Introduction:
Climate change is a consequential effect of humanity’s expansion. It can kill off entire species of plants, and animals, and create uninhabitable regions on Earth. The ever-growing effect of climate change can be reduced though, and even reversed over time, but serious improvements must be made to the way people live and the impact they make on the environment. Along with the damage climate change brings to Earth’s ecosystems and the environment itself, climate change also totes a serious impact that is sure to cause action from people. This trump card is about the health effects that climate change can bring to humans, including respiratory illnesses, diseases, and famine, which can affect everyone on Earth.
Increasing the awareness of climate change, what it is, how it affects humans and other life, and how it can be prevented is an important step in eliminating or subduing climate change. In order to garner the support of the masses, political icons, or big corporations, information is needed to be given about how this crisis can affect themselves or the people around them. Once this is known, and supporting evidence is found, then action will be taken to reduce the influence of climate change across the globe.
Body Section-
Main point 1: What is climate change?
To begin talking about the biological and physical effects that climate change has on humans, understanding climate change is necessary. Climate change is caused by the release of greenhouse gases or other pollutants into the atmosphere. “[Greenhouse gasses] mix with the gasses in Earth’s atmosphere and stop the heat from the sun bouncing back into outer space (Brundle 2017).” When there are few pollutants and greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, heat from the Earth is able to escape out through the atmosphere and into space, but with other pollutants present, it becomes more difficult for heat to escape. This is when climate change occurs. As the heat continues to become trapped inside Earth’s atmosphere, events like a global temperature increase, which causes sea levels to rise (as a result of polar ice caps melting), and increased winds can occur. The wind is affected by climate change because as temperatures increase, the air pressure is lowered, and air with higher pressures “push air towards low pressure (US Department of Commerce 2019).” The phenomena caused by climate change are major factors in how climate change can affect the health of humans, and also how the health of everyone on Earth can be affected.
Main point 2: Respiratory illnesses
Respiratory illnesses from climate change mostly stem from increases in air pollutants like ground-level ozone, which “…is related to increasing emissions of methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides produced by transportation-related activities (Barnes 2013).” Since an increase in transportation methods is linked to higher levels of pollutants, larger cities are more susceptible to climate-change-related respiratory illnesses. Transportation isn’t the only major provider of pollutants though, non-renewable forms of energy like coal and fossil fuels emit massive amounts of pollutants into the air when burned, as well as large-scale wildfires, which can release massive amounts of pollutants into the air, while also destroying forests at the same time, which help filter and clean the air we breathe. It isn’t surprising when we see cities in China or India that have the worst air quality in the world, all mainly coming from vehicle emissions, fossil fuel burning, large factories, and burning of items like tires, electronics, and plastics, all while the population is densely packed.
Asthma is a very common respiratory issue, that will only continue to increase as climate change continues. Respiratory issues, like asthma, are commonly caused by climate change and pollution because the polluted air that we breathe in can affect and even damage our lungs over time. It is on the same basis as how smoking damages our lungs, except not on such a harsh level that smoking has. As we inhale air, toxins and pollutants are also pulled into the lungs as well, except they can’t be noticed due to there being very small amounts of pollutants in the air. This small amount is still enough to cause issues like asthma though. When discussing respiratory illnesses like asthma, it is common to find that many instances of these ailments are diagnosed in children, due to “…their increased minute ventilation [of the lungs] compared to adults (Sheffield 2011).” The way in which climate change increases asthma rates is stated in the paragraph before, where pollutants like ground-level ozone or carbon monoxide become trapped in the atmosphere. This then traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, causing climate change. Climate change can increase temperatures worldwide and increase wind by creating areas of low pressure as the air heats up, then air with higher pressure will “push air towards low pressure (US Department of Commerce 2019).” This is a basic description of wind, and as pollutants linger around in the atmosphere, they can be blown by winds into populated areas and cities, putting people at risk of developing asthma, especially children.
Directly correlating the respiratory issues that come with climate change on greenhouse gasses like carbon monoxide or ozone is not entirely factual. While these emissions and gasses do cause many cases of respiratory-based issues like asthma, there are other factors, pollen, and allergens. Climate change can affect the amounts of pollen in the air by “increase[ing] plant growth… increase[ing] amount of pollen produced… (D’Amato 2017)” and also “longer pollen seasons (D’Amato 2017).” This is mainly due to climate change increasing temperatures around the globe, and as temperatures increase during the seasons, plants can begin to produce pollen much earlier into the year. Adding on to the previous paragraphs on how the wind is affected by climate change, more pollen can be transported through the air as pollen levels and winds increase. Increased amounts of pollen that people breathe in “…have been shown to have an inflammatory effect on the airways of susceptible subjects… (D’Amato 2017).” For those who are allergic or slightly allergic to pollen(s), this could eventually lead to symptoms that are similar to asthma, where breathing becomes difficult. Despite the many pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere, whether by vehicle emissions, forest fires, or fossil fuel burning, there can be instances where your respiratory issues may be coming from nonother than the flora.
