efore Coronavirus shook the world, the horrific fires in Australia brought much attention to the issue of climate change and the risks to life on planet Earth. The real concerns about the impact of Climate Change might be less talked about currently, but they cannot be neglected.
What we might not readily notice is the impact of climate change on human health. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, (NIEHS) within the U.S. National In-stitute of Health, states: “A changing climate impacts our health and wellbeing. The major public health organizations of the world have said that climate change is a critical public health problem.” NIEHS provides a wealth of information and links to literature important for understanding how climate change risks human life. Air pollution and warming tem-peratures and their respiratory effects will be discussed in this review. There are many other effects but space does not permit discussion.
Dr. Tee L. Guidotti, a recognized authority in occupational and environmental health and sustainability, author of several books on this subject, has stated that it is the greenhouse effect—a phenomenon from the sun’s energy, reflected energy and the trapped warmth—that makes life possible. However, it is the increasing heat trapping imbalance from greenhouse gas emissions on top of the natural greenhouse effect that cause climate change.
His review of research on worldwide ambient temperature trends points to a dramatic in-crease in the last few decades, particularly compared to temperatures in the pre-industrial era. Dr. Guidotti co-authored a study by the American Thoracic Society, which asked physicians: “Are your patients currently affected by climate change, or might be af-fected in the next 10-20 years?” Out of the 915 respondents, “89% reported believing that climate change was occurring. Major effects were noted for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.”
Dr. Christine D. Berg, Special Volunteer, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Na-tional Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, is one of the editors of “Cancer Pre-vention and Screening.” She came to her concern about climate change from her work on air pollution and lung cancer.
Particulate matter is a major pollutant for which concentrations are anticipated to be af-fected by climate change and is therefore emphasized for public health impacts. Particu-late matter comes in different sizes (coarse and fine) from a number of sources including: dust and other small particles from construction, mining and agriculture, pollen as well as fine particles from burning fossil fuels in factories, power plants, and diesel- and gasoline-powered motor vehicles.
Climate change may affect exposures to particulate matter in a number of ways such as increasing emissions from fossil-fuel power plants due to increased demand for electricity for cooling and natural sources of air pollutant emissions (wildfire smoke induced by drought and heat—as Australia painfully experienced recently).
Ground-level ozone—which is formed by reactions catalyzed by volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight and heat—is a pollutant of serious concern for public health. Climate change could significantly increase summertime ground-level ozone by increasing temperatures, creating stagnant air conditions and affecting natural sources of air pollutant emissions (biogenic VOCs). This could result in overall, increased poor air quality index (AQI) days.
Dr. Guidotti discussed individuals whose occupations because of exposure to heat and/or sensitivity to poor air quality can be disproportionately affected and may have their health compromised. This includes those in certain occupations, such as firefighters and other first responders, professional drivers (trucks, mail, delivery, parking lot attendants), road builders and other public service employees, energy workers (transmission lines, pipelines, upstream oil and gas), construction workers and others living and working near pollution sources as well as athletes and outdoor workers on high pollution days. Agricul-tural workers are at particularly high risk and often have limited access to water. Dr. Berg further highlighted that irrespective of their occupations, certain persons who have exist-ing health conditions: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart dis-ease, allergies, young children, and the elderly can be affected due to sensitivity height-ened by these pre-existing conditions.
Another issue affecting much of the developing world of interest to our readers, is that three billion people—about half the population of the world—cook their daily meals with inefficient stoves that rely on biomass (NIEHS article “Cookstoves and Indoor Air”) This daily effort to put food on the table puts “puts increased pressure on natural resources and contributes to climate change through emissions of greenhouse gases” in addition to directly affecting human health through a “range of chronic illnesses and acute health impacts such as low birth weight and acute pneumonia in children under 5, lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease.”
Individuals and organizations can be pro-active to understand how to minimize risks for family, friends, community and co-workers. AirNow.gov—a governmental website—provides the ability to know about the air quality index not only across the United States but across the world through AirNowInternational. By providing the zip code and the State Code, readers can learn about the local air quality conditions. According to this web-site, “The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis. Fine particles also can aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases—and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions.”
The website of the American Lung Association provides some useful information about Air Quality or “State of the Air”. By providing the State Code and the Zip Code, readers can get a report card for a specific city with three factors: high ozone days, particle pollution and the groups at risk. Washington, D.C. for instance, frequently gets an “F” for ozone and “B” for short-term particle pollution.
The important work of health experts like Dr. Berg and Guidotti informs us that climate change is a clear and present danger to human health, based on the evidence that is in-creasing. All of us, individuals, communities, businesses and governmental bodies can work now to reduce environmental damage and harmful climate change greenhouse gas-es. We owe this to ourselves and future generations to preserve a livable planet.
