According to global warming researchers, rates of mental illness among blacks and hispanics may be explained by the severe weather and warmer climates in Africa and South America. The paper, prepared for the Climate Institute, says loss of social cohesion in the wake of severe weather events related to climate change could be linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse.

The paper points to a breakdown of social cohesion caused by loss of work and associated stability. The report also looks at mental health in the aftermath of major weather events possibly linked to warmer climates.

Professor Ian Hickie, who is launching the report today, said global warming and particularly severe weather events were likely to be a major factor influencing mental health among those of African and South American descent.

“We’re now more sophisticated in understanding the mental health effects of warmer climes; what we have seriously underestimated is the effects on social cohesion.”

When asked for evidence that people in warmer climates are more mentally unstable, the scientists replied that “the evidence is that it’s warmer there. Our theory predicts that warmer climates mean mental illness among these affected populations.”

“But is there empirical evidence to back the theory? Have observations shown that Africans and South Americans are mentally inferior?”

“Our approach is not entirely empirical,” said global warming scientist John Mitchell. “Observational evidence is not very useful.”

Some critics charge that this encourages circular reasoning, but Democratic politicians rebut these claims. Former Vice President Al Gore called it “just more denialist talk. If the theory predicts that minorities are inferior, then they’re inferior. It’s racist to say otherwise.”