| signs of the secondcoming of jesus christ | |||||||||||||||||||
| I. CHURCH | II. SOCIETY | ||||||||||||||||||
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SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST And when these things to come to pass? (Lk. 21:28). Jesus and the Scriptures warn us of many end-time incidents and developments foretelling the second coming of Christ. This booklet has been written to warn the reader about the truth and imminence of the Lord's return, to exhort the reader to run away from this fleeing world into the arms of Jesus in absolute surrender. For a quick work of preparation to be done in the individual. These signs have been broadly classified into 8 categories below: I CHURCH Introduction This chapter deals with the signs of the second coming with reference to the Church such as evangelisation, faith doctrines, social issues related to Christianity. What is presented here is not exhaustive. However it highlights the major happenings. Gospel is preached among all nations Bible Reference : Matthew - 24:14 Today, the gospel of the kingdom, preaching the Good News of salvation to mankind, has been taken to the uttermost part of the earth. Native churches, Missionaries, Christian social organisations and other Evangelical organisations are carrying the gospel to all parts of the world. Gospel is preached today through all available media - literature, radio. Television, Internet etc. so as to reach souls in areas like Saudi Arabian countries where preaching of the Gospel is prohibited. Evangelical groups are at work in the erstwhile communist countries of USSR and east European countries. Many African countries are turning to the Lord in these last days. Political unrest, poverty, famine, pestilences are forcing the people to be receptive to the gospel. In Congo, the political unrest has led many to become Christians. There are an estimated 7,50,000 Christians in Khinshasa, the capital. Some churches have more than 5,000 members and are trying to reach 70,000 remote villages where the message of Christ has not been preached. (Source : DAWN Friday Fax) There are about 25,000 evangelicals in Iran. The number of Iranian Christians worldwide with an evangelical background is about 50,000 (Source : Religion Today) Simple faith is the key to church growth in rural Cambodia. A lawyer who attended a church-planting course has helped 650 people to become Christians. (Source : Discipling a Whole Nation) In China where Christians faced untold persecution, is now opening its door to the gospel. The Gideons are passing out Bibles in schools around the world. Representatives of Gideons International, which has distributed almost 1 billion Bible in 100 years, are visiting schools in many countries. More than 1,000 high school students in Malawi mobbed a team of Gideons handing out Bibles in their school, the ministry said. (Religion Today) Thus the gospel is reaching all corners of the world with a population of 600 billion. Falling away from faith Bible Reference : II Thessalonians 2:3 ``Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.'' Episcopal Church bishops continue to ordain homosexuals as priests, despite protests from conservatives and the possibility of a schism in the church, said Frank Griswold, the denomination's presiding bishop? `I cannot imagine any diocese altering its present direction in the light of anything that has happened, either here or in Portugal,'' he said last week during a retreat for 135 members of the church's House of Bishops in Lake Arrowhead, Calif., news reports said. The bishops discussed the matter, but did not take an official stand. (Religion Today). Bishop wants Church to pray to God the Mother Nov. 4,1999 - The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Rev Richard Harries, is proposing that a prayer said in the middle of the Eucharist, refer to God as a ``mother'' who ``tenderly gathers her children''. The prayer will be considered by the church Synod, but may face opposition. (Source Times Newspapers, Ltd.) False Christs and False Prophets Bible Reference : Matthew 24:24 There are many false Christs and false prophets in the world today, deceiving many to follow them and ultimately end up in a disaster. Members of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments barricaded themselves inside a chapel, locked the doors from the inside, boarded and nailed windows shut, sang and chanted, then set gasoline on fire, news reports said. It is believed to be the world's second-biggest cult suicide after the 914 deaths at Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. The cult, with roots in Roman Catholicism, was led by former opposition politician Joseph