I found this reading to be very interesting. I have never thought about how climate change affects humans, other than in the very simple explanations. I have always wondered why death tolls from water related natural disasters (i.e hurricanes, floods, etc) are so high. I had always assumed those numbers merely reflected the number of deaths from drownings, debris, and other immediate causes. When I read about how many people die from waterborne illnesses after a natural disaster, I was astonished. Additionally, it was interesting to learn how much of an effect air pollution has on health. I never realized how many things contribute to air pollution, much less how many deaths result from that. I have Asthma, and looking back on it, I have had more asthma attacks when I am in big cities than when I’m in small towns. The idea that air and water can both contain so many microscopic organisms that can kill you is dumbfounding. I have often wondered if the effects of global warming could ever truly be reversed. I wonder also, if humans would even be willing to take that step forward if it means cutting down on certain luxuries such as cars, plastics, planes, etc.
The model shown at the beginning of the article showed the effects of climate change in a very surprising way (George Luber, Climate and Health Program, Centers for Disease Control). Again, I have always thought of climate change in a very simple blanket term, such as its effects on sea levels, crops, fires, etc. I was surprised to see how many effects climate change has on health. I never realized how many illnesses were aggravated by heat, cold, or air pollution. I had also never thought about the political impact of climate change in regards to migration and global conflict. Thinking about the conflicts between the U.S, Mexico, Guatemala, and other southern developing countries, the relationship between heat and political strife becomes clear. Certain areas in these countries have hotter climates, less access to clean water, and limited access to safe sanitation. Due to this, they likely have a higher prevalence of illnesses, less able bodied citizens for the workforce, and more strain on the economy, which leads to more conflict between citizens and government, and thus an increase in migration and immigration. I showed my friend the model, and she was just as surprised as I was. There are so many things that can be caused by climate change, yet everyone turns a blind eye because no one wants to face the music.
I have seen many people, whether they are acquaintances, politicians, or anything in between, deny that climate change is real. This has always baffled me. Why would you deny the truth of something that is simply fact? The only conclusion I’ve been able to come to has been that people simply do not like to face the fact that something is wrong. Especially when it means their behaviors have to change. As a society, we like to bask in ignorance and pretend everything is ok. If people give weight to climate change, they have to limit their luxuries, factories have to slow down production, cities have to move to mass transit, etc. Humans are creatures of habit, and do not adjust well to change. We want to keep our luxuries, to some, even to the expense of our descendants’ survival.
In the article, the authors name three main pathways that climate change affects health. These include extreme weather, novel infectious disease, and complex humanitarian emergencies (George Luber, Climate and Health Program, Centers for Disease Control). In my opinion, the most severe of these pathways would be extreme weather. I say this due to the fact that extreme weather can lead to both infectious disease and humanitarian emergencies. When a natural disaster occurs, it leads to an overabundance of bacteria, homelessness, political strife, medical costs, and inability to access sanitation and safe food and water. As can be seen, natural disaster can cause the rest of the options, but the other options cannot cause natural disasters. For example, in 1998 a flood in Bangladesh, India, killed over 2,000 and displaced more than 20 million people. Though many died by drowning, being carried away by water, or by debris related injuries, there were also a number of deaths related to health afterwards. After the flood, there was an outbreak of diarrhea that resulted in 276 deaths in West Bengal (Kunii O, Nakamura S, Abdur R, et al. (2002).
One important topic regarding climate change and global health is resilience of infrastructure. Each type of infrastructure comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. For example, urban cities have more concrete and less vegetation, and thus have higher temperatures on average than rural communities. Conversely, though in hot summers this may be a drawback, in cold winters, it could serve as a benefit in reducing hypothermia rates. resilience of infrastructure is a community’s ability to adapt, in this case regarding the effects of climate change on infrastructure. For example, some cities install flood walls along river banks to hold floods away from buildings and people. Other towns may utilize houses on stilts for flooding, or hurricane doors for big storms. Resilient infrastructure is simply about ensuring that the infrastructure in a community can withstand or bounce back from a damaging event (George Luber, Climate and Health Program, Centers for Disease Control).
One thing that shocked me about the entire correlation between climate change and global health. For example, I thought it was interesting to learn that individuals who live in cities with higher than average temperatures, have a lower heat related mortality rate than those living in average temperature locations during a higher than average heat wave (Luber, G., & McGeehin, M. (2008). This reminded me of my environmental science class. Last week we were talking about how some species are extremely adaptable, while others can only really survive in one climate. I am curious if rather than adaptability as a species, humans differ more on adaptability based on geographic region. If so, I wonder if individuals who live in warmer or cooler climates are more adaptable.
The effects that climate change has on mental health are astronomical. I remember in 2011 when the big flood hit upstate New York, so many people were homeless and fighting food and water scarcity. Even after the floods, I know plenty of people who have shown symptoms of PTSD related to storms, rain, and floods. Many people have heightened anxiety, depression, and PTSD following natural disasters. Given that climate change increases the rate and severity of natural disasters, we will see an increase in mental illnesses as well. Natural disasters result in loss of homes, jobs, and even loved ones. These are normal triggers for mental illness, and areas hit frequently with natural disasters are likely to be hit more frequently with mental illness.
In conclusion, climate change and global health go hand in hand in many ways. Though climate change is a proven scientific fact, many people choose to ignore or deny its existence, and thus can be argued to be compliant in the deaths of millions every year. Going into this week, I had no clue how much climate affects health in any abstract manner. But after reading this article and gaining more insight, I can say with absolute certainty that there is a huge problem on this planet that needs serious attention before it becomes irreversible. Many communities are taking action against climate change by recycling, using mass transport, banning single use plastics, banning fracking, limiting the number of factories allowed in a general area, encouraging local produce shopping, and much more. Through all of these initiatives, people are helping the planet. Hopefully many more communities will follow in the footsteps of those before them, and together, perhaps, we can save lives.
References
Brown, P. J., & Closser, S. (2019). Foundations of global health: An interdisciplinary reader. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kunii O, Nakamura S, Abdur R, et al. (2002). The impact on health and risk factors of the diarrhoea epidemics in the 1998 Bangladesh floods. Public Health; 116:68–74.
Luber, G., & McGeehin, M. (2008). Climate change and extreme heat events.
American journal of preventive medicine, 35(5), 429–435.
Double Sided 