HUMAN HEALTH AND GLOBAL WARMING

 

Global warming is the long-term rise in the global temperature. Though this warming trend has been going on for a long time, it has accelerated in the last century due to the use of fossil fuels. As the human population has grown, so has the amount of fossil fuels consumed. Coal, oil, and natural gas are examples of fossil fuels, and their combustion causes the "greenhouse effect" in the Earth's atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect occurs when the Sun's rays penetrate the atmosphere but cannot escape back into space because heat is reflected off the surface. The gases emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, water vapour, and methane are examples of greenhouse gases.

The effect of global warming are already been evident. Winters are becoming shorter, animals and plants are changing their seasonal behaviour, summers are becoming more extreme, glaciers are melting, ocean levels are rising, floods are becoming more common, and hurricanes have become "normal."

CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING 

Utilization of Vehicles:

Even driving for a short distance produces a variety of gaseous emissions. Vehicles run on fossil fuels, which release a lot of CO2 and other toxins into the atmosphere, raising the temperature.

Overpopulation:

More people breathing equals more breathing. This increases the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is the primary cause of global warming.

Chlorofluorocarbon:

Excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators has resulted in the release of CFCs into the environment, which harms the ozone layer. The earth's surface is protected from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays by the ozone layer. The ozone layer shields the earth's surface from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. CFCs have caused ozone layer depletion, allowing ultraviolet rays to enter the atmosphere and raise global temperatures.

Deforestation:

Plants are the primary source of oxygen. They absorb CO2 and emit oxygen, keeping the environment in balance. For a variety of domestic and commercial reasons, forests are being depleted. This has caused an environmental imbalance, which has aided in global warming.

Agriculture:

A variety of farming activities emit carbon dioxide and methane gas. These add to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, which raises global temperatures.

Industrial Progress:

Since the advent of industrialization, the Earth's temperature has been rapidly rising. The harmful emissions from factories contribute to the global warming.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global temperature increased by 0.9 degrees Celsius between 1880 and 2012. The increase is 1.1 degrees Celsius when compared to the pre-industrial mean temperature.

HUMAN HEALTH AND GLOBAL WARMING

Declining water availability, food shortages, and more intense and frequent floods and droughts, will have an impact on human health. A warmer world is also likely to see an increase in the spread of insect-borne diseases like malaria. The main direct effect of climate change on humans will be heat stress in extreme high temperatures, which will become more frequent and widespread, particularly in urban populations. 

The heat wave in Europe in June, July, and August of 2003 was an example of record extreme high temperatures. Temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius in many places. Over 20 000 additional deaths were attributed to the unrelenting heat in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. According to studies, it is very likely that a large part of the cause is due to an increase in greenhouse gases, and that by 2050, such a summer will be the norm, and that by 2100, it will be a cool summer.

Land animals will find it more difficult to find food and water in a warmer world. Polar bears, for example, may become extinct as the ice on which they rely melts, and elephants may struggle to find the 150-300 litres of water they require each day. Scientists believe that if nothing is done, at least 550 species will be lost this century.

HOW TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING:

Switch on a light:

One regular light bulb replaced with a compact fluorescent light bulb saves 150 pounds of CO2 per year.

Reduce your driving:

Increase your use of walking, biking, carpooling, and public transportation. You will save one pound of CO2 for every mile you do not drive!

Increase your recycling rate:

Recycling half of your household waste can save you 2,400 pounds of CO2 per year.

Examine your tyres:

Keeping your tyres properly inflated can increase your gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved removes 20 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Reduce your use of hot water:

Heating water requires a lot of energy. Use less hot water by taking shorter, cooler showers and washing your clothes.