Kibweteere, who was reported to have told his followers to sell their possessions and prepare to go to heaven (Source: News Unlimited.) Itinerant preacher woos Americans A wandering preacher, dressed in a white robe, and calling himself ``What's Your Name,'' is preaching in Hazelton, PA. Thousands are flocking to hear what he has to say. [He may or may not be false Christ - we don't know enough of the story yet - but this illustrates the willingness of people to follow an unusual charismatic leader] (Source BBC News Feb. 16, 2000) The Holy Land was overwhelmed with `Messiahs. As many as 40,000 cases of `Jerusalem Syndrome'' were estimated to be in Israel during the holidays this year. This is usually a short-lived condition which convinces thousand of tourists they are Jesus or another biblical figure. Some people, like Emest Moch from California continue to play their roles and even attract followers. Moch believes he is Elijah the Prophet. (Source : BBC) ``Virgin Mary Message' Drawing Thousands To Georgia On Oct. 13, 1998 about 100,000 people went to hear a ``final message'' from the Virgin Mary. It was the anniversary of the Fatima Vision, and Nancy Fowler, who claims to have been receiving messages from Mary for some time believes she will receive the last one today. (Source : Excite/Reuters) Police Thwart Doomsday Group Mass Suicide Jan. 8, 1998 - Details are sparce, but a group of 30 people which may be tied to the Solar Temple Cult were arrested by police in Spain before they could carry out plans for a mass suicide at the summit of Tenerife's Teide volcano. They believed they would be carried away by a spacecraft. God's Salvation Church, a cult similar to the Heaven's Gate group claim that one of the children in the group is a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. They believe that God will arrive in a spaceship. Persecution of Christians in several parts of the world. Bible Reference : Matthew 24:9 ``They shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my sake.'' It has been estimated that 1,60,000 Christians are martyred for their faith, every year. In more than 60 countries, Christians are harassed, abused, arrested, tortured, or executed specifically because of their faith 200,000,000 Christians throughout the world live in daily fear of secret police, vigilantes, or state repression and discrimination. Persecution of Christians around the world is escalating, as is religions strife among non-Christian religions. At the turn of the century, the Christian population of Turkey was 32%. Today it is only 2%. For months on end a religious war has been raging between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia which is one the strongest Muslim countries in the world. Just in the past few months, the Christian death toll has climbed, and 6,013,000 people have fled their homes. (MRC August 1999) The Muslim government of Sudan has killed more than 1.5 million Christians and animists. Villages have been looted and burned. In some villages all the Christian leaders have been crucified, and the women and children have been abducted, raped and sold into slavery. (The Australian / 3 July 1998) In Iran, Islamic extremists of the government have been killing Christian leaders. Many pastors have been imprisoned, tortured and killed for preaching the Gospel. Christians have been stripped naked and buried in snow until they froze to death. (MRC July 1998) In Pakistan certain laws have been introduced which are designed as a method for persecuting the Christians such as the ``blasphemy law'', which is being used to convict Christians of crimes they have never committed. (MRC July 1998) In Uzbekistan, Christian workers and leaders are living under difficult circumstances. They are facing questioning at the police station, militia presence during church services and other forms of harassment. (MRC July 1998) In Colombia, kidnapping, abduction, expulsions and increasing violence against Christians are becoming more frequent. (MRC July 1998). Members of Gronzy Baptist Church in Chechynia, the breakaway Islamic republic of Russia, are living in fear after the savage murder of their church leader, Alexander Kulakov, 65. His severed head was displayed at a local market. (MRC August 1999). There seems to be a calculated attempt to wipe out the Karen, Karenni and Shan tribes people of Burma, who are largely Christian. The entire Karenni population of 300,000 have been forcibly driven from their homes, which have been looted, and many burnt down. The villages have been land-mined. The civilian population is either re-located into prison camps or are hiding in the jungle. Some have fled to camps in Thailand. The reputation of the relocation camps is fast approaching that of Nazi concentration camps. Many are sick and dying, with little rice, and contaminated water. Sometimes they are given inedible food (sand mixed with rice). (MRC July 1998) Christians in many parts of India, Pakistan, Muslim countries of Africa are facing persecution. |
