Sustainability Issue 5

SUSTAINABILITY VOL. 05 | NOVEMBER 2020 NLCS JEJU ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SOCIETY

CONTENTS 02 NOVEMBER ENVIRONMENT CALENDAR #ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH 03 IS CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTING THE SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES? 05 CAREERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 07 COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND MENTAL HEALTH 09 DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT INFECTIOUS DISEASES?

REISE | PAGE 2

01

NOVEMBER ENVIRONMENT CALENDAR

November 1 World Vegan Day : a day to celebrate benefits of veganism for humans and the natural environment through activities such as setting up stalls, hosting potlucks, and planting memorial trees November 6 International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict : a day to ensure that action on the environment is part of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies, as there can be no durable peace if the natural resources are destroyed November 29 International Jaguar Day : created to raise awareness about the increasing threats facing the jaguar and the critical conservation efforts ensuring its survival

02

IS CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTING THE SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES? JANICE YOO Climate change is a global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in the usual climate of Earth regarding temperature, precipitation, and wind. It is a global challenge that the international community should collaborate to come up with a solution since it causes severe effects on our environment and is usually caused by human activities. Especially, global warming refers to the rise in temperature due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Recently, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, a number of ecologists and scientists are focusing on the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases. How does climate change affect the spread of infectious diseases?

03

The link between climate change and infectious diseases has long been established through scientific research. In fact, climate change is taking away the comfort zone for many animals, including disease-carrying mosquitoes that cause malaria and kill 1 million people a year.

Stanford biologist Erin Mordecai and her colleagues predicted that climate change will alter where mosquito species are most comfortable and how quickly they spread disease, shifting the burden of disease around the world. Her research conveys that warmer temperatures increase transmission of the vector-borne disease up to an optimum temperature or a turn-over point above which transmission slows. Not to mention, insect vectors tend to be more active at higher temperatures. For example, malaria is most likely to spread at 25 degrees celsius while the risk of Zika is highest at 25 degrees celsius.

Therefore, global warming will prevent the spread of some diseases that are activated above the optimum temperature or hasten the spread of some diseases near the optimum temperature.

Furthermore, waterborne infectious diseases are also strongly affected by climate change.

During times of drought, lack of water results in poor sanitation, and more of the population is likely to be exposed to contaminated water. For example, cholera in northern Kenya was caused due to severe drought. Also, excess rainfall and flooding can contribute to epidemics of waterborne infectious diseases, in this case, due to poor sanitation by runoff from overwhelmed sewage lines or the contamination of water by livestock. One example can be the 1993 epidemic of diarrheal disease due to cryptosporidium in Milwaukee after heavy spring rains.

Climate change will also change regions where certain infectious diseases are prevalent.

Currently, malaria is more common in countries with warmer climates since its high temperatures foster the reproduction of mosquitoes. Thus, the good news is that higher global temperatures will decrease the chance of most vector-borne diseases spreading in places like the Sub-saharan African region that are currently relatively warm.

On the other hand, the negative impact is that global warming will increase the chance of infectious diseases spreading in places that are currently cold.

In conclusion, international efforts should be made to reduce carbon emissions worldwide and halt the spread of infectious diseases. Especially during the current pandemic, we cannot forget about the climate crisis the world is facing. The global community should cooperate in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases as well as climate change.

Bibliography www.medicalnewstoday.com. (2020). Climate change and the spread of the West Nile virus in the. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/we st-nile-virus-in-the-us-a-case-study-on-climatechange-and-health.

Marie, O. (2020). Awareness on the Impact of Climate Change on the Spread of Infectious Diseases. [online] Science Times. Available at: https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/28415/2 0201126/study-shows-impact-climate-changeinfectious-diseases-unknown-halfpopulation.htm [Accessed 28 Nov. 2020].

UsePrivacyCopyrightTrademarksNonDiscriminationAccessibility, T. of (2019). How does climate change affect disease?

04

CAREERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MINSEO CHA

Reading through our magazine, you may wonder, “How does being knowledgeable about the environment help me make a living?� Well, I would like to introduce you some of the many jobs you can pursue in the field of environment. Careers opportunities in public health are expanding, mainly due to the prevalence of preventable diseases and the challenges presented by environmental contaminants and natural disasters. Since the environment plays a major role in our health many career options focus on understanding and improving conditions in both natural and built environments.

Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. It encompasses food safety, water protection, air quality, noise issues, pollution, hazardous and toxic substances, waste disposal, for example.

1. Air Pollution Analyst What Do They Do? They measure, sample, and analyse data gathered from polluted air. After theorizing or discovering the source of the pollutants, they work with other specialized scientists to develop future techniques for reducing air pollution. They play the vital role of controlling human pollution outputs to preserve our precious atmosphere and the air we breathe.

Where Do They Work?

They are often employed by government agencies on a federal, state, or local level, and spend most time in offices and laboratories.

Median salary is about $64,000.

2. Environmental Health Professional What Do They Do? Environmental health professionals can be divided mainly into two kinds: environmental health physician and environmental health nurse. They assess the connections between work and health. While some treat patients directly, others organise worker health programs or make disability determinations.

Where Do They Work?

They often work for large corporations offering employee health programs that benefit their sizable workforces.

Median salary ranges from $50,000 ~ $77,000.

05

3. Epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and causes of disease.

5. Disaster management specialist

What Do They Do? Epidemiologists play a key role in public health programs, where they investigate the causes of disease. They often oversee these programs, which involves analysing statistics, monitoring communities for disease, and educating health care workers and the public.

What Do They Do? A disaster management specialist plans and directs programs and procedures for responding to natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. They are usually hired as emergency management directors who also plan for other types of emergency situations such as hazardous material spills, nuclear power plant malfunctions, and terrorist attacks.

Where Do They Work?

They monitor people in communities exposed to air pollution, hazardous waste, metals, pesticides, or radiation to watch for adverse health effects.

They also advise government agencies on acceptable levels of exposure to environmental contaminants.

Where Do They Work?

A vast majority of them work for state and local government agencies. Others are employed by hospitals, universities, and private companies, where they help their organizations prepare for the worst.

Median salary is about $70,000.

Median salary ranges from $45,000~$85,000.

4. Wastewater Treatement Operator

6. Public Health Engineer

What Do They Do? They are in charge of making sure the contamination in wastewater is breaking down effectively during the cleaning process.

Wastewater is water that has previously been used and may contain oils, chemicals, food, or sewage. They also support the successful operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant and reuse facilities to deliver on business objectives and regulatory performance standards.

What Do They Do? They work at the intersection between human health, environmental science, and industrial development. Public health engineers assess buildings, roads, bridges, dams, and other manmade structures to ensure they don't pose a serious threat to human health or the surrounding natural resources.

Where Do They Work?

They work mainly for government or developers and work within a treatment plant facility.

Where Do They Work?

They inspect residential, corporate, and public works structures for any potential risks to the surrounding area and meet with architects, building managers, and homeowners if threats are detected to discuss different mitigation strategies.

Median salary is about $44,000.

Median salary is about $86,000.

06

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND MENTAL HEALTH

EVELYN YOON Public health emergencies may affect the health, safety, and well-being of individuals in the form of insecurity, confusion, emotional isolation, and stigma. Moreover, it damages the affected communities with economic loss, workplace and school closures, inadequate resources for medical response, and deficient distribution of necessities.

These effects may translate into a range of emotional reactions such as distress or psychiatric conditions, unhealthy behaviours such as excessive drug use, and non-compliance with public health directives such as home confinement and vaccination in people who contract the disease and in the general population.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) conducted a survey among 130 countries across WHO’s six regions from June to August 2020. The survey shows how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted several services and how states are trying to adapt to overcome these challenges. It reported over 60% disruptions to mental health services for vulnerable people, including children and adolescents (72%), older adults (70%), and women requiring antenatal or postnatal services (61%). Moreover, 67% experienced disruptions to counselling and psychotherapy, 65% to critical harm reduction services, and 45% to treatment for opioid dependence.

07

Fig. 1. Access to Mental Health Services During COVID-19. Adapted from Impact on mental health and quality of life in time of COVID-19,

by UNAIDS, 2020 Mental health is a crucial factor of one’s overall health and wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also affects how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices during an emergency.

