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Climate change is already having obvious effects on human health, according to a new study describing the situation as a "health emergency".
"Climate change is leading to injuries, illnesses and deaths from heatwaves, infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, as well as changes in the climate." air quality, among other adverse health consequences, "said Kristie Ebi, one of the authors of the report.
She directs the Center for Global Health and Environment at the University of Washington in Seattle.
According to Ebi, "the science is clear" that for every increase in global warming, there is an increase in these general risks to health. That is to say, she added, if no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon dioxide – which remains in the atmosphere for centuries – is the main emission that fuels global warming. In the United States, the main source is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Today, the average global temperature is 1 degree Celsius higher than it was in the pre-industrial era, according to the review. Most of this increase has occurred since the 1970s.
Some of the health effects of climate change are intuitive: more frequent and intense heat waves increase the risk of heat-related diseases, for example.
Other health effects, however, are less obvious.
The review shows that air pollution related to greenhouse gas emissions can exacerbate some chronic diseases, including heart disease and lung disease. Climate change can also fuel the spread of insect-borne infections, such as Lyme disease and West Nile, and even contribute to food poisoning by contributing to heavy rains, to the environment. rising sea levels and floods that can contaminate foodstuffs.
"Weather events" such as floods and forest fires pose a direct threat, causing injury and death, said Ebi and his colleague, Dr. Andy Haines. But they can also make victims in other ways.
After a huge forest fire in North Carolina in 2008, for example, the researchers tracked the impact on health. They found that in countries affected by fires, emergencies caused by respiratory emergencies increased.
The magazine was published on January 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Here and now
Many people may not be aware of the magnitude of the health effects badociated with climate change, said Dr. Regina LaRocque, who co-authored a commentary published with the journal.
And, she pointed out, this is not a theoretical problem that people might be facing in the future.
"It's happening here and now," said LaRocque, an infectious disease specialist at Mbadachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
"It's important that people realize," she added. "I think humans are not really designed to react to a threat until they are in immediate danger."
In terms of how to respond, LaRocque said health care systems have a responsibility to serve as a "model". In the United States, she noted, the health care sector is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions – because of its size and the energy needed to make it work. hospitals and other facilities 24 hours a day.
According to LaRocque, some health systems have begun to take action in this regard – switching to greener energy sources such as solar or wind energy, for example. And that must continue, she said.
The public can also do their part, said Ebi. She gave examples like choosing to walk or bike instead of driving; eat less meat and more plants, and turn off the computers when they are not used.
These actions are also healthy and economical for individuals, Ebi noted.
And when it comes to big policy changes, she said, people can make a difference with their vote. "If climate change is important to you, then vote for the politicians who commit to action," Ebi suggested.
"Mitigation" policies to combat climate change cost money. But, added Ebi, this would be countered by the savings achieved by avoiding hospitalizations and premature deaths.
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