was the first case of swine flu death in Kerala, where 55 people have been confirmed positive, and nine of them are still in hospital.
Swine flu claims four lives, toll rises to 11
New Delhi/Mumbai/Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (IANS) India was gripped by a swine flu scare Tuesday and authorities stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the contagious virus that claimed four victims, taking the nationwide death toll to 11 in a matter of only nine days.
A worried Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urged the chief ministers to take urgent steps to tackle the H1N1 disease that was unknown to India till the first case was reported May 16.
On Tuesday, a record 119 people were tested positive, with the virus spreading to cities like Jammu, Osmanabad, Nagpur, Nasik and Manipal. Of the 1,079 positive cases in India, 589 have been discharged, health ministry officials said.
The latest swine flu victims were a 13-year-old girl in Pune, the worst hit city where five people have died, a 63-year-old woman in Mumbai, a seven-year-old girl in Vadodara, and a 31-year-old man in Thiruvananthapuram.
Azad, who has immersed himself in the war against swine flu, telephoned some chief ministers Monday night and some Tuesday morning to warn that complacency could lead to a disaster.
Officials said he discussed with them urgent measures needed to combat the spread of the virus that has affected 1,079 people in India.
He also met senior bureaucrats tasked to visit various state to help contain the spread of the virus that originated in Mexico and has sparked a global scare.
Even as Minister Azad held a high-level meeting in New Delhi, Shruti Gavde, who tested positive last Saturday, died in Pune's Sassoon Hospital, barely hours after pharmacist Sanjay Tilekar died there Monday night.
A student of A.D. High School in Pune, Shruti had been admitted to the hospital Sunday in critical condition.
In the Maharashtra capital Mumbai, Shahida Warsi died at a private hospital. "The deceased was from Thane and had been brought to Mumbai for treatment," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.
She had been brought to Mumbai's Noor Hospital in Byculla five days ago for treatment.
In Gujarat's Vadodara city, a girl died in a government hospital after being under ventilator for two days. She had been brought in for treatment Aug 7, said Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas.
"The girl had no history of how she contracted the virus," Vyas said.
This was the second death reported in Gujarat on account of the swine flu. The first victim was NRI Pravin Patel, who came from Atlanta in the US and died Sunday.
In the Kerala capital , Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m. He had come from the US to Chennai and then to his home in Thiruvanathapuram.
Pune tops the list of casualties with five deaths followed by Mumbai (two) and one each in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vadodara and Thiruvanathapuram.
Of the 119 positive cases reported Tuesday, Pune, which has been declared the epidemic city, reported 62. It was followed by Mumbai where 24 new cases were recorded.
As more swine flu cases poured in, the Haj Committee advised the elderly, children and pregnant woman to avoid going for the Haj pilgrimage.
Hasan Ahmad, acting chairperson of the Haj Committee of India, said that pilgrims above the age of 65, those younger than 12 years and the pregnant should avoid the pilgrimage this year. Saudi Arabia has issued similar instructions.
In New Delhi, Azad underlined the guidelines to help private labs and hospitals carry out tests and treat suspected patients.
The government had earlier insisted that all patients have to be tested and treated only in state-run hospitals but the enormity of the crisis has forced a change of mind.
Swine flu cast a shadow over the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad, with the doubles coach of the Malaysian team showing symptoms of the viral disease.
Jeremy Gan has been quarantined at the Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital, and his samples have been sent for testing, organisers of the event said.
With swine flu spreading panic, face masks are flying off the shelf at pharmacy shops in the national capital. Chemists say they are not getting fresh supplies that are being diverted to Pune.
A 17-year-old footballer, S. Tongber, from Meghalaya Tuesday tested positive for H1N1 virus, marking the first swine flu case in the northeast.
Azad speaks with chief ministers, officials on swine flu
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday spoke to the chief ministers to gear up to tackle the growing swine flu menace that has claimed 10 lives and suggested various steps including involving private labs and hospitals.
The minister also met and briefed senior officials, who have been tasked to visit various states to help them contain the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Azad spoke to the chief ministers Monday night and also Tuesday morning, said health officials here.
