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Environmental Health > Climate Change > Flashcards

Climate Change Flashcards

Chapter 12

1
Q

What do we call gases that “trap” heat in the atmosphere?

A

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

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2
Q

Explain the greenhouse effect

A

Solar radiation passes through the atmosphere, most of which is absorbed by the earth’s surface (warming it). Infrared radiation is emitted by the earth’s surface, some of which is absorbed and re-emitted by greenhouse gas molecules (which warms the earths surface & the lower atmosphere).

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3
Q

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

The contribution of human activity towards the increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (and thus the warming of earth’s surface)

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4
Q

List Greenhouse Gases

4

A
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Methane
  • Nitrous Oxide
  • Fluorinated Gases
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5
Q

What are the 2 ways greenhouse gases are released?

Broadly

A
  1. Natural Activities
  2. Human Activities
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6
Q

What is the difficulty in measuring the natural variability of climate data historically?

A

We only really have data for the past 150 years

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7
Q

50% of the GHG emisssions that occurred between 1750 and 2010 occurred after when?

A

After 1970

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8
Q

How much higher were emission in 2013 than 2005?

A

43% higher

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9
Q

What are the top 2 sources of GHG?

A
  1. CO2 from fossil fuels
  2. Industrial processes
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10
Q

What was Canada’s total GHG emissions in 2021?

A

670 Megatonnes

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11
Q

List some Earth System Changes due to climate change?

SWIST

A
  1. More severe weather events
  2. Loss of arctic & antarctic ice
  3. Rising sea levels
  4. Warming temp
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12
Q

Global temps are projected to increase by how much by 2100 according to IPCC?

A

1.5-4.0 degrees celsius

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13
Q

List some ways climate change can indirectly threaten health

A
  1. compromised food production
  2. air pollution
  3. infectious diseases
  4. mental health problems
  5. population dislocation
  6. civil conflict
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14
Q

What 2 environmental stressors must be considered when assessing climate-related health risks?

A
  1. Urbanization (urban health islands)
  2. Land cover changes (modifying mosquito-borne diseases)
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15
Q

Why are policy changes important in a comprehensive public health approach to global climate change?

A

Because they can have co-benefits or unintended consequences

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16
Q

Climate Change depends on the overall __________ __________ of the planet

fill in blank

A

Energy Budget

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17
Q

How was historical levels of GHGs determined?

A

From analyzing air trapped in antarctic ice cores

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18
Q

What is positive radiative forcing?

A

The warming of the earth by GHGs that absrob & then re-emitt infrared radiation towards to earths surface & loswer atmosphere.

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19
Q

What 2 factors have contributed the most to increases in global GHG emissions?

A
  1. Economic growth
  2. Population growth
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20
Q

How do higher temps contribute to severe droughts?

A

Higher temps evaporate soil moisture more quickyl

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21
Q

How does higher temps contribute to hydrological extremes like floods or droughts?

A

Warm air can hold more moisture in it, resulting in heavier precipitation events

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22
Q

Why are ocean levels rising and ocean currents changing?

A

Because warming temps are melting the arctic and antarctic ice caps, releasing vast amounts of water into the oceans

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23
Q

What 3 outcomes of rising sea levels are a direct concern to human health?

A
  1. Exacerbation of storm surges
  2. Worsening coastal erosions
  3. Overwhlem low-lying areas (i.e. cities like Vancouver)
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24
Q

What is tail risk?

A

The extreme end of the distribution of probabilities for a particular outcome

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25
Q

What are 4 types of particularly vulnerable regions to health impacts of climate change?

A
  1. Areas near or with a high endemicity ot climate-sensitive diseases
  2. Areas w/ association btwn epidemic disease and weather extremes
  3. Areas risk of combined climate impacts to health (i.e. coastal flooding)
  4. Areas w/ concurrent environmental or socioeconomic stresses (i.e. land-use practices)
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26
Q

What is ENSO?

A

El Nino Southern Oscillation is the natural year-to-year variation in sea surface temps, surface air pressure, rainfall, & atmospheric circulation across the equatorial pacific ocean.

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27
Q

What is a natural source of GHG emissions?

A

Animal & Plant respiration

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28
Q

What are 4 human activities that release GHGs?

LIFD

A
  1. Livestock Farming
  2. Industrial Processes
  3. Fossil Fuel Burning
  4. Deforestation
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29
Q

50% of the GHG emissions that occurred btwn 1750-2010 ocurred after what point?

A

1970

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30
Q

What economic sector contributes the most to GHG emissions in Canada?

A

The Oil & Gas Sector

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31
Q

What economic sector contributes the second most to Canada’s GHG emissions?