II SOCIETY Positive Signs ? Knowledge Explosion During the last few centuries mankind has witnessed a knowledge explosion. There has taken place myriad discoveries and inventions, leading to extensive and rapid development in all spheres of human activity and thus fulfilling the Biblical prophecy. The development that has taken place over these centuries can be understood from the following perspectives: The knowledge explosion & great increases in travel (Daniel 12:4) Airplanes (Isaiah 31:5) Horseless carriages or automobiles (Nahum 2:3,4). Industrial Age During the 1700?s and early 1800?s great changes took place in the lives and work of people in several parts of the world. These changes resulted from the development of industrialization. The industrial Revolution began in Great Britain during the 1700?s. It started spreading to other parts of Europe and to North America in the early 1800?s. By the mid-1800?s, industrialization had become widespread in western Europe and the northeastern United States. Nuclear Age Scientists knew nothing about nuclear energy until the early 1900?s though they knew that all matter consists of atoms. Scientists first released nuclear energy on a large scale at the University of Chicago in 1942, three years after World War II began. This achievement led to the development of the atomic bomb. The first atomic bomb was exploded in the desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. In August, United States planes dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The bombs largely destroyed both cities and helped end World War II. Space Age Space exploration is our human response to curiosity about the earth, the moon, the planets, the sun and other stars, and the galaxies. Manned and umanned space vehicles venture far beyond the boundaries of the earth to collect valuable information about the universe. Information Age In our generation science and knowledge have increased at a rate never imagined by our forefathers. The advent of small, inexpensive, and powerful microcomputers had caused nearly every field of science and technology to take quantum leaps forward. The ever-present, ever-improving personnel computer has become the primary tool of creativity. Practically everything that was once done by pencil and paper, drafting tools, and artistry is now being done faster, easier, and better with the help of the computer. Another aspect of what is often called cyberspace is the Internet. It is a high-speed data transmission system, now often called the information ``super highway'', linking the entire earth together. The world has truly become a ``global village.'' Future Possibilities/New Inventions The New age of Bio-technology We are now only a few years away from the most important breakthrough of all time - deciphering the human genome, the 100,000 gene encoded by 3 billion chemical pairs of our DNA. (Deoxyribonucleic acid). The next medical revolution promises great changes. Genetic engineering has the potential to conquer cancer, grow new blood vessels in the heart, block the growth of blood vessels in tumours, create new organs from stem cells, and perhaps reset the primeval genetic coding that causes cells to age. Already parents can select their children sex, and screen the baby in the womb for genetic illness. But one day they may be able to engineer ``designer babies'', selecting brains and beauties too. All types of genetic engineering will enable man to produce improved varieties of food - vegetable and animal, and so much more. New spy planes to be the size of insects The London Times reported: ``Microscopic planes, with cameras not much bigger than insects, are being developed by American scientists to spy on enemy positions in wars of the future. An extraordinary array of micro air vehicles (MAVs), all easily held in the palm of the hand, is emerging from experimental laboratories throughout the United States. Most are only six inches long. Although their size would limit their operational range, research is under way to design small rockets that could propel them long distances. Compared with the 103ft wingspan of manned American U2 spy planes that take photographs from an altitude of more than 70,000 ft, the MAVs will be tiny cousins. Smart Dust? Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley have developed extremely small ``motes'', self-contained electronic communication packages with their own batteries and solar cells. The prototypes are 5 mm in diameter. But in the future these devices will be small enough to float in the air like dust. They will be able to transmit kilobits of data per second via optical transcievers. They will be ideal for spying and for monitoring hazardous environments. (Source : New Scientist Aug 28, 1999) Negative Signs The knowledge explosion has no doubt contributed to improvement in health and quality of living, but there is a sinking into degeneracy and despair. There is a constant fear of violence that so many of us face every day. These include. Wars, massacres, genocide etc. Bible Reference : Matthew 24: 6,7 Since the dawn of history, there have been many kinds of wars. Families have fought against families, tribes against tribes, and followers of one religion against followers of another. In modern times, wars have been fought between nations or groups of nations. Most people hate war. Yet for hundred of years war has been going on somewhere in the world nearly all the time. The Nuclear Threat Russia's control over its vast nuclear arsenal is endangered by economic, political and military realities, according to senior U.S. intelligence official. The breakup of the Soviet Union, the opening of Russian society and its economic difficulties have subjected the security system to stresses and risks it was not designed to withstand. Nuclear weapons in Russia are stored in unsafe conditions and can be launched more easily or accidentally than similar U.S. weapons, say U.S. experts (Isa. 24:6, Jer. 50:32; Ezek. 38:19-20, Ezek 25:5,12, Isa. 29:5) (Van Impe Intelligence Briefing) Hatred, Violence and Terrorism Bible Reference : 19 Signs of II Timothy 3:1-5,; iniquity abounding (Matthew 24:12) These Scriptures describe a terrible increase in crime and immorality. They are an accurate picture of our times; with all its riots, prison overcrowding, drug and alcohol addiction, carjacking, drive-by shootings, follow-home robberies, home invasions, computer theft, cyber-porm and other ``creative crimes.?? As with the other signs, this problem of lawlessness is bad before The Tribulation but it will accelerate off the scale during those seven dreadful years because the Holy Spirit will no longer be acting as The Restrainer, and Antichrist will be revealed. Hatred amongst mankind based on religious, ethic and other social causes is increasing. It is stated that racial hate is spread via the Internet, especially in the United States. (Source BBC) Mafia Mafia is a secret criminal society in Sicily. Crime groups stemming from the original Sicilian Mafia operate in the United States and other countries. Mafia is also used as a general term for any underworld criminal organization. These Italian-American groups, also called crime families, became active in illegal practices which included gambling, loan sharking (lending money at unlawful rates of interest), and drug dealing. Authorities estimate that thousands of Mafia members and associates operate in the United States, particularly in New York City and Chicago. Today, the underground groups operate on international level, involving drug and human trafficking, professional killing etc. Terrorism Terrorism is the use of threat or violence to create fear and alarm. Terrorists murder and kidnap people, set off bombs, hijack airplanes, set fires, and commit other serious crimes. Most terrorists commit crimes to support political causes. Bio-terrorism Biological Terrorism: ``Just a Matter of Time?? In August, 1999 the international union of Microbiological Societies congress was held in Sydney. It included a symposium on bio-terrorism, and considered a bewildering range of microbes ? bacteria, viruses and fungi that might be used in weapons to spread diseases such as anthrax, cholera, smallpox, viral haemorrhagic fevers, plague etc. the weapons could be used to terrorize populations by poisoning water or food supplies; to disrupt major events like the Olympics; or to damage an economy by unleashing diseases. Ken Alibek, the former deputy chief of Soviet bio-weapons revealed in a chilling memoir ``Biohazard?? that as many as 60,000 scientists and technicians were involved in the clandestine industry in the Soviet Union. That programme was dismantled in 1992. But the fear is that there were suddenly a lot of un-employed scientists who could have been tempted to sell their skills and substances to rogue regimes. World Vulnerable to Biological Weapons According to D.A. Henderson, former world health organisation (WHO) scientist, anthrax and small-pox could be stolen from the poorly guarded Soviet Vector Base, the Russian complex that keeps eradicated viruses. These diseases