Blog #5: 🌞 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH

Hi steemit friends:

Today I’m going to talk to you about “EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH”.

I’ll start with “Impacts of climate change special in Viet Nam”

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1. DEFINITION

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• Refers to any distinct change in measures of climate lasting for a long period of time, including major changes in temperature, rainfall, snow or wind patterns lasting for decades or longer.

• Climate change can be natural or caused by changes people have made to the land or atmosphere.

• Climate change may result from :

✓ Natural factor (such as changes in the sun’s energy or slow changes in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun

✓ Natural processes within the climate system

✓ Human activities that change the atmosphere ( burning fossil fuels) and the land surface ( cutting down forests, planting trees, building developments in cities…)

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2. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

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Future climate change and associated impacts will different from region to region. Anticipated effects include increasing global warming, rising sea levels, natural disasters, extreme climatic events…

Global warming:

• Climate model projections summarized in the report indicated that during the 21st century, the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 0.3 to 1.7 °C in the lowest emissions scenario, and 2.6 to 4.8 °C in the highest emissions scenario.

• Greenhouse gases:

✓ 97% of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities.

✓ The major greenhouse gases are water vapour; carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and ozone (O3)

✓ Deforestation, Burning of Fossil Fuels, Air Pollution are the main results of global warming caused by humans which eventually changes the climate.

✓ Human activity since the Industrial Revolution has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to increased radiative forcing from CO2, methane, tropospheric ozone, CFCs and nitrous oxide

Rising sea levels:

• According to climate change scenarios, in the end of the 21st century, the annual average temperature in our country increases by 2 - 3oC, total annual rainfall and rainy season increase while dry season rainfall decreases. The sea level may rise from 75cm to 1m compared to the 1980-1999 average.

• Projections of declines in Arctic sea ice vary. Recent projections suggest that Arctic summers could be ice-free (defined as ice extent less than 1 million square km) as early as 2025–2030.

Natural disasters, extreme climatic events…

• Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events, including droughts, flooding and heatwaves, according to a new report.

• With increasing global surface temperatures the possibility of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely occur.

• As more water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere it becomes fuel for more powerful storms to develop.

• More heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures can lead to increased wind speeds in tropical storms.

3. EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH

• All populations will be affected by climate change, but some are more vulnerable than others. Homeless people, old people, worker working outdoors, children, pregnant women, poor people…are particularly vulnerable.

• 12.6 MILLION DIE EACH YEAR AS A RESULT OF LIVING IN AN UNHEALTHY ENVIROMENT(W.H.O) 2 BILLION PEOPLE TO DENUE TRANSMISSION BY THE 2080

• Global warming is increasing the risk of heat related illness, increase of tropospheric ozone, Bacterial and viral diseases and respiratory diseases because of air pollution.

• Sea level rise is increase of communicable diseases, increase the rick of diarrhoeal disease…

• Natural disasters, extreme climatic events… effects of polution: water pollution (bacteria, parasites, chemicals,…) air pollution,….Malnutrition, infectious diseases, food poisoning

- WHO : 5 MAJOR HEALTH EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

➢ Malnutrition

➢ Deaths and injuries caused storms and floods

➢ Water scarcity / contamination ( droughts and sudden floods) – increased burden of diarrhoeal disease.

➢ Heatwaves – direct increases in morbidity and mortality; indirect effects via increases in ground- level ozone, contributing to asthma attacks.

➢ Vector- borne disease – malaria and dengue.

Finally I’m talk about …Cope with climate change

It is therefore important for populations to learn to adapt to climate change

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

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➢ THINK AND SHARE IDEAS

➢ TRY SOMETHING ON YOUR OWN

➢ REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE ( eg we use clean energy, we should walk, cycle and ues public transit…)

➢ CONSERVE ENERGY

We can change reality, a small change can make a big difference.

It is hoped that the information will help people to prevent and handle the risk factors in time. Thank you for reading! If you like this article and would like to write more articles on health topics, please comment!

Better use medicines at the outset than at the last moment!

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^{Refer to the previous post:}

^{1: Children eye injuries
2: Burn and prevention
3: Depression
4: Pneumonia in children}

LOVE