Effects of Climate Change on Human Beings
Individual and social factors such as gender, age, education, ethnicity, geography and language lead to differential vulnerability and capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change (Epstein 5).The effects of the continual warming up of the climate would almost certainly be undesirable human beings. Human beings will be vulnerable to a lot of heat waves coming from the sun. These heat waves, will lead to an increase of heat-related illnesses as the human body will be forced to deal with temperatures it is not designed to endure. The elderly, the young and those already suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cancer will be particularly at risk.
The gradual change of the climate is also having an impact on the planet’s geological, biological and ecological systems and as the climate keeps warming up, and then more significant change is bound to occur. This will most likely interfere with the production of food by interfering with plants’ ability to grow. This may lead to a global starvation. In cold places like Siberia however, on the short term, warming would improve food production (Epstein 16-34).
The warming up of air all over the globe would upset of carbon dioxide distribution in the earth’s surface. Such a scenario may affect the oxygen levels on the earth and therefore affect breathing. This would also lead to air and water pollution that will directly affect humans adversely. Higher temperatures would also eventually lead to melting of the pole glaciers and could lead to large scale drowning as a result of massive tsunamis as the melted water covers the planetary bodies
In the event of a large scale cooling of the earth due to the climate changes, again the immediate temperature changes would cause the freezing of large masses of people who would be caught not be sufficiently prepared to deal with the temperatures. Cooling would also result to an expansion of the arctic glaciers and that might result in a ripple effect that would cause violent tornadoes which may result in many deaths. ‘Global cooling means shrinking growing seasons, as well as drought’ ( Shackleton ,7-10). This would drastically curtail food production. Cooling would also interfere with many habitats and destroy many ecosystems which would directly and indirectly affect human beings.
Works Cited
Epstein, Paul. Climate Change and Infectious Disease: Stormy Weather Ahead. Epidemiology.13 Boston: Allyn, 2000. Print.(4): 373–375.
Shackleton, Robert. Potential Impacts of Climate Change in the United States.Darby: DIANE
Publishing. 2010. Print.
