367345_globalwarminghelthimpacts_1

7/27/2019 367345_globalwarminghelthimpacts_1

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Global Warming and HumanHealth

How our planet is warming and its

direct effect on the human race


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What isglobal warming?

Global warming is a marked and extended

change in the Earths climate for the warmer

Climate change is an extended change in the

Earths regular pattern of atmospheric

conditions and its fluctuations

Global warming is caused by an enhanced

greenhouse effect caused by human activity


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What isthe greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is caused by thetrapping of heat in the Earthsatmosphere

First the Suns high frequency rays ofradiation enter into the Earthsatmosphere in the form of visible light

Next the Earth absorbs these rays andradiates them back into the atmosphereas infrared radiation, or heat

Since the Earths atmosphere includescertain gases which even in smallamounts can absorb infrared radiation ,gases such as methane, carbon dioxide,

fluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide, theinfrared radiation is trapped by thesegases and can not escape the Earthsatmosphere

Lastly, as the Earths atmosphere trapsmore and more heat the Earthsatmosphere begins to increase thetemperature of the Earth itself


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What causesan enhanced greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is caused by human activities which produce the greenhouse gases;carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorocarbons

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas and is producedby fossil fuel burning powerplants, heating systems, factories, and modes of transportation that burn fossil fuels.Deforestation adds to the problem since most forest remove carbon dioxide fromthe atmosphere in order to produce food through photosynthesis.

Methane is another greenhouse gas produced by human use of land, including thelivestock we use and such agricultural objects as rice fields, wetlands and marshes

Nitrous oxide is produced by the exhaust of cars, human disposal of waste andhuman use of nitrogen-based fertilizers

Fluorocarbons are gases which are emitted when humans use their refrigerators andtheir air conditioners

Humans produce 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, 300-350 million tonsof methane, and 7-13 million tons of nitrous oxide, a drastic increase from evenfifty years ago


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How do we knowglobal warmingis

happening?

In the top graph at the right we can

see the rising levels of carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere as

measured in parts per million in the

atmosphere, measurements havingbeen taken on the island of Mauna

Loa, Hawaii

In the bottom graph at the left can be

seen the rising temperatures on theplanet over the past years


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Global warming and Human Health

Global warming will affect human health in a numberof different ways

The spread of infectious diseases will be affected Agriculture will be affected

Extreme weather patterns will be affected

The amount of smog near the ground will be affected The supply of freshwater available to humans will beaffected


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The infectious diseases

Infectious diseases can be carried by many differentorganisms, among them are ticks, flies and mosquitoes.

When the climate becomes warmer such organisms calledvectors such as ticks, flies and mosquitoes can breed easier inthe warmer wetter climates.

As climate change begins to affect our planet to a greaterextent the infectious disease carrying organisms will be able toreach higher altitudes and will have a longer season of

breeding, increasing the likelihood of a human being in contact

with the disease Also, as the climate warms the amount of algae and fish that

produce toxins poisonous to humans will increase


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Malaria can affect 45%of the worlds

population today but ifglobal warming

continues at the rate that

it is progressing, that

number could change tobe 60% of the worlds

population
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/content/vol315/issue7111/images/large/mcm13jna.f2.jpeg


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The infectious diseases Malaria is a parasitic disease borne by

mosquitoes which on reaching thebloodstream causes blood cells to rupture,causing a fever, chills and anemia in thevictim and potentially resulting in deathwithin hours

Viral encephalitis is another diseasecarried by the mosquito and the tick andwhich results in an inflammation of thebrain that can result in a brainhemorrhaging as well

Leishmaniasis is another parasiticdisease carried by the sand fly which caninfect the human body, namely the lymphnodes, the spleen and the bone marrowand which causes the body to become

susceptible to disease as it attacks theimmune system and can result in deathdue to complications that arise

Lyme disease-is carried by ticks and is adisease commonly found in NorthAmerica, a disease which can result incomplications involving the heart andeven the nervous system


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Cholera is a parasitic diseasewhich can cause death fromdehydration as it causes excessivediarrhea

Dengue fever is transmitted bymosquitoes and causes fevers,

joint and muscle pain, andheadaches.

Schistomalaisisis a parasiticdisease in which the parasite

burrows into the body and then

infects the organ literally of itschoice.

Cryptosporidiosis is a disease that,like Cholera causes excessivedehydration especially in smallchildren as a result of diarrhea.


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Human Health and Extreme Weather Patterns During global warming there is a

potential for an increase in thenumber of heat related deaths asthere is a potential for an increasein the number of extremely hotdays

Extreme heat can bring about heat

cramps due to a lack of waterwhich can lead to heat strokewhich can then lead to organfailure and even death

The elderly and the very youngare particularly susceptible to

extreme climates A study done in Canada suggeststhat the number of people whowould die heat related deathswould increase from 70 annuallyto 240-1140 people by 2050, andthat only in the city of Montreal


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Human Health and Extreme Weather Patterns

A study done in relation to the city of NewYork shows that the number of people who dieheat related deaths annually there wouldincrease to around 1,700 people annually alsoby only 2050

Also, there a potential trend for morehurricanes when the temperature of the seasincrease because hurricanes are fueled bywarm ocean waters

Although the actual number of hurricanes maynot increase as a result of global warming, it istheir intensity that is thought to increase, or

their potential energy

As a result of an potential increase in theintensity and thus possibly the amount ofdamage many hurricanes could be capable ofdoing, insurance agencies who are paying forincreased amounts of damage due to hurricanescould even go bankrupt as a result

367345_globalwarminghelthimpacts_1

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