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Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Health and Environment

Explore the effects of climate change on human health, agriculture, ecosystems, and coastal areas. Learn about the impacts such as extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changes in disease patterns.

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Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Health and Environment

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  1. Environmental Climate and Disease GDvorak

  2. Earth’s Atmosphere • Global warming • Rise in global mean temperature • Increased of heat-trapping greenhouse gases • Carbon dioxide, methane • Climate change • General term referring to changes in many climatic factors • E.g., temperature, precipitation • Equals overall energy budget of planet • Incoming (solar) shortwave radiation • Outgoing longwave radiation • Affected by • Earth’s atmosphere • Greenhouse gases • carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O)

  3. Greenhouse Gases • Carbon Dioxide • Burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) • Solid waste, trees and wood products • Methane (CH4) • Production and transport of coal, natural gas, oil • Livestock and other agricultural practices • Decay of organic waste in landfills • Nitrous Oxide (N2O) • Agricultural and industrial activities • Combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste • Fluorinated Gases • Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride • Ozone-depleting substances: CFC, HCFC, halons • Variety of industrial processes

  4. Great Basin National Park - What is Climate Change? (U.S. National Park Service) http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/what-is-climate-change.htm

  5. Health and Environmental Effects • Many elements sensitive to climate changes • Human health • Agriculture and Food Supply • Natural Ecosystems • Coastal areas • Heating and cooling requirements • http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/index.html

  6. Effects • Direct temperature effects • Thermal stress (extremes of hot and cold temps) • Weather extreme events • Severe storms, floods, droughts • Climate sensitive diseases • Change in rainfall amount and pattern • Vector-borne diseases • Waterborne diseases • Air quality • Rising atmospheric concentration of CO2 • Pollution levels

  7. Impacts • Increased temperature • Oceans and melting of ice - raises sea levels • Earlier timing of spring events • Higher elevation and latitude migrations of plants and animals • Saltification of coastal habitats and freshwater sources • More frequent extreme weather events • Heat waves, droughts, floods, snowfall • Direct damage to ecosystems and livelihoods

  8. Impacts • Increased greenhouse gases Elevated CO2 levels • Decrease crop growth • Increase growth of weeds and/or invasive species • Depress function of herbicides • Ocean acidification • Damages estuary and coral reef systems – impacting food chains and fisheries

  9. Impacts on Disease Occurrence • Emergence of new disease syndromes • Change in the prevalence of existing diseases, particularly those spread by biting insects • Rift Valley fever outbreaks – Africa • Predicted based on Indian Ocean weather • Bluetongue and Hantavirus –Europe • Movement into and across continent as a result of warmer habitats for vectors

  10. Additional Resources • EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ • Global Climate Change and Implications for Disease Emergence – Slenning BD (2010) • http://vet.sagepub.com/content/47/1/28.full.pdf+html • Climate Change and Animal Disease – Summers BA (2010) • http://vet.sagepub.com/content/46/6/1185.full.pdf+html

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