Climate change has a huge impact on health, according to a new study by 12 respected medical associations across the United States. Experts conclude that change should be effected on the American mindset regarding health problems caused by climate change. There is 25 percent of the population who believes that human-induced environmental problems can cause health hazards.
Dr. Mona Sarfaty of George Mason University said that it is troubling when people think that climate change has no bearing whatsoever on personal health. On the contrary, health is already compromised and it is going to affect future generations as well if there is no direct intervention done. To make it worse, Sarfaty fears that mortality rate will rise as the climate warms.
There are eight particular health threats being linked to climate change. These include air pollution, food and water contamination, extreme heat, mental health, malnutrition, mosquitoes, and ticks. Of these problems, heat is the obvious killer. The most infamous among heat wave incidents happened in Europe back in 2003 when 70,000 were reported as casualties.
According to Popular Science, other health problems are indirect climate change repercussions, like the mental condition. Sarfaty explained that as extreme weather conditions like floods and storms become more prevalent, people are prone to a lot of mental stress. These, in turn, are known to trigger other societal problems like alcoholism, substance abuse, and depression.
One solid example is the massive flooding in Louisiana in 2016. Back then, climate change resulted to incessant rains, making 30 percent of the state to get submerged in waters. Even after several months thereafter, the Natural Resources Defense Council reported that some children are suffering from fear that the waters will rise again each time it rains.
Meanwhile, there are several reviews from peers and public that verify the climate change - health link. Even the US Global Change Research Program did their own paper titled, "The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment."