"While appreciating the efforts being made by the state governments, he emphasized the need to step up the preparedness," according to a statement issued here.
According to a health official: "The health minister met and briefed joint secretaries and additional secretaries drawn from various departments.
"He advised them about capacity buildings in the states," the official told IANS.
These 35 senior bureaucrats will be meeting chief ministers too. These teams have been told to complete their visits before Aug 15.
"The health minister has also requested the chief ministers to meet these senior officials when they conduct the first meeting. This will help in fast-tracking all the decisions," the official said.
The decision to rope in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials to the various states was taken Monday when Azad held a meeting with Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar and senior health officials.
The central teams will be assisting the state government in identifying the private labs for tests and public and private hospitals for screening, diagnosis and treatment.
"It has been planned to involve central, state, local governmental establishments, medical colleges, institutes and private set-ups in this integrated strategy," the statement said.
The central teams will also discuss the training of the doctors and paramedical personnel and also highlight the importance of awareness campaigns.
Azad Monday had admitted that letters sent to the states about the swine flu pandemic had little impact and said the central government would send senior officials to help them tackle the spread of the disease.
Pune tops the list of casualties with five deaths so far followed two deaths in Mumbai and one each in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Vadodara.
There are 960 swine-flu infected cases, with 95 new cases reported Monday.
Private hospitals to help in swine flu testing: Shiela Dikshit
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) To tackle the growing number of people queuing up to test for swine flu, the Delhi government may soon allow testing for the Influenza A (H1N1) virus at private hospitals, Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said Tuesday.
So far, tests are being conducted only at 14 government institutions in Delhi.
"we don't want panic to be spread. We are working out a policy where we would involve private hospitals (for testing) in this. The government of India is doing whatever is possible to see that there is no scarcity of drugs or other requirements that can prevent this flu from spreading," Dikshit told a news channel here.
Over 250 people have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) in Delhi, of whom 178 have been discharged while 58 are undergoing treatment in designated hospitals.
Panic has spread among residents with the infectious disease claiming 10 lives across the country.
Face masks, especially the safer N95 masks, are flying off the racks at pharmacy shops but chemists say they are not getting fresh supplies as the stocks are being diverted to Pune, where the highest number of cases have been detected and five have already succumbed to swine flu.
The chief minister, however, said that despite the panic buying of face masks, there was "no scarcity".
Asked if there was a shortage of masks and the consequent black marketing of the product in Delhi as reported in the media, Dikshit said: "No I don't think so - so far we have had no scarcity. We are reviewing it all the time and our ministers, the health minister and secretary are doing it. In fact, I called myself last night and I was told there is no scarcity."
She held that quarantine was important in swine flu patients. "Finally, quarantine is very important - both at home and work places and other places."
Record 119 new swine flu cases in India Tuesday
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) India Tuesday reported 119 new cases of swine flu, highest so far for a single day, taking the total number of the infected people to 1,079. Three people - one in Gujarat and two in Maharashtra - succumbed to the infectious virus, taking to 10 the toll in the country, the health ministry said.
Among the new cases, Pune reported 62, Mumbai 24, Delhi 15, Manipal 2, Ahmedabad 1, Bangalore 4, Nagpur 3, Osmanabad 1, Nashik 1, Goa 1, Hyderabad 2, Thiruvananthapuram 2 and Jammu 1.
Of the 15 cases reported from Delhi, only one has a travel history. The 19-year-old man had returned from Manila via Hongkong.
Among Pune's new cases, one had returned from Saudi Arabia and the 61 others are indigenous cases.
Mumbai reported 24 cases during the day, two of whom have travelled from abroad. All other cases from Maharashtra are indigenous. All cases from Karnataka are from local contract.
While Ahmedabad reported one indigenous case, the patient in Goa had returned from Spain. Of the two cases in Hyderabad one patient has a travel history. The case in Jammu had returned from Mumbai and Pune. One of the two cases in Thiruvanathapuram has returned from Doha.
