Impact of Climate Change on Human Health
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Impact of Climate Change on Human Health
Climate change is a decisive factor in human health. Presently, climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, and the preservation of the environment is synonymous with the protection of human health. The threats associated with climate change are being realized, and the present generation is tasked with addressing the challenge of climate change to prevent irreversible damage to future generations. Climate change manifests in adverse environmental conditions such as increased temperatures and rising water levels due to global warming-induced melting ice. These environmental conditions are detrimental to human health because of the lack of human adaption to adverse conditions. Consequently, this paper will investigate the research question on the present and potential impacts of climate change on human health. The paper will focus on individual health, community health, and mental health concerning climate change in responding to the question.
Climate change is characterized by global warming. Climate change is defined as a global shift in the earth’s climate, primarily caused by human activity. Human activity, which ranges from industrial production to deforestation, causes the release of greenhouse gases that have detrimental effects on the atmosphere’s composition, which leads to global warming (Oh & Jeon, 2017). Global warming is a result of the greenhouse effect, which is a significantly complex energy conversion process. To put it simply, the greenhouse gases emitted trap the sun’s radiation within the earth’s atmosphere, causing warmer temperatures (Oh & Jeon, 2017). Furthermore, the rate of global warming is alarming because a study conducted in 2007 revealed that the Earth’s temperature has increased by 0.74 Degrees Celsius in the last 100 years. Of the 100 years, 11 out of 12 of the highest temperatures were recorded in the 12 years preceding 2007. Should human activities continue in the same trajectory, then earth’s temperature is estimated to have increased by 6.4 Degrees Celsius by the 21st century (Oh & Jeon, 2017). These facts are indicative of the increasing reality of global warming and overall climate change. Summarily, the human activities that emit greenhouse gases cause a cycle where higher concentrations of the gases cause higher temperatures on earth, resulting in increased global warming.
Climate change negatively affects human health. Climate change is a social factor of health because a safe climate is a prerequisite to sustaining life, which means that climate change directly impacts basic health. The increased exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) rays increases the likelihood of skin cancer. The UV rays account for 8% of the sun’s total radiant energy emissions, and most of this type of emission is absorbed by the ozone layer (Jallad, 2017). However, the ozone layer has been depleted due to the greenhouse gas concentration, which results in increased exposure. The increased exposure damages the base structures of human DNA, leading to an increased risk of skin cancer, which is why approximately 90% of all skin cancer is caused by exposure to the sun’s radiation (Jallad, 2017). Additionally, the extreme temperatures which are characteristic of climate change have resulted in heat waves and cold spells. The heat waves bring the risk of heat stress, heatstroke, and cardiovascular-related illnesses, while the cold spells compromise the respiratory system (Kinay et al., 2019). The effects of extreme temperatures are already evident in China, wherein 2015, there was a 5% increase in heat wave-related deaths among 66 communities sampled (Kinay et al., 2019).
Climate change affects community health. Community health refers to a wide field of study that investigates the health status of groups and communities instead of individuals (Ardalan et al., 2019). Climate change affects communities because of the catastrophic events that accompany the shift in the earth’s climate. Drought is caused by climate change because of the variations in rainfall and temperature, which affect the agricultural cycles. The effects of drought include death, malnutrition, stunted growth, poverty, and emigration. These effects are demonstrated in Ethiopia, where drought-induced stunted growth accounts for 55.2% of all stunting (Ardalan et al., 2019).
Additionally, extreme weather conditions also cause flooding due to excessive rainfall. Floods destroy properties, cause death, and cause the spread of waterborne diseases. In the case of waterborne diseases, the increased rainfall allows for the spread of diseases such as typhoid. The water deposits also create breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which results in the spread of malaria (Ardalan et al., 2019). Furthermore, communities’ emigration away from areas adversely affected by climate change disrupts livelihoods, leading to poverty. Indirectly, climate change causes diseases associated with poverty, such as malnutrition. Therefore, climate change adversely affects community health.
Climate change affects mental health. The effects of climate change on mental health remain under-investigated despite being present. The shift in climatic conditions affects not only physical but mental health. This position is supported by studies that indicate an increase in suicide rates due to temperature increases. Climate change has also increased group violence, especially in areas experiencing an increase in temperature (Pollack, 2018). Climate change also affects those already who have a mental illness because individuals taking various psychiatric medications are at a higher risk of dehydration, heatstroke, and hypothermia due to the increased temperatures (Pollack, 2018). Therefore, the extreme climatic conditions that are characteristic of climate change are detrimental to mental health.
Conclusively, climate change has detrimental health impacts. Climate change affects individual, community, and mental health. The individual health risks associated with climate change include increased cancer risks due to heightened exposure to UV rays and illnesses associated with heatwaves and cold spells such as heat strokes and respiratory diseases, respectively. Additionally, climate change adversely affects community health due to the reduced health status of entire communities. The health effects include malnutrition and poverty induced illnesses due to emigration away from the areas affected by climate change. Finally, climate change also detrimentally affects mental health because of the psychological impact of the shift in climatic conditions. Climate change also affects mentally ill individuals on medication due to the negative effects of heat on medication intake.
References
Ardalan, A., Belay, G. D., Assen, M., Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J., Khoei, E. M., & Ostadtaghizadeh, A. (2019). Impact of climate change on community health and resilience in Ethiopia: a review article. Human Antibodies, 27(S1), 11-22.
Jallad, K. N. (2017). Chemical characterization of sunscreens composition and its related potential adverse health effects. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 16(3), 353-357.
Kinay, P., Morse, A. P., Villanueva, E. V., Morrissey, K., & Staddon, P. L. (2019). Direct and indirect health impacts of climate change on the vulnerable elderly population in East China. Environmental Reviews, 27(3), 295-303.
Oh, J. Y., & Jeon, E. C. (2017). Greenhouse Effects in Global Warming based on Analogical Reasoning. Foundations of Science, 22(4), 827-847.
Pollack, D. (2018). Climate change and its impacts on mental health. Psychiatric Times, 35(10).