could be developed into weapons which would be very effective because people are no longer vaccinated against them. (Source : Yahoo March 10, 1998) Biohazard bacteria stolen A deadly culture of Tuberculosis was stolen from a medical conference in San Francisco by someone who probably has no idea what he has taken. (Source : BBC News June 29, 1999) Six Diseases Threaten The World ? Another Doomsday Clock is Ticking, Ticking Eric Margolis writes about the growing threat, especially from Russia and China, of biochemical warfare. According to Ken Alibek, a former deputy director of the Soviet-era top-secret biowarfare program, who defected to the west, Russia never ended its offensive biological warfare research. Alibek claims Russia has stockpiled many hundreds of tons of anthrax and plague, as well as smaller quantities of smallpox, Ebola and Marburg virus, and toxins designed to attack plants and animals. Russia is also developing a new strain of invisible? biowarfare agents, known as `bioregulators,? that destroy the body?s immune or neurological systems. (BBC News June 20, 1999) Dangers of Genetic engineering Danger of tampering with DNA ? Human Cloning Professor Severino Antinori, a leading embryologist, who enabled a 62 year old woman to have a baby in 1994, intends to create a carbon copy of a living person. Antinori says that cloning technology would be used only on men unable to father children. Scientists are divided on the ethics of human cloning. A new form of cloning to provide every baby with an embryonic `twin? from which spare parts could be grown and life threatening diseases could be cured. (MRC March 1999) Man is obviously trying to delve into the areas of the Creator Himself. He will obviously be a loser in the end. For every breakthrough there is another threat ? another disease, another renegade virus, resurgent bacteria, more plagues, and a very hostile environment (filled with fear, despair, degeneracy, intolerance, genocide etc.) Unless man seeks the wisdom of God, his successes will always fall short. Man forgets the Creator (British Churches Face Worst Attendance Decline Ever) In London, and across Britain, new billboards read ``Religion is dead. God isn?t religious ? why should you be??? While 65 per cent of Britons call themselves Christians, only 8 per cent go to church. The good news is that the billboards have been sponsored by ``One Step Closer??, an evangelical campaign designed to encourage churches to become more interesting to the people. (Source : Maranatha Christian Journal) Corruption of human mind While pornography revenues soar, prosecutions decline in the war against smut. The pornography industry in the United States has taken off in the past six years, from $3.9 billion in 1993 to more than $8 billion of sexually explicit material sold in 1998. There are estimated to be over one million pornographic sites currently operating on the Internet, catering to every imaginable sexual proclivity and fetish. Producers of pornography are not deterred by existing laws because little is done to bring them to justice. (Source : Maranatha Journal Online) Suicide Man, having lost peace, takes recourse to end his own life by committing suicide. In Australia, figures released recently reveal that youth suicide rates have increased more than 50%. Youth counsellors have described the soaring rates as ``profoundly disturbing?? saying hope and meaning needed to be urgently restored to young Australians. The report is not really surprising when we consider the drug hell that so many of them have been drawn into. (MRC March 1999) | ||||||||||||||||||
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III EARTH Bible Reference : Matthew 24:7 We hear every day firsthand messages about the distress upon the earth such as earthquakes, environmental distress, natural disasters, erratic weather, viral retaliation, and genetic reaction. The entire planet now seems to be on a rampage. It appears as though the geological environmental has joined hands with biological underworld to wreak havoc on mankind. The earth?s problems are galore: Earthquakes On average, a powerful earthquake occurs less than once every two years. At least 40 moderate earthquakes cause damage somewhere in the world each year. About 40,000 to 50,000 small earthquakes - large enough to be felt but not damaging - occur annually. ``Earthquakes are indeed on the increase?? ? (Prophecy in the News) There have been about sixty major earthquakes (more than 7.0 Richter Scale) in the 20th century. In 1999 alone there have been major earthquakes in Colombia, India, Turkey and Greece. Causing terrible havoc and untold suffering for the people. Volcanic eruptions Volcanoes are among