With climate change increasing, respiratory issues caused by climate change will be a common affliction among the population of the Earth eventually. It will be seen as the norm for people to have a respiratory illness like asthma. The greenhouse gasses and ground-level ozone, when exposed long-term, may stem into something way worse in the future, like lung cancer. This will occur unless a major change happens. Policymakers, government officials, and big corporations will need to band together to put limits on the number of pollutants that are being emitted into the atmosphere. Things like widespread renewable energy, clean-powered transportation, and the elimination of non-biodegradable items like plastics and tires will need to be put in place to help halt the ever-growing influence that climate change has on the globe. Many cities must go through a reform to add renewable-energy options to their power grid, and to limit the amount of pollutants things like factories or vehicles can emit, in order to control climate change and possibly reverse the effects it has had on the Earth.
Main point 3: Disease
The spread and transmission of diseases have a significant correlation to climate change and the effects that climate change has on the Earth. “[The atlas] provides sound scientific information on the connections between… climate and major health challenges (Miller 2013).” Cholera is a disease that works in relation to climate change in order to affect the health of many people living in poverty and third-world countries. The disease can be spread by climate change by “water contamination from flooding (Cooney 2011).” With sea levels rising yearly due to ice around the world melting, floods can severely damage a city’s infrastructure and resource supplies. Flood waters can pick up cholera-causing bacteria and soil food and water supplies. Desperate for something to drink or eat, the people affected by the flooding could eat or drink the contaminated water, infecting them with cholera or other diseases. Cholera caused by climate change is something that affects third world countries the most, due to limited or even no infrastructure, as well as poor or unavailable treatment options.
A very deadly and easily transmittable disease is West Nile Virus, which has been shown to become increasingly active as the climate has changed. West Nile Virus, after being introduced to the United States, “…spread rapidly upon its 1999 emergence in the United States… (Cooney 2011).” The reasons for the rapid spreading of West Nile Virus could be linked to the healthcare system being unprepared for an outbreak of this disease. Since it is originally rare in the U.S., for it to become incredibly active in a short period of time took the U.S. by surprise. Vaccinations for the virus were not regularly available most likely, due to its rareness, so the spread of it could be unprepared for. The introduction of this virus widespread to the U.S. has led to, “In 2010… 1,021 human disease cases and 57 deaths (Cooney 2011).” This number is most definitely much larger when talking about third-world countries, as proper healthcare and treatment options may not be available for most of the population. When looking at why and how this virus became so widespread in a region as uncommon as the United States, it was observed that “The virus has been shown to develop more rapidly during hot weather… (Cooney 2011).” This helps prove that climate change was a likely cause of the spread of the West Nile Virus. Due to increased temperatures, the virus can become more active and thrive.
With the introduction of new diseases to certain regions and increased rates of contraction of diseases due to climate change, it is possible that many people will lose their lives to climate-change-induced diseases. If a region is introduced to disease, due to climate change, that is not normally prevalent in said region, then it will be likely that the people in this region are not properly vaccinated, nor are the hospitals or the government prepared to give aid to a possibly large number of outbreaks from a disease. It was not expected that a specific disease would be in a certain area, so a means of stopping or preventing the disease, like vaccinations or other methods, would not have been put into place. Many cities, states, and countries across the world will need to change their means of healthcare in order to vaccinate and give aid to the people affected by a disease that is new to their region. An outbreak of a disease that hospitals aren’t prepared for could cause panic in people that need to be treated. This could lead to rioting or anarchy, which would just make the situation worse for the region that is newly affected. Overall, the introduction of diseases that are new to an area, or causing rare diseases to become more prevalent, can greatly impact society, especially those in third-world countries or areas with poor infrastructure and/or healthcare systems.
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Main point 4: Famine
The way that famines can be an effect of climate change is very similar to ways stated previously on how respiratory illnesses or diseases spread around the globe. Famines, where usually in third-world countries, are usually caused by “…floods and droughts… every year, and their frequency is expected to increase (Balasubramanian 2018).” These floods and droughts are related to the effects of climate change and rising global temperatures. Higher temperatures can melt ice and raise sea levels, which can flood and destroy croplands, or the increase in temperatures can create a drought, killing off many of the crops. This expected increase in crop-destroying natural disasters will cause great problems, especially with an estimated population of between “8.1 billion and 10.6 billion by 2050 (Godber 2014).” To support this massive global population, “food production will need to increase by 70% (Godber 2014).” It is also very likely that crops that are used to feed livestock may also be destroyed by droughts or floods. With no food or grain to keep the livestock of society alive, many of these animals will not be able to survive on farms, as there will not be enough food for them to survive. This would also lead to a famine, as there are no crops due to them being destroyed, and there would be no meat, which would need some of those crops to survive. Ultimately, these two instances could cut the food supply off from many third-world societies, or even possibly first-world societies, causing widespread famine and death.
