How Does Climate Change Wreak Havoc on Our Health?
Extreme heatwaves, melting glaciers, widescale droughts, ruinous wildfires, and increasing carbon dioxide levels are just some of the serious side effects of a planet in distress. In a vast and interdependent ecosystem like Earth’s in which humans, animals, plants, and weather work together to sustain life, any radical shifts in climate trigger a ripple effect of harm to all life forms – a link that is now well established.
In the past 20 years, global warming has been the culprit behind a growing incidence of many different health complications, especially among older populations, ethnic minorities, and the poor.1
For example, rising temperatures are associated with a more than 50% increase in heat-related death among people over 65 years of age, and are also linked to increased heart and lung conditions, mental illness, immune system reactions such as allergies, and many other disorders.2
“We need to start thinking about the environment as a social determinant of health,” said Daniella Foster, Global Vice President and Head of Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability for Bayer’s Consumer Health division. “We know that climate change has caused a lot of health issues like respiratory illnesses and heart disease, and that people in underserved communities are most vulnerable. The work we’re doing to help protect the environment today is critical in creating a healthier society.”
A Domino Effect on the Heart
Cardiovascular diseases rank as the leading cause of death worldwide. Among other factors, climate change has a significant impact on our heart health.3 Spikes in our core body temperature cause us to breath faster and force our hearts to work harder, which in turn impacts the dilatation of our blood vessels which regulates our blood pressure and our body’s blood-clotting mechanisms. These imbalances can trigger heart attacks and heat strokes, especially among people with underlying health conditions.4
Further, the negative impact of climate change on air quality – which is driven in part by an increased occurrence of drought-fueled wildfires and higher concentrations of toxic particle matter in the air – is also associated with heart damage.4
The Mind-Climate Connection
In 2014, the U.S. Global Change Research Program published its first scientific assessment focused solely on climate change and health, which notably included a section about mental health.5 For example, the team of more than 300 experts found that vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, children, the economically disadvantaged, and people with pre-existing mental illness face a higher risk of mental health consequences from exposure to climate-related disasters such as floods, hurricanes and wildfires.5 These traumatic and sometimes life-threatening events can also cause anxiety and depression among people with no history of mental illness.5
Pollen Problems: Nothing to Sneeze At
According to The World Allergy Organization, allergic reactions to pollen have increased in frequency and severity in some geographic regions over the last few decades.6,7 There are many interdependent drivers, including a longer growing season, and humans emitting more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which may contribute to ragweed growing faster, producing more pollen per plant, and having a higher allergenic content.8 Global warming may also aid the growth of trees that produce more allergenic pollen, as well as a rise in carbon dioxide emissions which can substantially worsen mold allergies. Increased urbanization around the world is also generating more pollutants which in turn trigger airborne allergies.8
The Hidden Impact on Cancer
Climate change is already increasing cancer risk. Skin cancer as a result of increased UV radiation and lung cancer due to air pollution are two straightforward examples, but there are additional less-obvious factors at play.
Higher temperatures, droughts, floods and other weather phenomena caused by climate change also have an impact on the quality and availability of our food. According to a modeling study it is predicted there could be 534,000 climate-related deaths worldwide, including deaths from cancer, by 2050, as a result of changes in the food supply and the reduced consumption of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.9
Another aspect not to be ignored is access to cancer care. Weather-related disasters can lead to disruptions in the healthcare system. Existing inequities are further exacerbated by the implications of climate change.9 In low- and middle-income countries access to optimal care and systems is already limited today, and extreme weather conditions will make access to basic cancer screening or treatment even more difficult.
Setting Targets and Taking Action
International governments, healthcare organizations and businesses are marshaling their forces to curb the devastating impact of climate change before it’s too late. Keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5°C is a paramount goal. To achieve this, many countries are setting ambitious targets to reach net-zero emissions (a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out) and to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030.3,10