11 environment, climate change and health Flashcards
sociology of the environment
concerned with “how humans (their cultures, values and behaviours) affect the physical environment and how the physical environment affects human activities”
-examining how they are mutually influential
-foci of sociology of the environment
1. (unintended) consequences of human action
2. influence of the environment on humanity
3. social policies
products and consumption-related environmental harms
-petrochemical industry - Manufactures a wide range of synthetic products (e.g., plastics, paints, detergents, fabric, fertilizers, pesticides, rubber)
-> effects on air, land
- Carson’s Silent Spring
-> silence of the birds - their song stifled by pesticides
-Pollution travels -> vast impact
-> pollutants from Indiana have been found in the breast milk of women living in nunavut
these harms are not distributed equally
-environmental racism
a term used to describe how disadvantaged communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental health factors and disasters brought about by government and/or industrial policies
-relationship bw race, class and exposure to environmental hazards
status of climate change effect on heath
The earth is on pace for severe damage from climate change
- the world is on track to surpass a significant level of warming
- on the current track, brace for more disasters
- The world has made some real progress
-we are at 1.1/1.5 rise limit (tipping point)
-rapidly closing window of opportunity to reverse climate change
unequal contributions to climate change in the first place
higher income , higher emissions
10 ways climate change affects our health
air pollution
foods
allergens and pollen
temperatures extremes
wildfires
diseases carried by vectors
food and waterborne diarrheal disease
mental health and stress-related disorders
food security
increasing risk of conflict and refugee crises
impact of climate change on human health and exacerbation of existing inequities
more extreme weather -> degraded living conditions and social inequities
rising sea levels -> water quality impacts
increasing co2 levels -> water and food supply impacts
rising temperatures -> environmental degradation
air pollution, allergens and pollen
-increasing temps -> increase in 03 and particulate matter -> increase in smog
-03 associated with diminished lung function -> asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory allergies
-threat multiplier (e.g. COVID)
vetor-borne diseases
-warmer temperatures -> increase in geographic areas where vectors (e.g. mosquitoes and ticks) can survive and breed
-e.g. malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, rift valley fever, lyme disease, chikungunya, west nile virus
water quality and waterborne diseases
-increase in precipitation, storm surges and sea temperatures -> flooding and runoff that can spread sewage, chemical and disease-causing microbes or pathogens
-low precipitation and high temps in warmer months -> swifter bacterial replication
eg. cholera, cryptosporidiosis, campylobacter, leptospirosis, harmful algal blooms
food insecurity
increase in frequency and intensity of severe weather (heat, waves, floods, droughts) -> decreased/ ruined food supply
-increase in food commodity prices -> malnutrition
-also impacts the variety of foods available
extreme weather events
not a coincidence : heat, fires and floods are all connected
mental health and stress-related disorders
anxiety-related responses to climate hazards and events
-direct physiological pathways from air pollution to mental illness
-exacerbation of existing conditions (e.g. social and health vulnerabilities) and situational factors
increasing risk of conflict and refugee crises
-extreme weather, rising seas and damaged ecosystems and ruined livelihoods -> civil conflict, forced migration
-makes life harder for those already forced to flee
-once in “new home” adjusting to new country/life has mental health implications of its own
how does inequity relate to environment, climate and health
climate change is a universal storm
but were not all in the same boat
social inequities both contribute to, and are exacerbated by, climate change
- “some lives matter less” is the root of all thats wrong with the world
-climate hazards are disproportionately and unfairly distributed among the most vulnerable social groups. This is not a coincidence
eg. pre-existing health conditions; precarious housing situation ; SES
social justice
health justice
climate justice
spatial justice
racial justice
BC heat dome of 2021
many deaths
could have been prevented in many ways, beyond medical intervention
1 weather related killer
heat
are neighborhoods effected equally
no south bronx has lot less greenery than upper east and west wides
sensors
type T thermocouples
fire off every second to capture block-by-block differences in heat and humidity
not a coincidence
-built environment in hotter areas
-denser housing
-inadequate infrastructure
-more traffic
-less green space
socio-environmental conditions in hotter areas
-more likely to work outside
-low access to A/C
-inadequate/dilapidated housing
-higher prevalence of pre-existing conditions
-little access to health care
effects of income
higher income areas have means to prepare for heat
-air quality and asthma
-A/C possession
link to health and social inequities is an opportunity
inter connected problems = inter-connected solutions
-climate action as a prescription for improve health and equity
-“win-win-win” actions
-actions necessary for the interlinked issues of climate, health, and inequities are one and the same
-health is a way to depoliticize climate change and challenge the ideological barriers around it
