Climate Change and its Impact on Human Life, Research Paper Example

Introduction

For centuries, humans have been engaging in activities that are detrimental to the environment. Many countries focus on economic growth and industrialization, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. People are now feeling the impacts of climate change resulting from such activities. According to Hubbe and Hubbe, heat waves, rising sea levels, forest fires, floods, and drought are just a few aspects of climate change. Therefore, climate change impacts human life, and this is seen in four main ways; environment, health, food security, and shelter. If human beings do not take climate change seriously, we are likely to face more crises in the future, especially the loss of lives.

Impact on Environment

One of the main consequences of climate change is the impacts on the physical environment. Human beings are affected by adverse weather patterns, the rise in sea levels, the melting of glaciers, and ocean acidification. Raftery et al. (637) add that human beings indulge in activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. As a result, there has been an increase in temperatures on land, causing heatwaves. Changes in water precipitation have interfered with weather patterns in certain regions, impacting human activities such as agriculture. Global warming, which is mainly characterized by heatwaves, is detrimental to human health. Severe flooding resulting from an increase in water evaporation additionally leads to death and displacement of people.

Climate change leads to a decrease in oxygen in the atmosphere, which human beings need for survival. The rise in temperatures warms water which tends to hold less oxygen than cold water in the oceans (Raftery et al., 640). As such, marine life, which human beings depend on, is slowly decreasing. Also, hot weather conditions result in catastrophic wildfires. Forests are crucial when it comes to cleaning the air, hence promote enough circulation of oxygen. Forest fires are a leading cause of air pollution, which minimizes the quality of oxygen people breathe in when released into the atmosphere.

Variations in the weather patterns caused by climate change increase mortality rates. During cold weather, human beings are at risk of facing influenza, pneumonia, and hypothermia (Hubbe and Hubbe). Additionally, most winters record higher deaths from accidental falls and increased carbon monoxide concentrations. Hypothermia is a condition whereby the human body has a temperature lower than 35 degrees. Hot weather patterns additionally lead to heat stress (Raftery et al. 638).  An increase in carbon dioxide levels causes ocean acidity. The ocean supports life in addition to offering many benefits to human beings. However, when carbon dioxide dissolves in ocean water, it causes acidification. Acidity is harmful to fish and other aquatic animals.

Impact on Human Health

One way to comprehend how climate change impacts human health is by assessing the exposure channels that cause human infections (Hubbe and Hubbe). The exposure channels vary depending on time and geographical locations; thus, climate change affects people’s health differently. The health outcomes additionally depend on vulnerability, which is defined as a human predisposition to adverse climatic effects. The three main elements that additionally determine vulnerability include sensitivity to risks, exposure, and ability to cope. Sensitivity to risks is the extent to which populations are affected by climate change. Exposure is when an individual comes into contact with chemical, biological, psychosocial, or physical factors resulting from climate change (Walsh et al., 3233). Thirdly, coping explains the different capacity populations have when it comes to adapting to possible risks.

Climate changes lead to cardiovascular diseases and deaths. Everyone is vulnerable to climate change which threatens the quality of life. Changes in precipitation and the increasing temperatures pose health risks across populations. Alternating temperatures result in warmer days and the possibility of heatwaves. In the United States, there have been a significant number of deaths related to heatwaves. People who are exposed to a lot of heat may experience heat stroke (Hubbe and Hubbe).

Additionally, they risk developing cardiovascular complications. Urban regions are more affected than rural areas. Large cities and developed towns have higher populations hence the likelihood of air pollution. Those who work outdoors may suffer dehydration because of extreme heat. Low-income individuals may not afford air conditioners, thus, making them more exposed to the heat.