A

Transport

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32
Q

What year were sea surface temps the warmest on record?

A

2014

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33
Q

How much has sea levels risen in the last 100 years?

A

About 20cm’s

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34
Q

How many of the worlds 19 megacities are at risk from rising sea levels?

A

14

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35
Q

What is the most important concern in the context of climate change?

A

Malnutrition

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36
Q

What are 3 mechanisms that affect food security?

CYRCLND

A
  1. Crop Yield Reduction
  2. Crop Losses (increase)
  3. Nutrient Decrease
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37
Q

How much is climate change projected to reduce global food production per decade?

A

2%

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38
Q

Wheat, maize, sorghum, & millet yields are estimated to decline how much across Africa and South Asia by 2050?

A

80%

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39
Q

How many more children might be undernourished by 2050 due to climate change?

A

25 million

40
Q

Why might climate change increase the amount of crop losses?

3

A
  1. Plant diseases will increase
  2. Weeds (which are favoured by climate change) will compete more with crops
  3. Weather effects
41
Q

Why will the nutrient content of food decrease from climate change?

A

Because CO2 “fertilization” reduced protein content or micronutrient content in some crops

42
Q

What is ocean acidification?

A

The decrease in pH of the surface of the ocean due to the absorption of anthropogenic CO2

43
Q

What shape is the relationship between temperature and mordbidity/mortality?

A

J-shaped, with a steeper slope at higher temperatures

44
Q

What is the preferred method of quantifying risk estimates of heat-related mortality?

A

By comparing observed vs. expected mortality during heat events (i.e. heat wave)

45
Q

Why may the risk of heat-related deaths persist despite air conditioning and increased preparedness in countries like the US?

A

Because of climatic and demographic trends like an aging population

46
Q

List some risk factors for heat-related morbidity/mortality?

AMPUAC

A
  1. Age
  2. Medical Conditions
  3. Poverty
  4. Urban Location
  5. no Air Conditiong
47
Q

Besides impacts on health, whats another concern for the effects of heat?

A

Reduced work capacity, leading to economic impacts

48
Q

What is an urban heat island?

A

An urban area that generates and retains heat because of buildings, human/industrial activities, & other factrs (i.e. black asphalt)

49
Q

Is biological acclimatization to increased heat possible?

A

Yes, but is limited by an individuals capacity to increase cardiac output as required for greater cutaneous blood flow

50
Q

What is the most common natural disaster world wide?

A

Floods

51
Q

What city came the closest in the world to running out of water?

A

Cape Town, South Africa

52
Q

Floods increase the risk of what kind of diseases?

A

Waterborne diseases

53
Q

How can climate change affect exposure to air pollutants?

IPaD

A

By increasing the amount of air pollutants
and by influencing the ways air pollutants are dispersed

54
Q

Higher ________ increases ozone formation

A

temperature

55
Q

How might warmer temperatures lead to more air pollution?

A

Assuming that they are fueld by fossil fuels, increased AC demand from warming temps can increase air pollution

56
Q

How does climate change affect aeroallergens?

A

Higher temps and increased CO2 levels increase production of pollen (and the duration of production), affecting air quality

57
Q

T or F: Diseases spread person-to-person are most sensitive to climate change? Why or why not?

A

FALSE

because of climate changes effects on earths systems

58
Q

Climate change affects water quantity and quality in what water systems?

A

In freshwater systems

59
Q

Why is climate change expected to increase the risk of waterborne diseases?

generally speaking

A

Because climate change will result in more severe and frequent precipitation events

60
Q

How does flooding in freshwater ecosystems contaminate drinking water?

A
  1. Contaminate drinking water w/ sewage runoff
  2. Contamination via containment lagoons
  3. Contamination via nonpoint source pollution across watersheds
61
Q

Heavy precipitation (and resulting flooding) increases risk of what kind of diseases?

A

Enteric (GI) Diseases

62
Q

What causes harmful algal blooms (HABs)?

A

Warm water and nutrient loading (w/ nitrogen & phosphorus)

63
Q

How is climate change expected to affect harmful algal blooms?

A

It is expected to increase the frequency and toxicity of algal blooms

64
Q

How can increased waterborne diseases occur in marine environments?

2

A
  1. Increase in harmful algal blooms (HABs)
  2. Proliferation of waterborne diseases due to warmer marine water
65
Q

What are some vector-borne diseases of particular concern because of the effects of climate change?

4

A

Malaria
Dengue Fever
Lyme DIsease
West Nile Virus

66
Q

What are 4 direct effects of climate change that impact vector-borne diseases?

