For decades, climate change has been spoken about as if it is an issue that will be felt in generations. This seems to be a large reason why so many people are not taking action to combat it- they believe that climate change will not affect them in their lifetime. However, scientists have been warning us that changes have been slowly occurring for decades, and that finding sustainable ways of life is critical. A new study finds that not only is climate change an environmental issue, but it is a problem that is negatively affecting the health of millions of people right at this moment.
Is climate change causing damage to our health in this moment? Climate change is no longer a future issue. https://t.co/QYo0SVo3XE #bcsfh20
— Ji Soo Choi (@JiSooChoiMHC) November 1, 2017
A prestigious scientific journal called The Lancet, published findings that reveal how climate change is currently impacting public health. For example, the journal states that “Changing weather patterns are already altering the transmission patterns of infectious diseases, resulting in unexpected outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever, cholera, tick-born encephalitis, and West Nile virus.” These diseases can affect children, elderly, and low-class citizens, and be felt by everyone emotionally and economically. In addition, climate change causes unpredictable weather shifts that make raising crops difficult and increases natural disasters such as hurricane and flooding. The great progress medical fields and global health communities have made to combat world hunger and infectious disease can be reversed just from the use of fossil fuels. It it clearer than ever that not only is climate change an environmental issue, but a health issue that can bring death and suffering to millions.
Although these new findings can be scary, they can be reversed. I believe that scientists and government officials must work together to create policy that can reduce the use of polluting substances, and eventually protect the health of citizens around the world. It is vital that we make changes not only for future generations or the environment, but for the sake of the health of everyone living today. This new study should inspire others to create a world where we are sustainable.