People with pre-existing mental health conditions or substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable during pandemic.

Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia influence one’s thinking, feeling, mood or behaviour in a way that affects their ability to relate to others and function each day. These conditions may be situational (short-term) or long-lasting (chronic). People with pre-existing mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.

A broad body of research links social isolation and loneliness to poor mental health, and data from late March shows that significantly higher shares of people who were sheltering in place (47%) reported adverse mental health effects resulting from worry or stress related to coronavirus than among those not shelteringin-place (37%).

In particular, isolation and loneliness during the pandemic presented specific mental health risks for households with adolescents and older adults. The share of older adults (ages 65 and up) reporting negative mental health impacts has increased since March. Polling data shows that women with children under the age of 18 are more likely to report significant negative mental health impacts than their male counterparts.

Research shows that job loss is associated with increased depression, anxiety, distress, and low self-esteem and may lead to higher rates of substance use disorder and suicide.

Poor mental health due to burnout among frontline workers and increased anxiety or mental illness among those with poor physical health are also concerning. Those with mental illness and substance use disorders pre-pandemic, and those newly affected, will likely require mental health and substance use services. The pandemic spotlights both existing and new barriers to accessing mental health services.

Bibliography UNAIDS Asia-Pacific. (2020). Impact on mental health and quality of life in time of COVID-19 for YKP and YPLHIV. [online] Available at: https://unaids-ap.org/2020/05/29/impact-onmental-health-and-quality-of-life-in-time-ofcovid-19-for-ykp-and-yplhiv-2/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2020]. www.who.int. (2020). COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-inmost-countries-who-survey.

08

DOES GLOBALIZATION AFFECT INFECTIOUS DISEASES? YURI LEE Globalization is a complex and multi-faceted set of processes having diverse and widespread impacts on human societies worldwide. There are particular concerns that globalization is impacting on the infectious diseases. However, it also effectively prevent, control and treat these diseases. It may, for example, influence the risk factors for specific diseases, and at the same time enhance the opportunities for improving surveillance, monitoring and reporting capacity through global information and communications technologies.

In today's globalized world, disease can spread quickly and is no longer contained to isolated geographical areas. Globalization such as trades, transport, travelling, climate change, and urbanization can cause the infectious disease to spread. Humans, animals, and food are moving around the world more frequently and easily than ever before. They carry diseases causing agents with them since they have more contacts.

Malaria is one example. Twenty years ago only 20% of the world's population was living in areas where malaria is endemic but now that number has risen to 40%. Mosquitoes that crossed the ocean by riding in airplane wheel wells and arrived.

With the use of air travel, ships, other transportations, people are able to go to foreign lands, contract a disease along the way.

While globalization increases the risk of the spread of infectious disease, it also facilitates more collaboration and better communication that will allow for a more comprehensive global effort towards controlling these diseases.

In April 2002, the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Emerging Infections held a workshop to discuss globalization's influence on the spread and control of infectious disease. The Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and Control summarizes this workshop, in which participants explored the impact of increasingly integrated trade, economic development, human movement, and cultural exchange on patterns of disease emergence; identified opportunities for countering the effects of globalization on infectious diseases; and considered newly available response methods and tools available for use by private industry, public health agencies, policy makers, and academic researchers. As a result, time and distance serve as natural protective barriers against infectious disease. However, due to globalization and modern modes of transportation of both people and goods, distance and time offer progressively less protection against the spread of infectious disease.

Bibliography Needtoknow.nas.edu. 2020. The Impact Of Globalization On Infectious Disease Emergence And Control: Exploring The Consequences And Opportunitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Workshop Summary (2006) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The National Academies. [online] Available at: <http://needtoknow.nas.edu/id/library/82/> [Accessed 28 November 2020].

Who.int. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/tdr/publications/docume nts/seb_topic3.pdf> [Accessed 28 November 2020].

09

CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Minseo Cha WRITERS Janice Yoo Minseo Cha Evelyn Yoon Yuri Lee DESIGNER Minseo Cha

CONTACTS If you would like your environment-themed article/artwork/photograph to be shared via Sustainability, please contact the chairs: Minseo Cha mscha22@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr Janice Seungmin Yoo smyoo22@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr