Human-caused climate changes lead to the deaths of at least 150,000 people around the world every year, a figure which is likely to increase as global warming continues to exacerbate existing environmental health threats around the world. Children, the elderly, and those in disadvantaged communities are the most vulnerable to such exacerbations. The following expected health impacts of global climate change can be separated into direct and indirect effects. Direct impacts stem from extreme events such as heat waves, floods, droughts, windstorms, and wildfires, while the indirect effects may arise from the disruption of natural systems, causing infectious disease, malnutrition, food and water-borne illness, and increased air pollution. Both, direct and indirect effects, are the reasons for disasters to happen. Answer the following questions: ďƒ˜ Can you explain what a disaster is? ďƒ˜ Name at least 5 natural disasters and the reasons why they happen.
Have they increased in the recent years? Is climate change contributing to these natural disasters happening? Can you think of any examples of man-made environmental disasters that have taken place anywhere in the world? How do they affect our health? (click on the link to get information in order to answer this question) In case the link is not available here you have the complete text. IS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTING OUR HEALTH? That’s a question I had always wondered about. When we think about climate change, or global warming, we often visualize an image like a polar bear precariously balanced on a small floating patch of ice but, in the bigger picture, can it affect our own health? The answer is absolutely. Unfortunately, there are many ways that are often overlooked and never even discussed when we consider climate change. The change in global temperature can have long-term effects on human health because it affects the food we eat, the diseases we get, the disorders we develop, the air we breathe and the water we drink… all the things essential to a healthy body. Here are just a few concerns to consider if anyone ever thinks this is only an environmental issue:
Greenhouse gasses can cause respiratory issues and more severe problems for asthma suffers because plants will actually produce more allergens when temperatures increase.
Extra heat creates more ground-level ozone, and increases pollution, which creates addedstress for our heart and lungs.
Rising temperatures can increase the range of infectious parasites and therefore increase the rate and severity of infectious diseases.
Weather extremes will increase, resulting in intense heat waves or bouts of bitter cold, resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.
Crops can become compromised, decreasing the yield and reducing their nutritional quality.
Water supplies are reduced along with the quality of water, coupled with an increase of water-borne illnesses.
Research has shown that bugs, plants, animals are all literally moving closer to the poles to escape the increases in heat. Tropical fish have even been found off the coast of Long Island, New York, because of the rise in water temperature. The next time someone rejects the idea of climate change affecting their lives, remind them that our environment can’t change without changing us too!
Can we do anything to stop these natural disasters? How can we help?
In the following pages you are going to work on this last question. Consider the pictures bellow.
Environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places. Click HERE and then roll your mouse to do some research on how toxic chemicals may affect us.
Write a brief summary of what you have discovered in Tox Town in relation with health and how we can be affected .
Ok. In my opinion you are ready to click on the following link to learn how you can do your bit. Why go green? After reading activity Find 6 reasons in the link above Why go green , write them down and you will be ready for next section:
“ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION”
In case the following link is not available, the complete text is included below. Why go green?
So, You're Finally Ready To Learn How To Go Green? That's great news. You're about to take a positive step in your life that will make you feel better about yourself, and help save the Earth, and your family, all at once! How can you go wrong? The collection of short, mostly free, courses here at How To Go Green University will help you understand the simple steps it takes to "going green" in your life. Browse through our classes and when you're ready to learn, simply enroll at any time.
WHO AM I?
My name is Doreen Kukral and I'm an active and proud member of the green movement. I write a popular blog at MomGoesGreen.com, please stop by.
WHY GO GREEN?
This IS the most fundamental of questions. We each have our own idea of what “going green” means, and perhaps, a variety of reasons for doing so. But it’s a question worth answering. If you ever asked yourself this question, or if someone ever asks you “why”, think about the big picture and the reasons we “do what we do”. I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a cause worth fighting for. 1.
In a nutshell, I believe the “go green” movement is all about the concerns for the depletion and contamination of the earth’s greatest, and most important, natural resources… think
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about clean water, clean air, clean soil… (not to mention a clean and healthy body). They are directly linked to our well-being and they are in jeopardy. When we choose not to recycle, our trash (that reaches landfills) contains harmful chemicals and ingredients that affect the soil, leach into the ground and surface water, and contaminate everything… from the soil that grows our food to the water we drink. This contamination also creates harmful conditions for wildlife and eco-systems.
When we DO recycle, we save the resources needed to create new products and the energy needed for their production, which prevents excessive CO2 emissions caused by the production process. Reducing energy consumption reduces your demand on polluting power plants that create excessive emissions and seriously contribute to global warming. Water is essential to our survival and it is NOT renewable. Being conscious of our use(and preventing overuse) of water and seeing that we do all we can to prevent contamination of our fresh water supply simply protects this invaluable resource. Buying organic locally-grown foods means avoiding harsh chemicals, supporting agriculture that does not contaminate the soil and food (with pesticides/herbicides and harmful chemicals), and avoiding the emissions created by shipping produce from somewhere across the country or (potentially) another hemisphere entirely. This, in turn, slows deforestation by reducing the demand for producing news crops… therefore saving delicate eco-systems, valuable trees (that hold CO2) and precious wildlife.
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Choosing products that are biodegradable and contain natural ingredients prevents absorption of chemicals into our own bodies and the contamination of resources when they reach landfills and water sources. This includes everything from body products and cosmetics
to household cleaners and lawn care chemicals. Choosing products made from recycled or sustainable resources does everything from protecting resources, habitats and forests, to preventing more landfill waste, to the reduction of production energy. 9. When we choose NOT to use resources, it SAVES resources. Is there really any reason NOT to want to do that? 10. People, plants, animals and the environment/eco-systems are all interconnected. We cannot change one without affecting the other and, the way I see it, we are the only “element� in that equation that has the true ability to make a positive change. 8.