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Elizabeth Kay
Professor Malcolm Campbell
English 1103
September 28th, 2016
Topic Proposal: Global Warming May Kill Us Before It Kills the Earth
Introduction/Overview
Everyone is aware of global warming, whether they actually believe in it or not. When
most people think of global warming, they picture the poor little polar bears floating away from
their mothers on mostly melted icebergs and dreadful summers with record-breaking
temperatures. Global warming, unbeknownst to many, has far-reaching implications to our
health, both physically and mentally, in as much as we may ultimately not have a habitable
planet in the foreseeable future. These health issues include the spread of vector-borne diseases
(VBDs - diseases spread by blood-meal organisms), how economical changes caused by the
scarcity of resources and increase in number of natural disasters associated with global warming
produce psychological trauma throughout the affected population, and the emergence of more
severe allergies (such as those produced by the increased production of tree pollen that results
from rising temperatures).
Primarily, global warming has changed the climates of many regions, facilitating the
spread of vector-borne diseases (VBDs). A vector-borne illness is one in which the carrier for
the disease is another organism, usually blood-meal organisms. The mosquito is one example of
these organisms. Mosquitos thrive in warm climates, acting as transport vessels, or vectors, for
various diseases (dengue, zika, chikungunya, and malaria to name a few) which are then
transmitted to humans through bites. With the onset of global warming, many regions of the

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world formerly impervious to the ravages of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) thanks to their colder
climates are now finding themselves with an increasing number of cases of mosquito-borne
illness. The World Health Organization has stated Numerous climate change vulnerability
assessments anticipate that rising global temperatures will increase the incidence of
communicable diseases including vector-borne diseases (VBDs). Transmitted by bites from
infected mosquitoes and other insects (vectors). The Center for Science Education goes on to
explain that In general, climate plays an important role in the seasonal pattern or temporal
distribution of diseases that are carried and transmitted through vectors because the vector
animals often thrive in particular climate conditions. For example, warm and wet environments
are excellent places for mosquitoes to breed. If those breeding mosquitoes happen to be a species
that can transmit disease and if there is an infected population in the region, then the disease is
more likely to spread in that area. One article from the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI) notes that, Since 1990 [...] when the hottest decade on record began,
outbreaks of locally transmitted malaria have occurred during hot spells in Texas, Florida,
Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey and New York as well as in Toronto. History has thus proven
that the worst VBDs that we all thought were in faraway, tropical places, could very well make
their way to our own homes.
In addition, the rise in natural disasters brought on by climate change as well as the
subsequent scarcity of resources is likely to produce psychological trauma in those affected. The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has stated that according to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
will probably boost temperatures over most land surfaces, though the exact change will vary
regionally. More uncertainbut possibleoutcomes of an increase in global temperatures

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include increased risk of drought and increased intensity of storms, including tropical cyclones
with higher wind speeds, a wetter Asian monsoon, and, possibly, more intense mid-latitude
storms. The increase in both intensity and occurrence of these natural disasters could very well
cause serious psychological distress in victims of the storms. A 2009 report from the American
Psychological Association (APA) predicts that "Heat, extreme weather events, and increased
competition for scarce environmental resourcescompounded by preexisting inequalities and
disproportionate impacts among groups and nationswill affect interpersonal and intergroup
behavior and may result in increased stress and anxiety. It is made very clear that the economic
impacts caused by climate change are predicted to heavily affect the psychological health of
those impacted.
Furthermore, other health effects of global warming come in the form of increased
environmental allergies. Trees produce more pollen when there are higher temperatures, meaning
that, as global warming progresses and intensifies, trees are set to produce more and more pollen
each year. This wouldnt be as much of a health hazard if so many people werent severely
allergic to tree pollen, causing everything from watery eyes to breathing problems. In Jackson,
Mississippi, which was deemed Americas Allergy Capital in 2015, a local allergist, Dr. Gailen
Marshall, notes that Over the past decade, climate change has made my patients wheezing and
sneezing steadily worse. Existing patients rush to visit me, and new ones flood through my
door. Although this is an extreme case of what temperature fluctuation has on the production of
tree pollen, this phenomenon could become widespread over the entire country with the
progression of climate change.
In the end, my goal in researching this topic is to obtain information on how global
warming will affect the health of humans as we enter into a much warmer day and age. I can

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choose to research specifically the increase in vector-borne illness, the effects that the insurgence
of natural disasters caused by global have had on peoples mental health, or the ways in air
pollution has/is going to continue to effect human health. With whatever specific area I end up
researching, I hope to educate others about what they can expect health-wise in the coming years
due to global warming and widespread climate change. With my research, I would like to make it
abundantly clear that the health of the earth is not the only thing in peril as a result of global
warming; we are too.
Initial Inquiry Question(s)
What areas are going to experience the most severe impact to human health due to global
warming?
Will there be more money and effort invested in devising ways to eradicate mosquitos
and other vectors for disease in the coming years?
What will the human population look like in 50 years after more VBDs have taken hold
across the globe? Will natural selection determine the future population in that those who are
genetically less likely to acquire/be more effected by VBDs be the ones to survive while others
perish?
Do public health organizations have plans in place right now in preparation for an
increase in VBDs? If so, what are those plans and what do they think will be most effective in
combating the spread of VBDs?
How will the public cope with the emergence of once-foreign pathogens and diseases?
Will some refuse any available treatments as some people do now with other diseases? What will
the ethical views of the general population be regarding possible treatments for VBDs at that
time?

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How quickly will VBDs spread throughout the world? Are certain people/cultures/ethnic
groups more vulnerable to disease than others?
How will the global shift in human health effect foreign policy and trade between
countries? Will nations reduce/stop trading in fear of further spread of disease?
My Interest in this Topic
I became very interested in this topic back in my junior year of high school. In one of my
healthcare classes, we were instructed to pick a global health issue and research it. When I saw
everyone choosing the normal illnesses like tuberculosis, MRSA, leprosy, and HIV/AIDS, I
wanted to do something different. Since I had always had an interest in global warming and the
health of the environment, I thought of doing something along the lines of climate change. Then
I remembered all of the stories my mom had told me while I was growing up about her many
experiences with dengue fever while growing up in the tropics. After that, I looked dengue up to
see how it was transmitted and, sure enough, it was through the bite of a mosquito. A lightbulb
went off and I wondered if climate change would have any projected impact on the prevalence of
dengue in the coming years. When I proposed my topic to my teacher, she was incredulous about
global warming having any impact on the spread of dengue, or any other VBD for that matter.
After taking a while to explain to her my theory and showing her multiple articles from
government websites that supported my claim, she agreed to let me research it. The amount of
effort that I had to put forth to get her approval only added to the excitement of my research. It is
part of the reason that it excites me now. When I was doing the project in high school, I realized
how many people had never connected global warming to the spread of VBDs, which is also
why I am so motivated to research the topic and bring some light to it. In this way, I can provide
people with a greater understanding of what to expect with global warming.
Next Steps

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In the coming months, I plan to continue my research on the effect climate change is
expected to have on the spread of VBDs. I will turn to the websites of various government based
and scientifically credible sources, such as the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the
World Health Organization (WHO), National Geographic, and Scientific American. I will search
for studies that have been done in recent years that might show how VBDs have spread due to
the climate change that has already taken place. I will make sure to utilize as many resources as
possible, some of which are provided by the university. These may include, but are not limited
to, magazines such as Time and the Yale Daily News (both of which have published articles on
the matter), guidance from the librarians, and the vast databases made available to students
through the library.