Climate Change Occurrence and Public Health

Question: Discuss about the Climate Change Occurrence and Public Health. Answer: Introduction: Global warming is the leading anthropogenic occurrence that has indeed resulted in the greatest threat to the living world. Doing nothing is disadvantageous as that would result in a rise of global temperature above 4 C in the next 85 years affecting quality of life. Adaptation is the way of altering life strategies that includes resilience that is changing the activities harming nature and shaping up the life pattern that would suit the environment like making a decarbonized ecosystem that would reduce global warming (3). It would involve developing policies to reduce factors resulting in climate change or to cope with them in a successful way. Mitigation is the planning of the acts that should decrease the harmful effects of climate change such as reduction of processes releasing green house gases, altering the use of energy resources, reducing consumption of meat and many others. The global warming temperature has increase by about 1.2 C has been found in the recent years which has been found to be above the pre industrial temperature and the main reason acting is the global warming due to increased level of carbon dioxide (2). Excessive use of fossil fuels as well as various industrial activities is harmful for human life mainly affecting the underprivileged classes as they are more exposed to the greenhouse gases. Actual or [projected harm provides us with the possible outcomes in the future that would help us to take steps to reduce global warming immediately. Transport and vehicle releases harmful gases like CO, NO, hydrocarbons, SO2. Some act as greenhouse gases leading to global warming. CO and NO released from gas stoves, heaters, fireplaces as well as from tobacco smoking becomes a reason for huge number of deaths every season. Urbanization leading to the formation of various types of industries and factories, thermal production plants also lead to the generation of GHG. Various health practioners have provided different health policies, suggested good monitoring systems, introduced the entire scenario in education in schools and colleges and even collaborated with different health care systems over the world for betterment. Challenges include unsuccessful collaborations, improper surveillance systems, reduced manpower and negligence of citizens in hygiene prospective as the reason for failure of the health care practitioners. Co benefits of health program policies include introduction of vehicles that produces very little CO2, prioritizing walking and cycling as active transport system that keeps the individuals in good shape and free from diseases like diabetes, cardiac arrests and many others (4). However, the cars which used high fuel when abandoned is sold to developing countries causing promotion. Shift to diesel cars saved nature from Co2 emission but introduced tiny pollutants which might be harmful. Co benefit of mitigation processes in urbanization included proper designing of houses with good ventilators will help removing air pollutants as well as properly cleaned houses prevent spread of harmful diseases (1). Energy saving cook wares or stoves and access to safe drinking water are the other co-benefits. Co-benefit argument is obviously a persuasive motivator because it can decrease the recent health hazards occurring due to global warming and provide a safe life. References: Fisk WJ. Review of some effects of climate change on indoor environmental quality and health and associated no-regrets mitigation measures. Building and Environment. 2015 Apr 30;86:70-80. Reed MS, Podesta G, Fazey I, Geeson N, Hessel R, Hubacek K, Letson D, Nainggolan D, Prell C, Rickenbach MG, Ritsema C. Combining analytical frameworks to assess livelihood vulnerability to climate change and analyse adaptation options. Ecological Economics. 2013 Oct 31;94:66-77. VijayaVenkataRaman S, Iniyan S, Goic R. A review of climate change, mitigation and adaptation. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2012 Jan 31;16(1):878-97. West JJ, Smith SJ, Silva RA, Naik V, Zhang Y, Adelman Z, Fry MM, Anenberg S, Horowitz LW, Lamarque JF. Co-benefits of mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions for future air quality and human health. Nature climate change. 2013 Oct 1;3(10):885-9.