So far 5,000 people have been tested, of whom 1,079 are positive for influenza A(H1N1). Of the total cases, 589 have been discharged and 10 have died. The remainder of them are admitted to the identified health facilities.
81 new swine flu cases in Maharashtra, Thane civic schools shut
Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Maharashtra, which has witnessed seven of India's 10 swine flu deaths, Tuesday recorded 81 new cases, taking to 408 the total number of people infected in the state , while the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) ordered a five-day closure of all schools under it.
Among the new patients, 74 were in Pune, six in Panchgani and one in Mumbai, State Swine Flu Control Room head Pradip Awati said.
Of the people under treatment in various hospitals, six in Pune's Sassoon Hospital and two in Mumbai's Hiranandani Hospital are serious, he said.
"They are all on ventilators and we are constantly monitoring their condition," he added.
In the meantime, a whopping 35,000 people in Pune have been screened for H1N1 and another 4,500 in Mumbai as panicky citizens rushed to various screening centres opened in public and private hospitals.
Among the seven deaths in the state, five have been in Pune and two in Mumbai.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sharvari Gokhale said Tuesday evening that the latest (second) victim in Mumbai, who passed away Monday morning, was suffering from pneumonia.
"After her death, the Noor Hospital sent her blood samples for check which were received today and were found positive for swine flu," Gokhale told media persons.
Shahida Abdul Aziz Warsi, a 63-year-old resident of Mumbra suburb of adjoining Thane district, passed away Monday, becoming the seventh victim of swine flu in the state.
Even as the Mumbai civic administration decided not to shut down educational institutions in the city, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) ordered a five-day closure of all schools under it, an official said.
While Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak said "the current situation does not warrant steps like Pune" to shut down schools and malls, the civic administration was taking a poll of people over this issue.
"After two days, all educational institutions are getting a three-day break. Moreover, there's no guarantee that swine flu will disappear after a few days just as it had come," Phatak said.
Phatak pointed that even many school principals who interacted with him expressed reservations on shutting educational institutions in the city.
But senior TMC official R.D. Kendre said the civic body's education department had issued orders to shut down civic schools - as opposed to private schools - in its jurisdiction till Sunday as a precautionary measure in view of the swine flu epidemic.
In Mumbai, some private schools, including the prestigious Cambridge School in Kandivli suburb, issued advisories to parents on the dos and don'ts, precautions in school and outside. It has also permitted students to wear masks to school if they want.
15 new suspected swine flu cases in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Aug 11 (IANS) At least 15 new suspected swine flu patients were reported in Chandigarh Tuesday, a health official said.
Seven cases were reported each in the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and at a government hospital in Sector 32. One case was reported at a Sector 16 hospital.
"Seven patients were admitted in hospitals whereas nine have been quarantined at their homes," the health official said.
"There is no need to panic and the situation is well under our control," the official added.
Two more swine flu cases in West Bengal, total reaches 12
Kolkata, Aug 11 (IANS) The number of swine flu patients in West Bengal rose to 12 with two more cases confirmed Tuesday.
"Two more people tested positive for swine flu today (Tuesday) at the designated Beliaghata Infectious Diseases (ID) hospital. Two other suspected swine flu patients took admission," the state government's nodal officer for swine flu Tapas Sen told IANS.
Six people - four confirmed and two suspects - are in the hospital now.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi arrived from Delhi along with a six-member team of medical experts and visited the airport and designated hospital for a first hand idea of the facilities for the detection and the treatment of the disease.
They first went to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and saw the screening infrastructure for the disease there. Trivedi gave some directives to the medical officers at the airport.
Later, the team went around the designated ward for the diseases at the ID hospital and interacted with the patients, their families and the doctors.
11 swine flu cases detected in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Aug 11 (IANS) Eleven people in Uttar Pradesh tested positive for swine flu virus Tuesday, taking the total figure of the infected people to 12 in the state.
Eight of these infected people belong to the family of the first swine flu case - five-year-old Hasan Rizvi, who returned from Britain a few days ago.
Hasan is the grandson of former Congress minister Ammar Rizvi.
Of the remaining three, there was an eight-year-old who returned from Singapore recently. The sample of an 18-year-old man from Allahabad has also tested positive, while the third person belongs to Faizabad.