A
  1. Temperature
  2. Global Wind Patterns
  3. Global Precipitation Patterns
  4. Changes in Humidity
67
Q

What are 4 indirect effects of climate change that impact vector-borne diseases?

A
  1. Desertification & Drought
  2. Changes in Vegetation
  3. Hydrological Changes
  4. Changes in Agricultural Practices
68
Q

What are 5 effects of heat on people with mental illness?

A
  1. Depression/Suicide
  2. Dementia
  3. Psychotic Illness
  4. Substance Abuse
  5. Relationship of heat to violence
69
Q

Is there an association between war/conflict and climate change?

A

Yes. Climate change may catalyze instability (i.e. displacement or economic hardships)

70
Q

What are the 2 key strategies for responding to climate change?

A
  1. Mitigation
  2. Adaptation
71
Q

Mitigation public health response corresponds with ________ prevention

A

primary

72
Q

What is the aim of the mitigation public health response in the context of climate change?

A

To reduce or stabilize GHG emissions

73
Q

What are 2 key mitigation strategies in the context of climate change?

A
  1. More efficient energy production
  2. reduced energy demand
74
Q

What are some ways of engaging in more efficient energy production?

A
  1. Wind or solar energy
  2. Active transportation
  3. Fuel efficient vehicles
  4. electronic appliances
75
Q

How might we try to mitigate GHGs by sequestering CO2?

A

By preserving and expanding CO2 sinks (forests)

76
Q

Stabilization wedges are an important concept to what public health response strategy?

A

Mitigation strategy

77
Q

What two carbon emission pathways do stabilization wedges show?

A
  1. The current path, which is a steep rise in emissions
  2. A flat path, where current emissions are stabilized
78
Q

What is the stabilization triangle? What does it represent?

A

The triangular area between the current path and flat path of carbon emissions. It represents the reductions in emissions needed to achieve stabilization.

79
Q

1 stabilization wedge represents how much carbon emissions?

A

1 billion tons

80
Q

What is the aim of the adaptation public health response to climate change?

A

To reduce the public health impact of climate change

81
Q

What concept does the adaptation response correspond to?

A

Public health preparedness

82
Q

What does the adaptation strategy require?

A

Vulnerability assessments to identify at-risk populations and the likelihood of an event occurring

83
Q

What does BRACE framework stand for?

A

Building Resilience Against Climate Effects

84
Q

What makes adaptation strategies optimal?

A

Their ability to achieve multiple objectives; taking advantage of co-benefits

85
Q

What are the 5 steps of the BRACE framework?

A
  1. Forecasting climate impacts & assessing vulnerabilities
  2. protecting the disease burden
  3. assessing public health interventions
  4. developing & implementing a climate & health adaption plan
  5. Evaluating impact & imporving quality of activities
86
Q

What are some steps to addressing climate change that have co-benefits?

4

A
  1. Reducing GHG emissions
  2. Shifting to renewable energy sources
  3. Shifting transportation patterns
  4. Less meat-intensive diets
87
Q

What are “no-regrets” solutions?

A

Opportunities to addressing climate change that have indirect co-benefits that are beneficial to the world regardless of a persons beliefs surrounding climate change. (no regrets to pursueing them even if climate change is “fake”)

88
Q

How can we frame climate communication to make it more compelling?

A

Framing it in the context of “health”

89
Q

What was the aim of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol?

A

to reduce GHG emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels between 2008-2012

90
Q

What is the UNFCCC?

A

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

91
Q

What are 2 barriers to international agreements on lowering GHG emissions?

A
  1. Unwillingness of wealthy countries to accept binding limits (i.e. US)
  2. Tension btwn wealthy countries & low-middle income countries
92
Q

Why is there tension between wealthy countries and developing countries about GHG emissions?

A

Because wealthy countries, who have contributed the most to GHG emissions, are often unwilling to follow agreements to lower GHG emissions, while low-middle income countries who are in need of economic development believe that it is the responsibility of wealthy nations to lower GHG emissions. Also because developing countries are the most at risk to the effects of climate change.

93
Q

What is the cap and trade market mechanism to reducing GHG emissions?

A

This mechanism has the government set a cap on total GHG emissions and distributes emission permits to companies that emit GHG. Overtime, the cap is lowered, thereby lowering GHG emissions.

94
Q

What is the carbon tax market mechanism to reducing GHG emissions?

A

Mechanism of placing a tax on the price of carbon use to increase the price of carbon-based fuels, thereby reducing demand

95
Q

What two forms of justice require ethical consideration in climate change policy?

A
  1. Climate Justice
  2. Intergenerational Justice

Environmental Health (4 decks)

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