In the past few years, you have likely noticed or experienced firsthand the impacts of climate change: from hotter and drier summers to torrential downpours and more intense storms. Our changing climate affects more than just our vacation plans and day-to-day activities; it also directly affects our health. In this post, we take a closer look at the impact of climate change on our health and global health equity, and most importantly, what we can do to slow down the changing climate.
Human activities like driving cars, cutting trees, and producing electricity are responsible for climate change. Burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas releases gasses into the atmosphere called greenhouse gasses. These gasses trap the heat in the earth’s atmosphere, promote the greenhouse effect, and cause slow warming of the earth. This is thought to be the main cause of climate change.
Climate change affects our health in many ways. It compromises our access to clean air, healthy food, and safe drinking water, and housing. It leads to hotter days, and extreme weather situations like heat waves, storms, and flooding, which kill or displace people. It disrupts the food supply systems and increases the risk of hunger and poor nutrition. It promotes the breeding of flies and mosquitoes and causes an increase in the diseases caused by these vectors. By resulting in all these harmful consequences, climate change affects the mental health of people negatively.
According to the World Health Organization, climate change may result in nearly 250,000 additional deaths every year due to malaria, diarrhea, and malnutrition alone between 2030 and 2050. The estimated healthcare costs related to climate change will be about 2-4 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2030. The developing countries with poor healthcare resources to manage this crisis will be hit the worst. But even wealthy nations like the U.S. are under threat. The health of children, pregnant women, and older adults is more likely to be affected by climate change.
People of color (POCs) are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. Institutionalized racism and power structures have rendered POCs more likely to grapple with poverty, be exposed to environmental hazards, and have limited access to health and economic resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency points out that minority groups are more likely to live in areas with high levels of air pollution. The historical process of redlining neighborhoods has placed African-Americans in urban neighborhoods with poor-quality heating and air. Likewise, it has been noted that Hispanic individuals are 21% more likely to live in the hottest parts of the city, but 30% do not have access to air conditioning tools, which presents an increased risk of heat exposure. If this isn’t harmful enough, these individuals are also more prone to losing labor hours and opportunities because of changes in temperature or air pollution. Ultimately, these disparities put POCs at a greater risk for negative health effects that accompany climate change and worsen the existing health inequities.
So the big question facing us is: What can we do to slow climate change? We need to drop our greenhouse gas emissions by reducing our carbon footprint. How does one do that? Here are the top things that can help us achieve this goal:
Switching to renewable energy sources
Cutting down on driving and using carpooling and public transportation whenever possible. If traveling short distances, consider walking or biking
Minimalist lifestyle
Switch to a plant-based diet
Give up fast fashion (it produces substantial waste and has a high shipping cost)
Avoid disposables to cut down on waste
Use a laptop instead of a desktop (laptops use less energy)
Use a warm comforter at night and keep the thermostat lower
Plant a tree in your community!
What changes are you making in your life to minimize your carbon footprint?
-Isha Kapoor
Isha is a senior at Mayo High School in Rochester, MN.
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