"We had carried out tests of about 50 samples, out of which 11 turned out to be positive," said S. Dhole, professor and head of the department of microbiology at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here.
"But this should not be cause for any kind of panic as each of the detected cases was found carrying only primary infection, that is easily curable," he said.
Asked whether all the detected patients were put in isolation, he said, "Well, we have referred these cases to the district chief medical officer, who is supposed to provide the necessary treatment."
Chief Medical Officer A.K. Shukla said, "All the patients were being looked after well and the required drugs were made available also to those who had preferred to stay in their homes instead of getting admitted to hospitals."
"Fortunately, all the patients looked quite healthy. Even the five-year-old boy, who was the first one to be detected positive in Lucknow last week, looked healthy."
"There is no reason to panic as we are well equipped to deal with the menace," he said.
Nine suspected swine flu cases surface in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Aug 11 (IANS) Samples of nine people, suspected to be infected with swine flu, have been sent to Delhi for testing, health department officials said Tuesday.
The samples include those from two students studying in Pune and one studying in Delhi. The three had voluntarily came to the Hamidia Hospital here - the designated swine flu nodal centre - saying they were in contact with affected people. All the three have been advised to stay away from other people till the test reports are received.
Though not a single case of swine flu has been reported in the state so far, the government has announced health and medical education departments will now jointly work towards checking the disease. It has cancelled leaves of doctors working in health, medical education and gas relief departments.
An official release said a meeting chaired by state Health Secretary S.R. Mohanty decided to shortlist 16 private hospitals in six districts for swine flu treatment, and to open control rooms in medical colleges and offices of the chief medical officers, health officers and divisional joint directors.
It was also decided that samples of suspected swine flu patients be sent to Pune and New Delhi for testing, and the authorities concerned have been directed to send samples to the designated laboratories within 48 hours of collection.
Court to hear plea on swine flu
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday admitted a public interest petition charging the government with not having taken adequate measures to tackle swine flu in the capital.
Anjana Jain filed a petition through her counsel Sugreev Dubey accusing the government with not having proper measures for distribution of medicines and masks. She also demanded that masks be made available with local chemists so that its black-marketing can be curtailed.
Delhi has so far reported over 250 cases of swine flu.
"Auto and taxi drivers who are going to airports, railway stations and bus terminals are most vulnerable to the flu and the government should make sure that they wear the masks and take all precautionary measures," the petition states.
Jain also blamed the government for not having sufficient resources to tackle the flu spread.
The petition is likely to be heard Wednesday.
Goa to screen bus passengers from Pune
Panaji, Aug 11 (IANS) All buses from Pune will be screened for possible swine flu infected passengers at two border checkposts in Goa from Wednesday, a top official said.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sanjiv Srivastava at the state secretariat Tuesday evening.
"Goa receives some 7,000 inter-state buses everyday. The traffic from Pune is around 50 buses. Our health department teams stationed at the Patradevi and Mollem checkposts will be focusing on passengers coming into Goa from Pune using public transport," Srivastava told reporters.
Srivastava said while the screening would be limited to incoming public traffic from Pune initially, the idea was to cover all inbound vehicles coming into Goa in the near future.
"We are focusing on passengers coming in from high-risk areas presently," Srivastava said.
He said the health department's swine flu screening unit at Dabolim airport has been instructed to screen all passengers coming in by Maharashtra flights.
"We are in the process of working out a mechanism to cover passengers coming in by railway to Goa," Srivastava said.
Goa has reported 11 swine flu cases ever since the pandemic broke out a few months ago
According to an official of the State Swine Flu Control Room, Sanjay Mistry, a resident of Pimpri, near Pune, was admitted to the hospital last Sunday in a critical condition and put on a ventilator.
With this, the total number of swine flu casualty in Maharashtra has gone up to eight.
Currently, there are five critical patients in the Pune Sassoon Hospital and another two critical patients in a Mumbai hospital.
