![]() ![]() Think about heating a large pot of water on your stove - the higher you turn the dial, the faster the water evaporates. Hurricanes and typhoons work like “giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel.” As the world warms, the rate of evaporation from our oceans seems to be increasing, powering ever-stronger storms.Ĭonsider Hurricane Harvey, which moved across abnormally warm waters in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico before dropping unprecedented rain on Houston, Texas. In short, water evaporates into the atmosphere from both land and sea and returns to Earth’s surface in the form of rain and snow. When we pollute the atmosphere by using dirty energy sources like oil, coal, and gas, we end up with dirty weather.Ĭlimate change affects weather, in large part, by intensifying the water cycle. > Read more: Not A Pretty Picture: Climate Change And Health In Four Infographics <<Ĭlimate Change Means More Extreme Weather The short of it? Healthy people need a healthy climate. Not only can these extreme weather events have immediate fatal consequences, but they can lead to major injuries and the spread of waterborne illnesses such as wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and ear, nose and throat infections. Extreme weather: While we go into more detail on this later, climate change has been linked to many types of extreme weather, including hurricanes and floods. ![]() As our climate becomes warmer, some insects will see their geographic ranges grow – bringing the Lyme disease and West Nile or Zika viruses they carry along with them to new regions. Vector-borne diseases: Vector-borne diseases are illnesses spread by insects or arachnids like mosquitoes, fleas, mites, and ticks.Wildfire smoke carries fine particles that “ can penetrate deep into your lungs.” Exposure has been linked to burning eyes, heart and lung diseases, and even death. For instance, climate change has been linked to more wildfires. Air quality: Pollution from burning fossil fuels is bad enough for the air we breathe, but many impacts of climate change also impact air quality.And certain populations are more at risk from the impacts of heatwaves than others, including the elderly, children, and the poor. Extreme heat can “ overpower the human body” and cause dehydration, heatstroke, and major organ damage. Rising temperatures: As temperatures climb around the globe, we expect to see more heatwaves – and ever-more intense ones at that. ![]() Here are just a few ways that climate change impacts our everyday lives: Climate Change Is Bad for Our HealthĬlimate change impacts human health in countless ways, but four are worth emphasizing here: (Oh, and while we’re on the topic, rising sea levels may already have their eye on your favorite seaside escape.) From our well-being to our wallets, we’re seeing the effects of a world transformed by rising temperatures and changing climate patterns, and the outlook is about as far from a relaxing seaside escape as it gets. The climate crisis is real and it’s impacting people around the world today. Unfortunately, global warming doesn’t mean more fun in the sun – in many places, it could actually get way too hot for that – and it definitely isn’t just a polar bear problem. You might be wondering, “So what if there's a little climate change? What's wrong with a couple extra days at the beach?” Or maybe popular imagery has led you to believe that climate change is an issue just for polar bears and not humans. ![]()
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