60: Impact on Humans

Question 1

How does climate change affect humans?

Answer 1

1. more heat strokes and heat stress
2. more heat waves
3. increase in infectious disease
4. worsens the effects of air pollution
5. destruction of human cultures
6. destruction of homes
7. effects on food securities
8. effects on water supply

Question 2

How does climate change affect heat?

Answer 2

increase in heat-related deaths and heat-related illnesses
- heat waves are occurring in the US with more frequency and with a longer duration

Question 3

What is heat stress?

Answer 3

occurs when a body cannot cool itself down

Question 4

What is heat stroke?

Answer 4

occurs when the cooling mechanism of the body fails

Question 5

What can heat stroke do?

Answer 5

can damage the heart, brain, and kidneys, may be lethal

Question 6

Who does heat affect?

Answer 6

mainly older adults, infants and children, people with chronic health conditions, people who have low incomes, and outdoor workers

Question 7

How does climate change affect infectious diseases?

Answer 7

half of human’s infectious diseases can get worse
- more diseases transmitted by mosquitos and ticks, polluted water, rodents and other mammals

Question 8

What are diseases transmitted by mosquitos and ticks?

Answer 8

West Nile virus, Malaria, Lyme disease

Question 9

What are diseases transmitted by polluted water?

Answer 9

Cholera, Hepatitis, Childhood diarrhea

Question 10

What are diseases transmitted by rodents?

Answer 10

Hantavirus

Question 11

What are diseases transmitted by other mammals?

Answer 11

as mammals shift their ranges and humans get in contact with new species
- bats in Southeast Asia as in COVID

Question 12

How does climate change affect air pollution?

Answer 12

1. High heat and air pollution are even deadlier combined
2. effects of particulate air pollution and heat extremes are larger when nighttime temperature and pollution occur together
3. hot weather contributes to photochemical smog and the production of ground level ozone
4. Also increases the chances of wildfires which release particulate matter
5. plants produce pollen during an extended time resulting in more allergies

Question 13

How does climate change affect human cultures?

Answer 13

it can destroy human cultures, the Innuit have lived in the Arctic for millennia, but the climate change is a threat to their lifestyle (hunting, traveling, traditions)
- early springs, slushy ice, invasive species

Question 14

How does climate change affect homes?

Answer 14

destruction of homes built on ice/permafrost thawing and melting
- also destroyed by wildfires and floods

Question 15

How does climate change affect food security?

Answer 15

warmer temperatures may mean longer growing seasons
- severe droughts or rains may threat crops
- low agricultural lands may end under water
- coastal fisheries may be disrupted

Question 16

How does climate change affect the water supply?

Answer 16

1. alters the hydrological cycle causing more droughts and floods
2. many communities have no access to safe drinking water
3. this may feed armed conflicts between and within countries (water wars)

Question 17

What is happening to the Horn of Africa?

Answer 17

there is a drought and millions of people are in need of water and food assistance through 2022