Two more people have died of swine flu in Gujarat and one each in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Kerala man is 11th swine flu victim
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (IANS) A 31-year-old man died here Tuesday as the swine flu toll in India rose to 11 in a matter of nine days.
Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m., Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi confirmed.
Lukose had come from A 31-year-old man died here Tuesday as the swine flu toll in India rose to 11 in a matter of nine days.
Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m., Kerala the US to Chennai and then to his home here. He was hospitalised five days ago and his condition worsened Monday, officials said.
This was the first case of swine flu death in Kerala, where 55 people have been confirmed positive, and nine of them are still in hospital.
Swine flu claims four lives, toll rises to 11
New Delhi/Mumbai/Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (IANS) India was gripped by a swine flu scare Tuesday and authorities stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the contagious virus that claimed four victims, taking the nationwide death toll to 11 in a matter of only nine days.
A worried Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urged the chief ministers to take urgent steps to tackle the H1N1 disease that was unknown to India till the first case was reported May 16.
On Tuesday, a record 119 people were tested positive, with the virus spreading to cities like Jammu, Osmanabad, Nagpur, Nasik and Manipal. Of the 1,079 positive cases in India, 589 have been discharged, health ministry officials said.
The latest swine flu victims were a 13-year-old girl in Pune, the worst hit city where five people have died, a 63-year-old woman in Mumbai, a seven-year-old girl in Vadodara, and a 31-year-old man in Thiruvananthapuram.
Azad, who has immersed himself in the war against swine flu, telephoned some chief ministers Monday night and some Tuesday morning to warn that complacency could lead to a disaster.
Officials said he discussed with them urgent measures needed to combat the spread of the virus that has affected 1,079 people in India.
He also met senior bureaucrats tasked to visit various state to help contain the spread of the virus that originated in Mexico and has sparked a global scare.
Even as Minister Azad held a high-level meeting in New Delhi, Shruti Gavde, who tested positive last Saturday, died in Pune's Sassoon Hospital, barely hours after pharmacist Sanjay Tilekar died there Monday night.
A student of A.D. High School in Pune, Shruti had been admitted to the hospital Sunday in critical condition.
In the Maharashtra capital Mumbai, Shahida Warsi died at a private hospital. "The deceased was from Thane and had been brought to Mumbai for treatment," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.
She had been brought to Mumbai's Noor Hospital in Byculla five days ago for treatment.
In Gujarat's Vadodara city, a girl died in a government hospital after being under ventilator for two days. She had been brought in for treatment Aug 7, said Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas.
"The girl had no history of how she contracted the virus," Vyas said.
This was the second death reported in Gujarat on account of the swine flu. The first victim was NRI Pravin Patel, who came from Atlanta in the US and died Sunday.
In the Kerala capital , Wilson Lukose died at a private hospital at around 9.30 p.m. He had come from the US to Chennai and then to his home in Thiruvanathapuram.
Pune tops the list of casualties with five deaths followed by Mumbai (two) and one each in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Vadodara and Thiruvanathapuram.
Of the 119 positive cases reported Tuesday, Pune, which has been declared the epidemic city, reported 62. It was followed by Mumbai where 24 new cases were recorded.
As more swine flu cases poured in, the Haj Committee advised the elderly, children and pregnant woman to avoid going for the Haj pilgrimage.
Hasan Ahmad, acting chairperson of the Haj Committee of India, said that pilgrims above the age of 65, those younger than 12 years and the pregnant should avoid the pilgrimage this year. Saudi Arabia has issued similar instructions.
In New Delhi, Azad underlined the guidelines to help private labs and hospitals carry out tests and treat suspected patients.
The government had earlier insisted that all patients have to be tested and treated only in state-run hospitals but the enormity of the crisis has forced a change of mind.
Swine flu cast a shadow over the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad, with the doubles coach of the Malaysian team showing symptoms of the viral disease.
Jeremy Gan has been quarantined at the Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital, and his samples have been sent for testing, organisers of the event said.
With swine flu spreading panic, face masks are flying off the shelf at pharmacy shops in the national capital. Chemists say they are not getting fresh supplies that are being diverted to Pune.