the most destructive natural forces on the earth. Since the 1400?s they have killed almost 200,000 people. Mount Usu, the snow-covered volcano on the Japanese island of Hokkaido erupted as predicted, forcing the evacuation of 18,000 people (Source: BBC Mar, 31, 2000). Hibshi Mountain in Southern Yemen erupted Thursday (Mar. 16), ``spewing rocks from cracks in its side and sending residents in the city of Taiz fleeing from their homes.?? (Source: Discovery Mar 17, 2000). In Bezymianny, Kamchatka, Russia eruptions and continuous volcanic tremor was recorded on both days (Mar. 13 and Mar. 15, 2000). On Mar. 13 the ash cloud had rose to an estimated 18,000 to 22,000 feet. In White Island, New Zealand a fresh eruption of minor ash from this active volcano signals the possibility of a larger scale eruption. The alert level remains at Alert Level 1. Moderate convection was present in the crater lake, although there was no discoloration of the lake. Light grey slicks were present on the lake surface. Scientists fear overdue eruption from `super-volcano? which could freeze earth Geologists say there is a real risk that sooner or later a super-volcano will erupt with devastating force, sending temperatures plunging on a hemispheric or even global scale. Professor Bill McGuire, of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at University College, London, told BBC News Online: `We?re getting ready for another eruption, unless the system has blown itself out?, `But the ground surface deformation and other signs measured by satellite suggest it?s still active, and on the move,? `When a super-volcano goes off, it is an order of magnitude greater than a normal eruption. It produces energy equivalent to an impact with a comet or an asteroid. You can try diverting an asteroid. But there is nothing at all you can do about a super-volcano. The eruption throws cubic kilometers of rock, ash, dust, sulphur dioxide and so on into the upper atmosphere, where they reflect incoming solar radiation, forcing down temperatures on the Earth?s surface. It?s just like a nuclear winter?.. ?? (Isa. 45:17; Eph. 3:21). (Van Impe Intelligence Briefing). Other Natural Calamities (Famine, Drought, Water Crisis, Floods, Hurricanes) Famine is usually the result of changes in weather patterns or of war. Both of these are characteristic of our times. For most of our generation there have been great numbers of deaths, especially of the young because of famine. At times this problem reaches staggering proportions: 40,000 babies starve to death every day. (Time, 1/2/89. P.66) Emerging Water Shortages Threaten Food Supplies, Regional Peace A new book from the Worldwatch Institute shows that spreading water shortages threaten to reduce the global food supply by more than 10 per cent. Left un-addressed, these shortages could lead to hunger, civil unrest, and even wars over water. Today, irrigation problems are widespread in the grain-growing regions of central and northern China, northwest and southern India, parts of Pakistan, much of the western United States, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula. Killer heat waves, disastrous droughts, horrendous hurricanes, a global water crisis First it was this summer?s killer heat wave that swept through American?s heartland like the grim reaper. Before you could say ``106 degree Fahrenheit,?? more than 450 people were dead in Chicago?s Cook Country alone. ``This is an act of God, a disaster akin to a hurricane or flood,?? exclaimed Medical Examiner Edmund R. Donoghue. The combination of heat, humidity and a sky without cloud cover was unprecedented, the experts say. But deaths due to extreme heat weren?t isolated in Chicago. Milwaukee had a proportional death surge during the heat wave. And, overall, some 700 deaths were attributed to high temperatures throughout the U.S. in 1995. ``We are warning the world that there is a huge problem looming out there,?? explains Ismail Serageldin, a bank vice president. ``Unless current trends are reversed, we will have a worsening water crisis around the planet.?? Acid rain The acids in acid rain move through the air and water and harm the environment over large areas. Acid rain has killed entire fish populations in a number of lakes. It also damages buildings bridges, and statues. Scientists believe high concentrations of acid rain can harm forests and soil. Regions affected by acid rain include large parts of eastern North American, Scandinavia, and central Europe. Acid rains are caused by the high level of pollutants in the atmosphere, bringing down the pH value of the water in the rain, causing it to become acidic. Ozone Depletion Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons. (CFC?s) are