The impact of climate change on humans

 

The impacts of climate change include warming temperatures, changes in precipitation, increases in the frequency or intensity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. These impacts threaten our health by affecting the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the weather we experience. Emotional and mental stress seriously affect the victims of violent weather events ( floods, hurricanes and tornadoes).

The severity of these health risks will depend on the ability of public health and safety systems to address or prepare for these changing threats, as well as factors such as an individual's behavior, age, gender, and economic status. Impacts will vary based on a where a person lives, how sensitive they are to health threats, how much they are exposed to climate change impacts, and how well they and their community are able to adapt to change.
People in developing countries may be the most vulnerable to health risks globally, but climate change poses significant threats to health even in wealthy nations such as the United States. Certain populations, such as children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with low incomes, face increased risks physically and mentally.



Impacts from Extreme Weather Events

Increases in the frequency or severity of some extreme weather events, threaten the health of people during and after the event. The people most at risk include young children, older adults, people with disabilities or medical conditions, and the poor. Extreme events can affect human health in a number of ways by:

• Reducing the availability of safe food and drinking water.
• Damaging roads and bridges, disrupting access to hospitals and pharmacies.
• Interrupting communication, utility, and health care services.
• Contributing to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of portable electric generators during and after storms.
• Increasing stomach and intestinal illness, particularly following power outages.
• Creating or worsening mental health impacts such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In addition, emergency evacuations pose health risks to older adults, especially those with limited mobility who cannot use elevators during power outages. Evacuations may be complicated by the need for concurrent transfer of medical records, medications, and medical equipment. Some individuals with disabilities may also be disproportionally affected if they are unable to access evacuation routes, have difficulty in understanding or receiving warnings of impending danger, or have limited ability to communicate their needs.
Every country needs to set up an entire infrastructure of agencies and programs to address these present and  future problems. At present that seems an impossibly enormous task. The simplest plan would be to reduce carbon output drastically and turn back the tide of climate change. Why are we not doing that??