Climate and Health

Geography 130

Sec 02

Jose Velez

Gonzalo Lopez

Julie Gerard

Jazmine Willis

For the young, elderly, and sick, extreme

heat can be harmful.

Even healthy adults can suffer from heated

related causes

Extreme Heat

➢ In August 2003 a heat wave in France caused

14,802 deaths in only 20 days (Kovats & Hajat

42).

➢According to the World Health Organization,

in that same year, there was a recorded

70,000 deaths due the extreme summer heat

wave alone

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/

Heat

Timeline of Heat Waves in the

U.S.1) 134 degrees in California’s Death valley

on July 10, 1913

2) 128 degrees in Arizona’s Lake Havasu on

June 29, 1994

3) 125 degrees in Laughlin, Nevada on June

29, 1994

4) June 27, 1994 in New Mexico’s South East

corner of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near

Carlsbad reached 122 degrees

5) In one week Kansas topped 120 degrees back

in July 1936; Fredonia on the 18th and in

Alton on the 24th

http://www.weather.com/news/top-10-hottest-us-states-20120916

Timeline of Freezes

1) -87 C in the Endicott Mountains of

northern Alaska on January 23rd,1971

2) -70 C in Rogers pass in Montana on

January 20th,1954

3) -66 C in Wyoming on February 9th, 1933

4) -61 C in Colorado on February 1st, 1985

5) -60 C in Minnesota on February 2nd, 1996http://www.nhchc.org/resources/clinical/diseases-and-conditions/cold-related-injuries/

-Freezing temperatures have caused many

injuries or deaths, especially on homeless.

-About 700 homeless are killed annually in

US.

-Freezing temperatures increase risks of

hypothermia.

http://www.weather.com/news/top-10-coldest-us-states-

20121002?pageno=12

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

1. What is considered freezing and cold weather?

● According to the National Weather Service, a freeze is

characterized by: Winds above 10 miles per hour and an

air temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

● For simplicity, a freeze indicates cold weather since

there is not a specific definition for cold weather.

Katharine B. Perry. Frost/Freeze Protection for Horticultural Crops. NC State University, 1 Mar. 1994. Web. 8 Nov.

2014, <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-705.html>

2. Health effects of exposure to cold weather:

● Hypothermia; results from the core body temperature being

unable to adapt to the external temperature. As a result, pain,

numbness, and eventually death occur if exposure is prolonged.

● Frostbite; results from body tissue temperature dropping below

the freezing point or when blood flow is stopped. In this event,

blood vessels may be critically damaged and irreparable.

● Frostnip; freezes the skin atop areas with minimal muscle, such as

cheekbones, earlobes, and nose. Frostnip causes minimal damage

compared to frostbite and hypothermia.Cold Environments-Health Effects and First Aid. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2 Oct. 2008.

Web. 8 Nov. 2014, <http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/cold_health.html>

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

Frostbitten feet

Frostbite. Summit Post. 11 Jul. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014, <http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321>

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

3. Wind Chill is defined as how cold the wind makes us

feel at given temperatures. Since wind can affect how

cold we can feel it poses a threat. For instance, if at

40 degrees Fahrenheit the wind blows at 20 miles per

hour, then our bodies will feel as if it were 30 degrees

fahrenheit. Consequently, frostbite can occur within

our bodies faster than expected.

Ahrens, Donald. Essentials of Meteorlogy. page 75

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

Wind Chill Index

National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014

<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill/index.shtml>

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

4. How people adapt and what they wear

● We are considered mammals. Therefore, keeping warm

during cold weather is essential. If exposure to cold

weather is protracted, then frostbite, hypothermia, or

frostnip may occur.

● Therefore, it is of paramount importance to keep the

hands, head, face, and fingers warm. These parts of the

body are usually the first to become affected by frostnip

because the body prefers to warm up the core instead.

However, one may also stay protected through shelter.

● Thus it would be smart to wear gloves, layers, eye

protection, hats, etc. on a cold day.

Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather

Rainfall

-Too little rain affects the supply of fresh

water, droughts, and famine.

-Too much rain can lead to floods,

drownings, damaged homes, and

contamination of fresh water supplies

<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/>.

-Due to climate change, a warmer

climate means the atmosphere can

hold more moisture. Thus, extreme

precipitation occurs.

-58% increase in the number of

days with heavy precipitation in

the Northeast. 27% increase in the

Midwest.

-States have had to adapt by

updating infrastructure, improving

drinking water safeguards, and

creating a plan when floods strike.

Rainfall

<http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/rain-and-snow.html>.

-When drought occurs crops can be destroyed, food supply is diminished, loss

of wildlife habitats, greater chance of wildfires, poor water quality, and

many other detrimental factors can occur.

-The serious drought in California has made this the 4th driest year in

California history.