pollutants that destroy the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. CFC?s are used in refrigerators and air conditioners and to make plastic foam insulation. Ozone, the same gas that is a harmful pollutant in smog, forms a protective layer in the upper atmosphere. It shields the earth?s surface from more than 95 per cent of the sun?s ultraviolet radiation. As CFC?s thin the ozone layer, more ultraviolet radiation reaches the surface of the earth. Overexposure to such radiation damages plants and greatly increases people?s risk of skin cancer. Global Warming Fuel burning and other human activities are increasing the amount of greenhouse gases (CFCs, Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc.) in the atmosphere. Many scientists believe such an increase is intensifying the greenhouse effect and raising temperatures worldwide. This increase in temperature, called global warming, may cause many problems. A strong greenhouse effect could melt glaciers and polar icecaps, flooding coastal areas. It could also shift rainfall patterns, creating more droughts and severe tropical storms. (World Bank ? Encyclopedia). Pollution Soil Soil pollution is the destruction of the earth?s thin layer of healthy, productive soil, where much of our food is grown. Without fertile soil, farmers could not grow enough food to support the world?s people. Solid waste Solid waste is probably the most visible form of pollution. Every year, people dispose of billions of tons of solid garbage. Industrial wastes account for the majority of the discarded material. The uncontrolled burning of solid waste creates smoke and other air pollution. Even burning waste in incinerators can release toxic chemicals, ash, and harmful metals into the air. Hazardous waste Sources of hazardous waste include industries, hospitals, and laboratories. Such waste can cause immediate injury when people breathe, swallow, or touch it. When buried in the ground or left in open dumps, some hazardous waste can pollute ground water and contaminate food crops. Radioactive waste Radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactors and weapons factories pose a potentially serious environmental problem. Some of this waste will remain radioactive for thousands of years. The safe storage of radioactive waste is both difficult and expensive. Pesticides Pesticides can travel great distances through the environment. For example, when pesticides are present in a stream, small fish and other organisms can absorb them. Larger fish who eat these contaminated organisms build up even larger amounts of pesticides in their flesh. Heavy metals Heavy metals include mercury and lead. Also, like pesticides, they can collect in the bones and other tissues of animals. In human beings, heavy metals can damage various internal organs, bones, and the nervous system. Many can also cause cancer. Plagues and Pestilences Plagues The twentieth century has seen extraordinary progress in the fight against infectious diseases, with such notable advances as the eradication of small-pox and the discovery of pencillin. But the battle is never over. Today, new threats, such as HIV/AIDS, are emerging, and old enemies like tuberculosis, cholera, and pneumonia are reappearing, in part because of the evolution of drug-resistant microbes, changes in climate and environment, and explosive population growth. And because of today's rapid transport of people and goods, no place on earth is invulnerable to infectious disease, as the HIV/AIDS pandemic has so tragically proved. Emerging Infectious Diseases Emerging infectious diseases are those that have appeared in a population within the past two decades or threaten to increase in the near future. ``New'' infectious diseases can emerge from genetic changes in existing organisms and appear suddenly in new populations. At least 30 new disease agents have been identified over the past two decades, and new agents are being added with disquieting regularity. [e.g. Lyme disease; Legionnaire's disease, Hepatitis C; AIDS]. Once thought to the on the verge of being eliminated as a public health problem, infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Of the nearly 52 million deaths in the world each year, infectious diseases account for more than 17 million - or one in three. Infectious diseases are also the leading cause of death among children. (World Health Organisation) AIDS - The World's Number One killer Infection AIDS causes more deaths than any other infectious diseases, says a United Nations report. And the epidemic, which is beginning to rival the Black Death which killed 25 million people in the 14th century Europe - is still nowhere near reaching its peak. Population growth in some African countries, booming only a few years ago, will soon cease as death rates from the disease soar. In some countries a quarter of the people are HIV positive, and these increasingly include middle-class professionals - the doctors, teachers, engineers and administrators trying to raise the countries' living standards. 