EP 191 - Climate Change: How is it Changing our Every Day Lives and our Health

Human-caused climate change is underway, with widely acknowledged impacts such as sea ice loss, accelerated sea-level rise, and more intense heat waves. Some effects, like droughts and wildfires, are occurring faster than anticipated. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that observed changes are unprecedented and irreversible for centuries. Future outcomes hinge on human actions; increased greenhouse gas emissions will lead to severe global consequences, but emission reduction efforts may mitigate the worst effects. 

The current warming rate is unprecedented in the past 10,000 years, and human influence on climate change has transitioned from theory to established fact since the 1970s, according to the IPCC. Climate change, coupled with other health stressors, affects human health, intensifying existing threats and giving rise to new ones, with vulnerability influenced by factors like age, economic resources, and location. 

Climate change's immediate and pervasive impacts on health, such as severe storms and heat waves, can be deadly, while long-term consequences include increased heart disease, respiratory issues, vector-borne diseases, and reduced access to clean water and food. 

Amidst the  wars currently gripping our global attention, the urgency of climate change might seem less apparent, but it poses imminent threats to health and safety. Climate change concerns are widespread among the U.S. population, with seven in ten adults fearing harm to health. A majority believes that various entities, including businesses and governments, are not doing enough to address the issue. Recognizing the immediate and far-reaching consequences, action is imperative to safeguard health in the face of climate change.

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