It has already been noted that countries that suffer from malarial disorders are only about one-fifth as economically productive as countries where the disease is unknown.  This is largely due to the way the disease leaves adults ill and in constant pain.  Though it accounts for about three million deaths each year, most of these are in the poorest parts of Africa and among often malnourished children.  For the most  part, the disease causes what sociologists call “morbidity” rather than “mortality.”

This is due to the feedback effect that has already been observed in several places in the world.  One prime example are the “drunken forests” of Siberia.  Though the permafrost that these spruce trees grow upon is always in a state of flux, the rate of melting has increased dramatically in recent years, causing a great deal of damage in areas where people have built upon the permafrost.

More importantly, there’s a great deal of methane trapped in that permafrost, as it melts, this gas that’s known to be 45 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is released into the atmosphere, making it melt even faster.