A 17-year-old footballer, S. Tongber, from Meghalaya Tuesday tested positive for H1N1 virus, marking the first swine flu case in the northeast.
Azad speaks with chief ministers, officials on swine flu
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday spoke to the chief ministers to gear up to tackle the growing swine flu menace that has claimed 10 lives and suggested various steps including involving private labs and hospitals.
The minister also met and briefed senior officials, who have been tasked to visit various states to help them contain the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Azad spoke to the chief ministers Monday night and also Tuesday morning, said health officials here.
"While appreciating the efforts being made by the state governments, he emphasized the need to step up the preparedness," according to a statement issued here.
According to a health official: "The health minister met and briefed joint secretaries and additional secretaries drawn from various departments.
"He advised them about capacity buildings in the states," the official told IANS.
These 35 senior bureaucrats will be meeting chief ministers too. These teams have been told to complete their visits before Aug 15.
"The health minister has also requested the chief ministers to meet these senior officials when they conduct the first meeting. This will help in fast-tracking all the decisions," the official said.
The decision to rope in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials to the various states was taken Monday when Azad held a meeting with Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar and senior health officials.
The central teams will be assisting the state government in identifying the private labs for tests and public and private hospitals for screening, diagnosis and treatment.
"It has been planned to involve central, state, local governmental establishments, medical colleges, institutes and private set-ups in this integrated strategy," the statement said.
The central teams will also discuss the training of the doctors and paramedical personnel and also highlight the importance of awareness campaigns.
Azad Monday had admitted that letters sent to the states about the swine flu pandemic had little impact and said the central government would send senior officials to help them tackle the spread of the disease.
Pune tops the list of casualties with five deaths so far followed two deaths in Mumbai and one each in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Vadodara.
There are 960 swine-flu infected cases, with 95 new cases reported Monday.
Private hospitals to help in swine flu testing: Shiela Dikshit
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) To tackle the growing number of people queuing up to test for swine flu, the Delhi government may soon allow testing for the Influenza A (H1N1) virus at private hospitals, Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said Tuesday.
So far, tests are being conducted only at 14 government institutions in Delhi.
"we don't want panic to be spread. We are working out a policy where we would involve private hospitals (for testing) in this. The government of India is doing whatever is possible to see that there is no scarcity of drugs or other requirements that can prevent this flu from spreading," Dikshit told a news channel here.
Over 250 people have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) in Delhi, of whom 178 have been discharged while 58 are undergoing treatment in designated hospitals.
Panic has spread among residents with the infectious disease claiming 10 lives across the country.
Face masks, especially the safer N95 masks, are flying off the racks at pharmacy shops but chemists say they are not getting fresh supplies as the stocks are being diverted to Pune, where the highest number of cases have been detected and five have already succumbed to swine flu.
The chief minister, however, said that despite the panic buying of face masks, there was "no scarcity".
Asked if there was a shortage of masks and the consequent black marketing of the product in Delhi as reported in the media, Dikshit said: "No I don't think so - so far we have had no scarcity. We are reviewing it all the time and our ministers, the health minister and secretary are doing it. In fact, I called myself last night and I was told there is no scarcity."
She held that quarantine was important in swine flu patients. "Finally, quarantine is very important - both at home and work places and other places."
Record 119 new swine flu cases in India Tuesday
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) India Tuesday reported 119 new cases of swine flu, highest so far for a single day, taking the total number of the infected people to 1,079. Three people - one in Gujarat and two in Maharashtra - succumbed to the infectious virus, taking to 10 the toll in the country, the health ministry said.
Among the new cases, Pune reported 62, Mumbai 24, Delhi 15, Manipal 2, Ahmedabad 1, Bangalore 4, Nagpur 3, Osmanabad 1, Nashik 1, Goa 1, Hyderabad 2, Thiruvananthapuram 2 and Jammu 1.
Of the 15 cases reported from Delhi, only one has a travel history. The 19-year-old man had returned from Manila via Hongkong.
Among Pune's new cases, one had returned from Saudi Arabia and the 61 others are indigenous cases.
