A More Educated Point of View
In order to tell the story best we must take a look at what the professionals, and the people most educated about the subject know about it. We’ll be taking a look at an article by a group of doctors called, “Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health.” This will allow us to better understand how climate change impacts our health directly and what it’s doing to us and our bodies without us even knowing it.
As we’re aware global warming is a major component of climate change. Global warming causes a depletion in our ozone layer which protects us from harmful UV rays produced by the sun. These rays are dangerous and can cause certain cancers in the skin if too much exposure is received, and over time it’s effects will only worsen as we lose more and more of our ozone layer. This also means that in the future we’ll experience much hotter temperatures especially in the summers. It was found that these heightened temperatures will result in significant dangerous health conditions. Among those conditions are heat strokes, and heat stress. These can even have an impact on the economy as they reduce the amount of work a person can do safely.
Another large factor of climate change is air pollution. Air pollution has been increasing over the year and this pollution is circulating not only in the atmosphere but also in our lungs and in the air we breathe and need in order to survive. In this study the doctors found that this pollution is causing numerous respiratory diseases as well as worsening the effects of preexisting conditions such as asthma. This can be dangerous, even life threatening if it gets too hazardous for people with these respiratory issues. And can cause them in people without them already.
Another massive hazard is that this massive influx of pollution is making it much easier for diseases to travel around the world. Airborne, vector borne, and waterborne diseases are all being able to spread significantly easier due to the effects of climate change and pollution. This can cause for diseases such as COVID-19 to spread faster leading to more pandemics such as the one we’re living through today.
One last health concern found that no one has probably thought could be cause by climate change is an increase in mental health disorders. The study found that there is a link between climate change and mental disorders such as PTSD and depression due to natural disasters. The natural disasters destroy people’s homes and livelihoods leading to an increase in these conditions in the effected areas.
As you can see based on the article climate change is impacting our lives and health in numerous ways and causing major health concerns. Everyone around the world is effected by these conditions caused by climate change and no one is exempt. It’s our duty to change this for a healthier future for everyone around the world.
Work Cited:
Patz, J., Frumkin, H., Holloway, T., Vimont, D., & Haines, A. (2014). Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health. JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(15), 1565–1580. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.13186
