Week 5: Environmental Health on a Global Scale Flashcards
Define radiative forcing.
Higher greenhouse gas concentrations have contributed to warming of the Earth by absorbing and reemitting infrared radiation toward the lower atmosphere and the Earth’s surface
Define climate forcing.
The difference between insolation (sunlight) absorbed by the Earth and energy radiated back to space
What are 4 Earth system changes?
Warming temperatures
More severe weather events
Loss of arctic and Antarctic ice
Rising sea levels
What are 3 details about vulnerable regions due to climate change?
Populations within or bordering regions have a high endemicity of climate sensitive diseases-malaria
Areas at risk from combined climate impacts relevant to health-stress on food and water supplies
Areas at risk from socioeconomic stresses- stresses from land use practices, underdeveloped health infrastructure
What are 8 details about food and nutrition due to climate change?
Malnutrition
Reduced crop yields: effects of weather (heat, changes in rainfall) and effects of plant diseases, pests, weeds
Reduced nutrients in foods
Increased losses
“CO2 fertilization”
Competition from biofuel production
Ocean acidification
Results in rising food prices and malnutrition, stunting
What are 3 details about heat due to climate change?
Health effects well understood: heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion,
heat stroke; how do you measure mortality?; reduced work capacity – economic impacts
Risk factors well understood: age, medical conditions, poverty, urban
location; the role of urban heat islands
Adaptation is possible: biological acclimatization; heat wave preparedness planning
What are 4 examples of natural disasters that can occur due to climate change?
Floods: 150- 200 annually, waterborne
diseases
Droughts
Severe storms
Wildfires: COPD, asthma
What are 3 details about climate change and air quality?
Ozone formation
Aeroallergens: poison ivy, ragweed
Smoke from wildfires
What are 2 details about waterborne diseases due to climate change?
Freshwater: effects of temperature on enteric disease risk and effects of extreme rainfall on water systems
Marine environments: harmful algal blooms
What are 3 details about mental health effects due to climate change?
Mental health sequelae of disasters
Mental health effects of displacement
Effects of heat on people with mental illness:
1. Depression and suicide
2. Dementia
3. Substance abuse
What are 3 details about public health response (mitigation)?
Corresponds to primary prevention
Reduce or eliminate GHG emissions
Concept of stabilization wedges
What are 2 details about public health response (adaptation)?
Corresponds to public health
preparedness
Requires forecasting, vulnerability
assessment
Example: CDC BRACE framework
What is an example of a climate change policy?
Putting a price on carbon through carbon taxes or cap and trade
What is the percentage breakdown of greenhouse emissions by gas?
76% carbon dioxide through burning fossil fuels and industrial processes
16% methane from agricultural means
6% nitrous oxide
2% other gases
List major greenhouse gases (6) and where they are produced.
Carbon dioxide: fossil fuel combustion, land use changes, cement production
Methane: fossil fuel combustion, rice paddies, waste dumps, livestock
Nitrous oxide: fertilizer, combustion, industrial processes
CFC-12: liquid coolants, foams
HCFC-22: liquid coolants
Sulfur hexafluoride: dielectric fluid
Define urban heat islands.
An urban area that generates and retains heat as a result of building buildings, industrial activities, and humans