33 million carry AIDS virus The AIDS virus is still spreading even though there are powerful new drugs available. There are now 33.6 million HIV positive people including 1.2 children. In 1999 alone, 5.6 million will become infected with HIV. (Source : news. com.au Nov. 23, 1999) Global cancer `epidemic' expected Agence France-Presse reported: ``Health specialists sounded the alarm ? over rising rates of cancer, declaring the disease to be a looming global epidemic that should be named as a prime target for politicians, social workers and scientists. `The world community (should) focus its attention not only on infectious diseases but to address what is going to be the biggest epidemic we have seen of our time-the coming epidemic of cancer and other non-communicable diseases,' said Derek Yach, project manager of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Free Initiative. World Health Organization: TB Out Of control Health officials sounded the alarm that 1 billion may become infected by TB and 70 million die during the next two decades. The major problem is in poor countries with inadequate treatment, but there is also the threat of drug-resistant strains that have developed, for which there is no cure. (Source : MSNBC Mar. 19, 1998) Bleeding virus hits Congo An Ebola-like virus has already claimed the lives of 63 people in the Congo, and is moving towards, Suddan. This disease may or may not be like the Ebola virus, which was first identified in 1976. A epidemic in the Congolese city of Kikwit in 1995 caused at least 245 deaths. (Source BBC News May 4, 1999) Superbug kills three more Four deaths in Hong Kong have been attributed to a bacteria which has developed a resistance to the most powerful drugs, and is therefore unstoppable. The strain of bacteria is called vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA). (Source : South China Morning Post Nov. 4, 1999) Drug-resistant diarrhoea The use of antibiotic drugs in chickens and cattle appear to be a major reason for the emergence of two kinds of drug-resistant diarrhoea in humans according to Washington reports. Studies from Washington State and California link outbreaks of multidrug-resistant salmonella infection to unpasteurised milk, and indirectly to antibiotic use in diary cattle. The problem is not limited to the United States. It is obviously a worldwide problem. (MRC September, 1999) Virus sparks swine massacre In March, 1999, Malaysian troops, wearing hoods, gloves and surgical masks, began shooting more than 300,000 pigs in an attempt to stop the spread of Nipah, a pig-borne virus which was the major cause of 101 encephalitis deaths in Malaysia. The operation was mounted in response to an outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis which is latent in infected pigs and spread to man by mosquitoes. (MRC September, 1999) Pestilences In spite of our medical and biotech advances, there is increasingly a ``bug's world''. Viruses, bacteria and germs are fighting back. And our weapons are often missing the mark. And in these last times, we see new threats from beetles and bugs, from ants and bees, locusts, grasshoppers, grubs, caterpillars, hornets, snakes, from rats to rodents, from other assorted pests, and even from fungus. Here are a few examples :- Lethal Bug A so-called ``flesh-eating bug'' which has struck up to 40 Victorians has afflicted at least 8 north Queenslanders over the past year. Mycobacterium ulcerans, a leprosy-related bacterium capable of painlessly spreading into bone, has been a continuing mystery in the Mossman district. (MRC March, 1999) Mouse Plague Grain growers on the Darling Downs (Australia) are preparing for yet another possible mouse plague this summer. The Chairman of the farms Business Conservation Committee said signs were there for potentially high mouse numbers in sorgum, maize and sunflower crops. (MRC March, 1999) Whitefly ? New pest threat A new exotic pest threatening North Queensland?s 250 million horticultural industry was under control but would never be eliminated. The outbreak of spiralling whitefly was first located in Cairns (Australia) by home gardeners who found their prize rose bushes starting to wilt. ``The spiralling whitefly could still move into commercial fruit and vegetable crops. (MRC March, 1999). | |||||||||||||||||||
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