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Overview
Greenhouse gases
Impact on health
CLIMATE CHANGE
refers to any distinct change in measures of climate lasting for a long period of time, including
major changes in temperature, rainfall, snow, or wind patterns lasting for decades or longer.
• natural factors, such as changes in the Sun’s energy or slow changes in the Earth’s orbit around
the Sun;
• natural processes within the climate system (e.g., changes in ocean circulation);
• human activities that change the atmosphere’s make-up (e.g, burning fossil fuels) and the land
surface (e.g., cutting down forests, planting trees, building developments in cities and suburbs,
etc.).
GLOBAL WARMING
• is an average increase in temperatures near the Earth’s surface and in the lowest layer of the
atmosphere.
• Increases in temperatures in our Earth’s atmosphere can contribute to changes in global climate
patterns.
• Global warming can be considered part of climate change along with changes in precipitation,
sea level, etc.
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
• The greenhouse effect is a natural process that sees the Earth's atmosphere insulate the Earth.
• Incoming solar radiation (short-wave radiation) is absorbed at the Earth's surface. The Earth's
climatic system then redistributes this energy around the globe, through atmospheric and
oceanic circulation patterns. Energy is then radiated back from the Earth's surface into the
atmosphere as long-wave radiation
• Over time there is an approximate balance in this incoming (short-wave) and outgoing (long-
wave) radiation. Changes to this balance, such as changes in the amount of radiation received
or lost by the system, or changes to the distribution cycles within the system, can affect climate.
GREENHOUSE GASES
• water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2), occur naturally. human activities are adding large
amounts of: carbon dioxide, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs),
per fluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
• Since 1750, atmospheric concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O have increased by over 36
percent, 148 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
• The heating of the Earth's surface and atmosphere affects these climate variables to produce
extreme weather and climate events.
• Climate change is already being observed in a range of climate variables , such as: temperature,
rainfall, atmospheric moisture, snow cover, land and sea ice, sea level, wind patterns and ocean
circulation patterns.
Each year:
• The supply and cost of food may change as farmers and the food industry adapt to new climate
patterns. A small amount of warming coupled with increasing CO2 may benefit certain crops,
plants and forests, although the impacts of vegetation depend also on the availability of water
and nutrients. For warming of more than a few degrees, the effects are expected to become
increasingly negative, especially for vegetation near the warm end of its suitable range.
WATER RESOURCES
• In a warming climate, extreme events like floods and droughts are likely to become more
frequent.
• More frequent floods and droughts will affect water quality and availability.
• Increases in drought in some areas may increase the frequency of water shortages and lead to
more restrictions on water usage.
• An overall increase in precipitation may increase water availability in some regions, but also
create greater flood potential.
ENERGY
• Warmer temperatures may result in higher energy bills for air conditioning in summer, and
lower bills for heating in winter. Energy usage is also connected to water needs. Energy is
needed for irrigation, which will most likely increase due to climate change. Also, energy is
generated by hydropower in some regions, which will also be impacted by changing
precipitation patterns.
COASTS
• If you live along the coast, your home may be impacted by sea level rise and an increase in
storm intensity. Rising seas may contribute to enhanced coastal erosion, coastal flooding, loss of
coastal wetlands, and increased risk of property loss from storm surges.
WILDLIFE
• Warmer temperatures and precipitation changes will likely affect the habitats and migratory
patterns of many types of wildlife.
• The range and distribution of many species will change, and some species that cannot move or
adapt may face extinction.
• Malnutrition
• Deaths and injuries caused by storms and floods. (Flooding can also be followed by outbreaks of
diseases, such as cholera)
• Water scarcity / contamination (droughts and sudden floods) – increased burden of diarrheal
disease.
• Heat waves – direct increases in morbidity and mortality; indirect effects via increases in
ground-level ozone, contributing to asthma attacks.
• A small overall increase in the number of summer ozone episodes coupled with a longer-term
increase in background levels of ozone could cause a rise in the number of premature deaths.
AIR POLLUTION
severity of asthma
• Increases in ozone:
• extra deaths
• hospital admissions
Foodborne diseases
Waterborne diseases
• This is likely to be offset by milder winters leading to a fall in cold-related winter deaths of up to
20,000 cases per year.
• Sunburn
• Skin cancer
• Possibly cataracts
• Analysis of more recent river flooding shows that mental health problems are the most
important health impact among flood victims due to experience of personal and economic loss
and stress.
Psychological consequences
• Levels of UV radiation reaching the earth’s surface may increase due to sunnier summers
• A decline in cloud cover and ozone depletion (which reduces the capacity of the ozone layer to
absorb UV).
• Predicted an extra 5,000 cases of skin cancer and 2,000 of cataract per year by 2050.
Vector-borne diseases
• Various diseases transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks are climate-sensitive and can increase or
be introduced due to climate change.
• Tick borne likely to be more common, but relate to land use/leisure activities rather than
climate change
• Food poisoning - higher temperatures in summer could cause an estimated 10,000 extra cases
of salmonella infection per year.
• Storms – any increase in the frequency of severe winter storms could lead to an increase in
personal injuries from flying debris and falling trees.
Water-borne disease
• Secure sanitation systems should safeguard supplies of drinking water, but possible
contamination of storm water outflows could carry disease into basements and nearby rivers,
affecting the health of residents and river users.
• heat stress
• effects of storms
• asthma
• vector-borne diseases
• water-borne diseases
• food-borne diseases
• sexually-transmitted diseases
Lead to:
• Social disruption
• Homelessness
• Increased physical activity due to extended warm weather. But, outcomes could be worse due
to extreme heat
Mitigation Measures
1. Reduction of activities.
Mitigation will not work. So it is necessary to organize in order to take advantage of the new
opportunities (longer growing season) and avoid some of the negative impacts (extreme weather
variability, drought).