Reel Bites

Thomas Mather , URI Dept. Plant Sciences.

Dr. Thomas Mather, Professor of Plant Sciences, discusses the debate about the impact of global warming on vector-borne disease epidemics and outbreaks. For more on tick-borne disease prevention, go to www.tickencounter.org. While diseases transmitted by bloodsucking mosquitoes and ticks are more likely to be affected by climate than most other diseases, much more knowledge is needed before concluding that global warming will spawn catastrophic outbreaks and epidemics. Rigorous analysis is required to sort out coincidence from causality. The example of increasing rates of viral tick-borne encephalitis in Europe over the last 12 years being related more to demographic changes than rising temperature serves to emphasize the need for more studies to assess the possible relationship between global warming and vector-borne disease rates. (Read more at http://www.yale.edu/yibs/research/CEE.html)

All clips were filmed, directed, edited by Mary Healey Jamiel, Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island, serving jointly in Film Media and Communication Studies.

****Peter Paton

****Candace Oviatt

****Rainer Lohmann

****Isaac Ginis

****Art Gold

****Tom Mather

****Kate Moran

****Michael Pilson

****Rebecca Robinson

****Scott Nixon