How Climate Change Affects Human Health

In the last 100 years, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased, causing the Earth to warm by an average of 0.6 degrees celsius, largely a result of burning fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and land use changes increased for food production. The basic science is straightforward and climate researchers have shown that gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and others can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Human activities such as industry, transport, energy generation and deforestation all produce these greenhouse gases. In the last 20 years, concern has grown that global warming is inevitable and now considered most probably caused by man-made increases in

The carbon dioxide levels in the 20th century have been highest in 650,000 years. Till 1950, the levels rose by 11% and recently the levels have risen by 40%. Arctic ice is melting rapidly. It is estimated that by 2040 the region is to have a completely ice free summer, or even earlier. More than 1 million species have become extinct due to disappearing habitats caused due to global warming. Sea levels have risen about 7 inches in the last 100 years, which is more than the previous 2000 years combined. The rising sea levels due to global warming could threaten the lives of people living along the coastal areas. The consumption of fossil fuels in last few decades has contributed much to the destruction of our environment. Global warming, climate

Climate change is evident throughout the world and is a major issue. It is no secret that our planet is getting warmer. Global warming is now recognized in the scientific community as a real problem. There are multiple aspects that are causing this issue. Majority of the warming is caused by greenhouse gases. Volcanic eruptions and changes in the intensity of solar radiation have offset the warming partially. It is estimated that average annual temperatures will increase 3.5°F-9.5°F by the century’s end.

Mathiesen, Karl. “Extreme Weather Already on Increase Due to Climate Change, Study Finds.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015

The most significant global health issue in the United States (U.S.) and one that poses the most danger is climate change. Climate change is a major global health issue that many of us do not understand, do not take seriously, nor do not consider to be a major health concern. The link between global health and climate change has been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a risk to the health of the population and is now classified as one of the greatest health risks of the 21st century (WHO, 2016). Climate change is not just a danger to the environment, but a global threat to our health and it must be recognized as an emergent issue as our climate is becoming altered progressively faster than expected.

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation over the last 200 years has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space. Greenhouse gases are necessary in our lives as they help in keeping the planet 's surface warmer than it would otherwise be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth 's temperature is climbing above past levels (USEPA, 2014).

According to scientific research, the average temperature of the earth has risen by between ten and twenty degrees Celsius (M.L. Weitzman, 2008). These high temperatures could well be described as a ‘recipe for disaster’, and could produce results that would be catastrophic on a global scale. What is more alarming however, is that there is already a lot of evidence of predicted results of climate change, for instance, in Australia especially, severe draughts have been common in farming areas in the last few decades, there has been an increase of intense and extreme weather events, for example floods, flash floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and tornados, almost all of the natural disasters listed have occurred for ‘unknown’ reasons in the past few years. Rises in sea water level and temperature due to higher acid levels caused by global warming, threaten the existence of species and in some areas, entire eco-systems resulting in the loss of natural biodiversity. ‘Climate change is pushing the world to the verge of environmental and economic collapse, whether global deniers want to believe it or not’ (N. Klein, 2011).

Most climate scientists agree with the idea that the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the "greenhouse effect", warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. Over the last century, the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse

Today, atmospheric CO2 concentration has nearly increased by 25 percent, and the global temperature has risen by nearly 1.25 degrees as reported in 2014 (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2014), as part of a continuous rise since the 1800s. This may seem small but are having a huge effect on the Earth and causing global warming, and in turn, climate change. These changes are predominantly blamed on humans, through actions such as fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and increased agricultural production and

In this 21-century climate change is becoming worse and worse. There is water levels are rising, animals in cold areas are starting to die because of the rises temperatures, and humans' health is being at risk, why because of human activities. The activities that humans mostly do is burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

For over a hundred years, scientists have been carefully gathering and verifying data on the earth's temperature. The latest data reveals some striking trends:All 10 of the warmest years on record have occurred in the last 15 years The 1990's have already been warmer than the 1980's- the warmest decade on record The global average surface temperature has risen 0.5 degrees (site source)For the first time ever, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the authoritative international body charged with studying this issue, concluded that the observed increase in global average temperature over the last century "is

Scientific evidence suggests that human activity like agriculture, urbanization and industrialization have influenced climate change. Clearing land and building cities up for agriculture results in changing the climate. This is because the population is increasing rapidly and the demand to use fossil fuels in our everyday life is also increasing. Increasing use for fossil fuels, industrialization and deforestation has a huge impact on the climate. Enhanced greenhouse gases are an increase in natural greenhouse gases impacted by mankind. The major cause of greenhouse gases is the increase in carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide being released in the atmosphere. If greenhouse gases continue to be produced at the same rate as it did in 2000, then there will be a 0.1-degree change in temperature per decade. This isn’t likely to happen though because of the dramatic need for fossil fuel.

In the last 100 years, Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4°F. The rising global temperatures have caused changes in weather and climate. Global warming refers to the ongoing rise in the average temperature near Earth’s surface. This is causing a climate change, which refers to any significant change (major change in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns) in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time (several decades or longer). Due to this, it is projected that the temperature will rise from 2 to 11.5°F in the next hundred years (US EPA, 2014). The “drivers,” which are the principal causes making this occur, are very controversial. It is debated whether a change in temperature is due to the work of

According to a recent study, humans having been causing global warming for about 180 years. The study reconstructed 500 years of climate to determine when the warming shift started. They found that the earliest stages of human-caused greenhouse warming began in the Industrial Revolution, mainly around the 1830s in the Arctic and tropical oceans, followed by change in North America, Europe, and Asia. At this time in human history, we has started burning fossil fuels like coal. This was used to power factory machines, and steam engines used in trains and steamboats. Fossil fuels originate from the remains of ancient plants and animals, and when burned, release carbon-dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the

Climate change. A phrase that encompasses a vast wealth of information, the totality of which is difficult to fathom let alone concisely elaborate upon in a condensed format such as a course or writing assignment. Through this course, the interconnectedness with which humans influence the balance of climate change is abundantly clear. Ecosystems plants and animals depend on are all connected and influencing one another but these scales are imbalanced, mostly as a result of human activities. The web of interconnectivity in climate change is complex, but there is a reemerging consensus at it’s core that human actions, such as global development, has major ramifications and the health and welfare of people and the environment are paying the price. Those daring enough to say they aren’t influencing climate change haven’t truly examined the many facets of their lives consuming energy and in turn increasing carbon emissions that alter climate. For most, transportation is a necessity. This usage requires energy consumption, most likely in the form of fossil fuel resource depletion and in turn the generation of carbon emissions. Transportation routes by land or sea may alter ecosystems that further elevate carbon emissions. With an understanding that the topic of climate change and carbon emissions is massive at best, the aim of this assignment will be to provide the reader with a basic understanding of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions and the relation to climate change. A