Mumbai reported 24 cases during the day, two of whom have travelled from abroad. All other cases from Maharashtra are indigenous. All cases from Karnataka are from local contract.
While Ahmedabad reported one indigenous case, the patient in Goa had returned from Spain. Of the two cases in Hyderabad one patient has a travel history. The case in Jammu had returned from Mumbai and Pune. One of the two cases in Thiruvanathapuram has returned from Doha.
So far 5,000 people have been tested, of whom 1,079 are positive for influenza A(H1N1). Of the total cases, 589 have been discharged and 10 have died. The remainder of them are admitted to the identified health facilities.
81 new swine flu cases in Maharashtra, Thane civic schools shut
Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS) Maharashtra, which has witnessed seven of India's 10 swine flu deaths, Tuesday recorded 81 new cases, taking to 408 the total number of people infected in the state , while the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) ordered a five-day closure of all schools under it.
Among the new patients, 74 were in Pune, six in Panchgani and one in Mumbai, State Swine Flu Control Room head Pradip Awati said.
Of the people under treatment in various hospitals, six in Pune's Sassoon Hospital and two in Mumbai's Hiranandani Hospital are serious, he said.
"They are all on ventilators and we are constantly monitoring their condition," he added.
In the meantime, a whopping 35,000 people in Pune have been screened for H1N1 and another 4,500 in Mumbai as panicky citizens rushed to various screening centres opened in public and private hospitals.
Among the seven deaths in the state, five have been in Pune and two in Mumbai.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Sharvari Gokhale said Tuesday evening that the latest (second) victim in Mumbai, who passed away Monday morning, was suffering from pneumonia.
"After her death, the Noor Hospital sent her blood samples for check which were received today and were found positive for swine flu," Gokhale told media persons.
Shahida Abdul Aziz Warsi, a 63-year-old resident of Mumbra suburb of adjoining Thane district, passed away Monday, becoming the seventh victim of swine flu in the state.
Even as the Mumbai civic administration decided not to shut down educational institutions in the city, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) ordered a five-day closure of all schools under it, an official said.
While Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak said "the current situation does not warrant steps like Pune" to shut down schools and malls, the civic administration was taking a poll of people over this issue.
"After two days, all educational institutions are getting a three-day break. Moreover, there's no guarantee that swine flu will disappear after a few days just as it had come," Phatak said.
Phatak pointed that even many school principals who interacted with him expressed reservations on shutting educational institutions in the city.
But senior TMC official R.D. Kendre said the civic body's education department had issued orders to shut down civic schools - as opposed to private schools - in its jurisdiction till Sunday as a precautionary measure in view of the swine flu epidemic.
In Mumbai, some private schools, including the prestigious Cambridge School in Kandivli suburb, issued advisories to parents on the dos and don'ts, precautions in school and outside. It has also permitted students to wear masks to school if they want.
15 new suspected swine flu cases in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Aug 11 (IANS) At least 15 new suspected swine flu patients were reported in Chandigarh Tuesday, a health official said.
Seven cases were reported each in the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and at a government hospital in Sector 32. One case was reported at a Sector 16 hospital.
"Seven patients were admitted in hospitals whereas nine have been quarantined at their homes," the health official said.
"There is no need to panic and the situation is well under our control," the official added.
Two more swine flu cases in West Bengal, total reaches 12
Kolkata, Aug 11 (IANS) The number of swine flu patients in West Bengal rose to 12 with two more cases confirmed Tuesday.
"Two more people tested positive for swine flu today (Tuesday) at the designated Beliaghata Infectious Diseases (ID) hospital. Two other suspected swine flu patients took admission," the state government's nodal officer for swine flu Tapas Sen told IANS.
Six people - four confirmed and two suspects - are in the hospital now.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi arrived from Delhi along with a six-member team of medical experts and visited the airport and designated hospital for a first hand idea of the facilities for the detection and the treatment of the disease.
They first went to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and saw the screening infrastructure for the disease there. Trivedi gave some directives to the medical officers at the airport.
Later, the team went around the designated ward for the diseases at the ID hospital and interacted with the patients, their families and the doctors.