-Water transport system must be fixed in order to sustain agricultural

production in the San Joaquin Valley and to sustain major West Coast cities.

-Jerry Brown’s $25 billion plan to fix California’s water system is currently in

the works.

Drought

<http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/floods.asp>

<http://www.trbimg.com/img-53a36854/turbine/la-me-ln-drought-

worsens-across-california-20140619>

Other natural disasters that

occur due to change in climate

include...

-2005 was a record setting

year for tropical storms

with 28 named storms.

-They cause numerous

deaths, destruction, and

billions of dollars in

damage.

-Risk factors include high

winds, storm surge,

flooding, and tornados...

Hurricanes

<http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/record2005.asp>

-States in “Tornado Alley” should be

most concerned.

-Extremely high winds cause flying debris

and result in injuries and death.

-Destruction of homes, farms, trees, and

buildings.

-Sometimes causes water contamination.

Tornados

<http://devanmoura.weebly.com/environmental-impact.html>

➢Harmful air pollution has caused a

dramatic increase in the number of

Americans with Asthma.

➢Worldwide, air pollution will cause about

800,000 premature deaths.

Harmful Pollutants

Increased Air Pollutants will also lead

to…

➢Higher rates of cardiac mortality

➢ Increased rate and chances of cancer

➢ Increased birth defects and death in

newborns

➢Neurological and Neuropsychiatric effects

➢ Increased Respiratory infection

➢Kidney damage

➢Damage to the Digestive System

Within the last 50 years the burning of fossil

fuels has lead to an increase in the levels of

carbon dioxide and other harmful levels of

greenhouse gases.

Causes of Air Pollutants

Changes in climate have a bad impact on

the population increasing the risk of

possible diseases leading sometimes to

deaths.

Dangerous especially for young children,

old adults, persons with medical conditions

and homeless.

Change in climate enhance

diseases

Warm temperatures:

I. More risks of heat-related illness or even

deaths

II.Higher air and water pollution

Cold temperatures:

I. Increase risk of hypothermia

II. Increase risk of frostbite

III.Increase risk of Raynaud’s disease

Change in climate enhance

diseases

Extreme changes in weather conditions can

lead to:

-food poisoning because no more fresh food

and water.

-intestinal and stomach illnesses

-risk of depression and others mental

diseases.http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html

Change in climate enhance

diseases

Freezing weather effects: Raynaud’s disease

Change in climate enhance

diseases

Effect of overall climate change -Higher temperatures: increasing the risk of

storms and create stronger storms

-Changing landscapes: changes in

vegetation and less conservation

-Endangers wildlife: many endangered

species will disappear completely within a

few years

-A rising temperature will increase the risks

of diseases or deaths

-Higher sea level: melting glaciers and

thermal expansion ( warm water takes

more space than cold water)

-Drought, floods and fire more frequent

and strongerhttp://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-

change/threats-impacts/

Effect of overall climate change

Effect of overall climate change

Works Cited

Curtis, Luke, et al. "Adverse Health Effects of Outdoor Air

Pollutants." Environment International (2006): 815-830.

Kampa, Marilena and Elias Castanas. "Human Health

Effects of Air Pollution ." Environmental Pollution (2007):

362-367.

Kovats, Sari R. and Shakoor Hajat. "Heat Stress and Public

Health: A Critical Review." Annual Review of Public Health

(2008): 41-55.

World Health Organization (2014)

"Climate Change Threatens Health: Flooding." NRDC:. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

<http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/floods.asp>.

"Climate Change and Health." WHO. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/>.

"Global Warming Effects on Rain and Snow." Global Warming Effects on Rain and Snow. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

<http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/rain-and-snow.html>.

"Medscape Log In." Medscape Log In. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513258_11>.

"Records Set in the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005." Records Set in the Hurricane Season of 2005. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

<http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/record2005.asp>.

"Types of Drought Impacts." Types of Drought Impacts. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

<http://drought.unl.edu/droughtforkids/howdoesdroughtaffectourlives/typesofdroughtimpacts.aspx>.

Works Cited continued

"Climate impacts on human health." EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 9

Nov. 2014

<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html>.

"Climate Change: Threats and Impacts." The Nature Conservancy. (2014). Web. 9 Nov. 2014

<http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-

impacts/>Katharine B. Perry. Frost/Freeze Protection for Horticultural Crops. NC State University, 1 Mar. 1994. Web. 8 Nov.

2014

<http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-705.html>

Cold Environments-Health Effects and First Aid. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2 Oct. 2008.

Web. 8 Nov. 2014

<http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/cold_health.html>

Frostbite. Summit Post. 11 Jul. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014

<http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321>

Ahrens, Donald. Essentials of Meteorlogy. page 75

National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014

<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill/index.shtml>

Works Cited continued