health impacts of global environmental change

what depletes the ozone layer

chlorofluorocarbons such as chlorine and halocarbons with as bromine

• heavy industry, fridges and aerosols were main sources

risk to humans from increased UVR exposure

increased rates of skin cancer

• high rates of melanoma skin cancer at higher latitudes

skin cancer is the … most common cancer worldwide

17th

what is skin cancer caused by

excessive sun exposure

people most vulnerable to skin cancer (3)

• those who live in tropical areas with higher exposure to the sun (little cloud cover)

• people living in LICs spending more time outside due to manual labour jobs, lack of comfortable housing etc.

• those with genetic predispositions such as skin tone, moles, sensitivity to sun, family history of skin cancer, sex, latitude etc.

vector bourne diseases increase

warmer temperatures speed up growth of malaria carrying mosquitoes and seasons extent for them to live and bread

• changes in temperature, humidity and rainfall influence behaviour and survival and extreme weather such as heat waves and flooding increase risk

flooding in Pakistan in 2022 led to a …

5x increase in malaria cases

indirect effects of climate change on malaria (2)

• reduced access to healthcare services as they become overburdened

• disruption to supply chains of nets, medicines and vaccines

most vulnerable countries

those that already experience high incidences of malaria

impacts of thermal stress

overheating, sunstroke, dehydration, cardiovascular and respiratory problems

• overheating can cause strokes and hyperthermia which can be fatal

• heat increases heart rate which can increase risk of failure

who will thermal stress affect

elderly people and those with pre-existing cardiovascular problems

• those who are subjected to higher temperatures daily such as people with manual jobs or in the military

most vulnerable areas

warmer countries but also those less used to heat impacts so cannot handle them as well

• will increase demand for healthcare so costs may rise with demand

deaths from heat waves in Australia expected to … in next 40 years

double

causes and impacts of asthma

wheezing and shortness of breath

• caused by inflammation of the tubes carrying air in and out of the lungs

how is asthma related to climate change

as temperatures increase a spike in ground level ozone pollution can irritate lungs

who is most affected by asthma

most common among children, around 4.5 million people with asthma are under 18

• more common in women (10.9%) than men (6%)

• people who are exposed to a range of environmental irritants such as dust, mould, chemicals and pollution more at risk

• people with obesity more at risk

where is most vulnerable

• most prevalent in the US with around 1 in 12 people have it

• places with higher temperatures as there will be more ground-level ozone pollution

• pollen season gets longer with climate change so can trigger asthma attacks

how is food supply impacted by climate change

a lack of rain and extreme heat leads to livestock dying and crops being damaged

• can also damage farming equipment

who will be most affected by food supply declines

everyone around the world but particularly in LICs or regions with specific dietary requirements (e.g. due to religion)

where is most vulnerable

Africa and central America

• places with equatorial locations more venerable to extreme weather events

• rainfall increases by 30% in wet regions and decreases by 20% in dry regions

• places without sufficient irrigation systems will be impacted

impact of delays in rainfall in Nigeria 2021

reduced harvest by over 65%, when it did rain flooding occurred so remaining crops were wiped out

impact on nutritional standards

as climate change forces food prices to rise consumers choose less healthy food and instead food with high sugar and far contents

• some crops may cease in certain locations due to not being economically or environmentally viable

changes to processing, storage and preparation

will effect nutritional content of food

• e.g. fuel costs rise to reduce cooking options for lower income groups

challenge of nutritional standards decreasing

monitoring and responding

• e.g. FSA is responsible for food safety in the UK, projects such as Eatwell and nutritional labelling help protect public health

impacts of cataracts

cause loss of transparency in the lens of the eyes leading to cloudiness and blindness

factors affecting formation of cataracts (4)

• geographical location as UV is higher in lower latitudes or near the tropics

• altitude as UV levels are higher at greater altitudes

• time of day as UV levels are higher when the sun is high in the sky (10am-2pm)

• can also be caused by diseases such as diabetes (which can develop due to decreasing nutritional standards)

how do cataracts relate to climate change

ozone layer depletion means there is more exposure to UV

• they are also more likely to form in large open spaces so deforestation increases risk of formation

who is most at risk

people who work outdoors (large portion of workforce in LICs)

prevention and treatment for cataracts

• good quality sunglasses can block UV radition

• surgery can replace clouding lenses with clear implants

the Montreal Protocol 1987 saw CFC emissions reduced by …

99%

Copenhagen summit 1992 also …

tightened restrictions

how long is ozone expected to take to thicken to original levels

50 years