The earth is warming. Today everybody (or almost everybody!) knows that our planet is getting warmer every day. The last glacial period (ice age) ended about 7000 years ago. Before that, we have had several cycles of climate change, possibly due to slight variations in the earth’s orbit. This time, human activity is the cause of global warming. The surge of earth warming started in the middle of the 20th century. It is rising in a way never seen in history. The average temperature on the earth’s surface has increased 1.1 degrees Celcius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the 19th century. Most of the warming has occurred in the last 35 years.
Of the 17 warmest years on record, 16 have been in the 21st century. The oceans also show an increase of 0.302 F degrees in temperature since 1969. The ice sheets have been shrinking considerably.
Climate change, among so many other damages, brings many health problems. The following medical conditions are some examples:
- High temperature, either directly or through the increase of pollutants, causes diseases of heart and blood vessels, respiratory disorders and cerbro-vascular conditions (diseases like strokes that involve blood vessels in the brain). Heat also causes increased levels of airborne allergens, which exacerbates asthma.
- Infectious diseases like malaria or dengue fever become prevalent. These are conditions transmitted by bugs. The warm environment and its aftermaths will cause a change in the geographical distribution of these vectors and lengthen the transmission season.
- Environmental disasters, floods and heavy rains interrupt sewage systems and disturb the clean water system. We may also see an increase in infectious diseases like cholera.
WHO estimates that between 2030 to 2050, there will be approximately 250,000 more deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. (WHO)
According to WHO, countries with poorly developed health infrastructure will be affected more. But this is a boat we are all in. Maybe tomorrow is too late!