11 swine flu cases detected in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Aug 11 (IANS) Eleven people in Uttar Pradesh tested positive for swine flu virus Tuesday, taking the total figure of the infected people to 12 in the state.
Eight of these infected people belong to the family of the first swine flu case - five-year-old Hasan Rizvi, who returned from Britain a few days ago.
Hasan is the grandson of former Congress minister Ammar Rizvi.
Of the remaining three, there was an eight-year-old who returned from Singapore recently. The sample of an 18-year-old man from Allahabad has also tested positive, while the third person belongs to Faizabad.
"We had carried out tests of about 50 samples, out of which 11 turned out to be positive," said S. Dhole, professor and head of the department of microbiology at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here.
"But this should not be cause for any kind of panic as each of the detected cases was found carrying only primary infection, that is easily curable," he said.
Asked whether all the detected patients were put in isolation, he said, "Well, we have referred these cases to the district chief medical officer, who is supposed to provide the necessary treatment."
Chief Medical Officer A.K. Shukla said, "All the patients were being looked after well and the required drugs were made available also to those who had preferred to stay in their homes instead of getting admitted to hospitals."
"Fortunately, all the patients looked quite healthy. Even the five-year-old boy, who was the first one to be detected positive in Lucknow last week, looked healthy."
"There is no reason to panic as we are well equipped to deal with the menace," he said.
Nine suspected swine flu cases surface in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Aug 11 (IANS) Samples of nine people, suspected to be infected with swine flu, have been sent to Delhi for testing, health department officials said Tuesday.
The samples include those from two students studying in Pune and one studying in Delhi. The three had voluntarily came to the Hamidia Hospital here - the designated swine flu nodal centre - saying they were in contact with affected people. All the three have been advised to stay away from other people till the test reports are received.
Though not a single case of swine flu has been reported in the state so far, the government has announced health and medical education departments will now jointly work towards checking the disease. It has cancelled leaves of doctors working in health, medical education and gas relief departments.
An official release said a meeting chaired by state Health Secretary S.R. Mohanty decided to shortlist 16 private hospitals in six districts for swine flu treatment, and to open control rooms in medical colleges and offices of the chief medical officers, health officers and divisional joint directors.
It was also decided that samples of suspected swine flu patients be sent to Pune and New Delhi for testing, and the authorities concerned have been directed to send samples to the designated laboratories within 48 hours of collection.
Court to hear plea on swine flu
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday admitted a public interest petition charging the government with not having taken adequate measures to tackle swine flu in the capital.
Anjana Jain filed a petition through her counsel Sugreev Dubey accusing the government with not having proper measures for distribution of medicines and masks. She also demanded that masks be made available with local chemists so that its black-marketing can be curtailed.
Delhi has so far reported over 250 cases of swine flu.
"Auto and taxi drivers who are going to airports, railway stations and bus terminals are most vulnerable to the flu and the government should make sure that they wear the masks and take all precautionary measures," the petition states.
Jain also blamed the government for not having sufficient resources to tackle the flu spread.
The petition is likely to be heard Wednesday.
Goa to screen bus passengers from Pune
Panaji, Aug 11 (IANS) All buses from Pune will be screened for possible swine flu infected passengers at two border checkposts in Goa from Wednesday, a top official said.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sanjiv Srivastava at the state secretariat Tuesday evening.
"Goa receives some 7,000 inter-state buses everyday. The traffic from Pune is around 50 buses. Our health department teams stationed at the Patradevi and Mollem checkposts will be focusing on passengers coming into Goa from Pune using public transport," Srivastava told reporters.
Srivastava said while the screening would be limited to incoming public traffic from Pune initially, the idea was to cover all inbound vehicles coming into Goa in the near future.
"We are focusing on passengers coming in from high-risk areas presently," Srivastava said.
He said the health department's swine flu screening unit at Dabolim airport has been instructed to screen all passengers coming in by Maharashtra flights.
"We are in the process of working out a mechanism to cover passengers coming in by railway to Goa," Srivastava said.
Goa has reported 11 swine flu cases ever since the pandemic broke out a few months ago
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