Climate change affects the quality of air resulting in respiratory complications. One of the main consequences of climate change is changing weather patterns. Additionally, temperatures affect air quality, making people vulnerable to respiratory diseases such as asthma attacks. Recently, there have been cases of wildfires because of the climate change crises. The fires result from smoking released into the atmosphere; hence, many nations are recording increased air pollution. Also, the levels of carbon dioxide have risen to uncontrollable levels, hence reducing the air quality. The fear of a depleting ozone layer caused by harmful pollutants has led to premature deaths caused by respiratory challenges. Walsh et al. (3234) add that other health problems resulting from poor air quality include lung diseases and ozone-related diseases.

People are likely to be exposed to vector-borne diseases, which are climate-sensitive infections. Increasing temperatures interfere with precipitation; hence, vectors may be abundant. These vectors carry pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. These pathogens are highly infectious and may affect human beings. Mosquitoes do well in certain temperatures, and the West Nile Virus incident affected a massive population in the United States.

Additionally, pathogens such as ticks which spread Lyme disease, increase with rising air temperatures. Lyme disease causes rashes, headaches, fever, and fatigue in human beings. Therefore, climate changes increase the spread of diseases resulting from pathogens.

Apart from vector-borne diseases, climate change leads to water-related infections among human beings. Climate effects such as heavy rains and drownings expose human beings to waterborne pathogens when they drink contaminated water. These pathogens, which include parasites, bacteria, and viruses, release harmful toxins into the water. Human beings may experience gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea. With the changes in water temperatures, algal toxins and Vibrio bacteria are likely to flourish. These are harmful and pose a threat to human life (Walsh et al., 3235). Contamination of water bodies resulting from floods, storms, and increased precipitation and exposes people to illnesses.

Impacts on Food Security

Climate change reduces food distribution; hence human beings may suffer from poor nutrition and food insecurity. First, weather patterns may increase chemical pollutants’ contact with food (Walsh et al.).  Runoff water resulting from storms further contaminates food by raising the exposure of food to harmful contaminants. According to Raftery et al. (639), an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reduces production in plants. The carbon-dioxide interferes with the essential minerals which crops need to flourish. People, therefore, consume less nutritious food. Adverse weather events such as drought may lead to malnutrition and deaths. Floods additionally interfere with the distribution of food through roads because of accessibility to different regions.

Climate change resulting in increased air temperatures causes gastrointestinal illnesses due to food contamination. Bacteria such as Salmonella grow in abundance in warmer temperatures. Such bacteria result in food poisoning. Surface temperatures increasing around sea regions raise the concentrations of mercury, which in turn affect seafood. The mercury is introduced into the food chain through the water. Plants are less likely to flourish because of climate change. An increase in temperature on the earth’s surface alongside cold temperatures may increase the number of pests. Drought also inhibits the growth of plants and destroys vegetation cover.

Impacts on Shelter

One negative consequence of climate change is the loss of shelter and homes (Walsh et al., 3252). Climate change-related disasters such as hailstorms, floods, and hurricanes displace people from their homes. People living in the coastal regions are affected by the rising sea levels; hence, they are forced to leave their homes. The warming temperatures are melting glaciers, causing the density of ocean water to expand. This additional volume creeps into the mainland, therefore, displacing those living around water bodies. An increase in salty water bodies also affects human beings and other animals.

Conclusion

Climate change affects human beings in different ways. Adverse climate changes interfere with the physical environment, which is the primary habitat for human beings. Also, climate changes affect people’s health when exposed to high temperatures, contaminated water, and poor air quality. Human beings additionally experience food insecurity and loss of their homes because of floods, drought, and rising sea levels.

Works Cited

Hubbe, Alex, and Mark Hubbe. “Current Climate Change and the Future of Life on the Planet.” Frontiers for Young Minds, vol. 7, 2019.

Raftery, Adrian E., et al. “Less than 2 °C warmings by 2100 unlikely.” Nature Climate Change, vol. 7, no. 9, 2017, pp. 637-641.

Walsh, Rachel E., et al. “Morphological and dietary responses of chipmunks to a century of climate change.” Global Change Biology, vol. 22, no. 9, 2016, pp. 3233-3252.