Famine is a serious consequence/result of climate change. Compared to the other health effects stated previously like respiratory illnesses and diseases, a widespread famine can affect and be the main cause of death for many people. A famine could potentially be much more detrimental to the health of a society than something like diseases or respiratory illnesses. This is because most fatal diseases can be prevented from things like vaccination and maintaining hygiene. Diseases can be much more deadly if a society doesn’t have access to clean drinking water or a sewage system, but when discussing a famine, an entire society can be crippled or wiped out by one. Examples of how famine can wipe out a large portion of a population can be seen in the Irish Potato Famine, where over the period of the famine, “…about a million people in Ireland are reliably estimated to have died of starvation and epidemic disease… (Donnelly 2011).” Famine can also be tied to disease as well. If a famine occurs, then people can become malnourished, making them more susceptible to diseases due to the fact that they are lacking proper nutrition, and their immune systems are weakened due to poor nutrition. Another example of how famine and disease are related is as food becomes scarce, people may turn to other means of obtaining food for themselves, whether it be hunting or gathering plants to eat. This could lead to disease because the food that they gather may also transmit diseases if not handled properly.
Main Point 5: How can this be prevented?
If the impacts that climate change has on the health of humans, then there are two main ways to solve this issue. The first way could be through means of ultimately curing people as they are affected by things such as respiratory illnesses and disease. A reliable source of food will also need to be found if we wish to prevent famines in the future as well. The second main way to solve this problem is to kill two birds with one stone. Targeting the source of the health impacts will ultimately end their effect on human health.
If it would be illogical to fight wildfires instead of stopping the source of the wildfires, say a downed powerline, then it would be illogical to treat humans as if their health is affected by climate change instead of targeting and eradicating climate change. As stated previously, the main way to prevent climate change is to gain help from policymakers, government officials, and big corporations. This will create the greatest impact, as these three groups will provide the most impactful changes to our ways of living in order to suppress climate change and hopefully reverse its effects of it. If gaining the help of the three previously stated groups is not possible, then non-profit organizations and fundraisers can bring great help in the fight to eradicate climate change. A more recent organization helping to prevent climate change is teamtrees.org, which is a fundraiser that has been promoted recently by many YouTubers. The fundraiser is where every dollar donated is equal to one tree being planted. Stopping climate change from advancing any further would be a difficult task at hand and would require the collaboration of many governments and corporations, but it can be done.
Reason for Climate Change
Climate change is primarily caused by the excessive accumulation of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, in the Earth's atmosphere. This buildup occurs mainly due to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels for energy production, deforestation, and industrial processes. These greenhouse gases trap heat from the sun and contribute to the warming of the planet, leading to a wide range of adverse effects, such as rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, and more frequent extreme weather events.
When Did it Start?
The recognition of climate change dates back to the late 19th century when scientists first hypothesized about the potential impact of increased CO2 emissions. However, it wasn't until the mid-20th century that extensive research and evidence began to emerge, highlighting the correlation between human activities and global temperature rise. Since then, the issue has gained significant attention, leading to international cooperation and the establishment of frameworks like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
How to Prevent Climate Change?
Preventing climate change requires a collective effort on both individual and global scales. Governments, businesses, and individuals all play a crucial role in implementing effective preventive measures. Some key strategies include:
- Transition to renewable energy: Shifting away from fossil fuels and embracing renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Sustainable land use and conservation: Protecting and restoring forests, promoting sustainable agriculture, and preserving natural habitats contribute to carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation.
- Energy efficiency and conservation: Encouraging energy-efficient practices in industries, transportation, and households helps reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels.
- International cooperation: Collaborative efforts among nations to develop and enforce policies, agreements like the Paris Agreement, and sharing technological advancements are vital in combating climate change on a global scale.
What will be Future?
The future of climate change largely depends on the actions we take today. Failure to address this challenge could result in catastrophic consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, water scarcity, and the displacement of communities. However, by embracing sustainable practices and adopting innovative technologies, we have the potential to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and build a more resilient and sustainable future.
Conclusion:
Climate change can cause a myriad of adverse effects on the health of humans. The main three groups of effects are respiratory illnesses, diseases, and famine. The harmful pollutants that our cars, factories, and wildfires emit can enter our airways and damage our lungs, potentially causing lung cancer if exposed long-term. Higher global temperatures can cause flooding and more favorable conditions for diseases which help them spread and increase their effectiveness. Crops around the world die because the region they are grown in can no longer support the crops due to increases in temperatures or floods. It is important to acknowledge that these negative effects on our bodies and the Earth can be prevented, but great care needs to be taken for that to begin.
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