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Flatten the Climate Change Curve to Protect Human Health
April 1, 2020
B
efore Coronavirus shook the world, the horrific fires in Australia brought much attention to the issue of climate change and the risks to life on planet Earth. The real concerns about the impact of Climate Change might be less talked about currently, but they cannot be neglected.
What we might not readily notice is the impact of climate change on human health. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, (NIEHS) within the U.S. National In-stitute of Health, states: “A changing climate impacts our health and wellbeing. The major public health organizations of the world have said that climate change is a critical public health problem.” NIEHS provides a wealth of information and links to literature important for understanding how climate change risks human life. Air pollution and warming tem-peratures and their respiratory effects will be discussed in this review. There are many other effects but space does not permit discussion.
Dr. Tee L. Guidotti, a recognized authority in occupational and environmental health and sustainability, author of several books on this subject, has stated that it is the greenhouse effect—a phenomenon from the sun’s energy, reflected energy and the trapped warmth—that makes life possible. However, it is the increasing heat trapping imbalance from greenhouse gas emissions on top of the natural greenhouse effect that cause climate change.
His review of research on worldwide ambient temperature trends points to a dramatic in-crease in the last few decades, particularly compared to temperatures in the pre-industrial era. Dr. Guidotti co-authored a study by the American Thoracic Society, which asked physicians: “Are your patients currently affected by climate change, or might be af-fected in the next 10-20 years?” Out of the 915 respondents, “89% reported believing that climate change was occurring. Major effects were noted for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.”
Dr. Christine D. Berg, Special Volunteer, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Na-tional Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, is one of the editors of “Cancer Pre-vention and Screening.” She came to her concern about climate change from her work on air pollution and lung cancer.
Particulate matter is a major pollutant for which concentrations are anticipated to be af-fected by climate change and is therefore emphasized for public health impacts. Particu-late matter comes in different sizes (coarse and fine) from a number of sources including: dust and other small particles from construction, mining and agriculture, pollen as well as fine particles from burning fossil fuels in factories, power plants, and diesel- and gasoline-powered motor vehicles.
Climate change may affect exposures to particulate matter in a number of ways such as increasing emissions from fossil-fuel power plants due to increased demand for electricity for cooling and natural sources of air pollutant emissions (wildfire smoke induced by drought and heat—as Australia painfully experienced recently).
Ground-level ozone—which is formed by reactions catalyzed by volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight and heat—is a pollutant of serious concern for public health. Climate change could significantly increase summertime ground-level ozone by increasing temperatures, creating stagnant air conditions and affecting natural sources of air pollutant emissions (biogenic VOCs). This could result in overall, increased poor air quality index (AQI) days.
Dr. Guidotti discussed individuals whose occupations because of exposure to heat and/or sensitivity to poor air quality can be disproportionately affected and may have their health compromised. This includes those in certain occupations, such as firefighters and other first responders, professional drivers (trucks, mail, delivery, parking lot attendants), road builders and other public service employees, energy workers (transmission lines, pipelines, upstream oil and gas), construction workers and others living and working near pollution sources as well as athletes and outdoor workers on high pollution days. Agricul-tural workers are at particularly high risk and often have limited access to water. Dr. Berg further highlighted that irrespective of their occupations, certain persons who have exist-ing health conditions: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart dis-ease, allergies, young children, and the elderly can be affected due to sensitivity height-ened by these pre-existing conditions.
Another issue affecting much of the developing world of interest to our readers, is that three billion people—about half the population of the world—cook their daily meals with inefficient stoves that rely on biomass (NIEHS article “Cookstoves and Indoor Air”) This daily effort to put food on the table puts “puts increased pressure on natural resources and contributes to climate change through emissions of greenhouse gases” in addition to directly affecting human health through a “range of chronic illnesses and acute health impacts such as low birth weight and acute pneumonia in children under 5, lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease.”
Individuals and organizations can be pro-active to understand how to minimize risks for family, friends, community and co-workers. AirNow.gov—a governmental website—provides the ability to know about the air quality index not only across the United States but across the world through AirNowInternational. By providing the zip code and the State Code, readers can learn about the local air quality conditions. According to this web-site, “The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis. Fine particles also can aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases—and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions.”
The website of the American Lung Association provides some useful information about Air Quality or “State of the Air”. By providing the State Code and the Zip Code, readers can get a report card for a specific city with three factors: high ozone days, particle pollution and the groups at risk. Washington, D.C. for instance, frequently gets an “F” for ozone and “B” for short-term particle pollution.
The important work of health experts like Dr. Berg and Guidotti informs us that climate change is a clear and present danger to human health, based on the evidence that is in-creasing. All of us, individuals, communities, businesses and governmental bodies can work now to reduce environmental damage and harmful climate change greenhouse gas-es. We owe this to ourselves and future generations to preserve a livable planet.
