Harrold Tobin

3/2/18

Our Ways Must Change

Humanity has changed in many forms over the millennia, it can change from being a

nomadic people to becoming a stationary agrarian society. However, humanity can also change

from being agrarian to becoming industrial and more powerful than any farming country that

came before it. However, in regards to global warming, our society has not changed nearly fast

enough to try and reverse or stop the increase of greenhouse gases building up in our

atmosphere. If people do not change their ways of life fast enough diseases could easily wreak

havoc on many millions of people.

While many people claim that it is very hard to change their ways of life, everything

matters when people can suffer dearly from the effects that climate change can bring. Due to the

buildup of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other gases, which

can originate from burning fossil fuels and raising livestock; the planet is starting to have an

increased surface temperature which is directly affecting the weather in regions across the world.

This can also indirectly affect the spread of vector-borne diseases-which means that they are

spread by animals-which are currently endemic to mostly tropical climates. “For example,

weather and climate affect the survival, distribution, and behavior of mosquitoes, ticks, and

rodents that carry diseases like West Nile virus or Lyme disease.” If the climate is starting to

become warmer, that means in regions where it was cooler and certain diseases could not survive
very long before, now can start to easily spread to unsuspecting people who had never

experienced those diseases.

Another way that global warming can affect human health is by causing severe weather

patterns. A good example of severe weather are hurricanes. Hurricanes are caused by low

pressure over the ocean, eventually start to form a cyclone and become more powerful the longer

it is in warm water. Since global warming is also increasing the temperature of the sea by

trapping sunlight in the atmosphere, more powerful and numerous hurricanes will likely form

since they begin in warm water. This is also a problem to people who live far away from the

coast because hurricanes can greatly damage essential infrastructure like hospitals, shelters,

police stations and others. “Shifts in the frequency or intensity of extreme events outside their

historical range pose infrastructure risks, which may be compounded by the fact that much of the

existing critical infrastructure in the United States, like water and sewage systems, roads,

bridges, and power plants, are aging and in need of repair or replacement.” This can create a

challenge to rescue teams trying to save the victims if the roads are blocked-off and can’t reach

vulnerable people; also if the water purifying plants and sewage systems are damaged or

destroyed, it is very likely that people in affected areas will become violently ill and die from

water-borne diseases and contaminants.

Finally, global warming can affect human health by causing very severe droughts. Many

people can overlook this, but human health is very dependent on food supply and safety. While

most people in the United States do not necessarily need to worry about food security, many do

worry about food-borne illness like salmonella, listeria, Hepatitis A and E and many others.

Global warming will not only make those diseases more common, but also assist in having fewer

crop yields, shorter time for food to spoil and “can introduce toxins to crops during
development.” If global warming is not stopped, many people could become malnourished, have

mental disabilities due to the contamination in crops and other food-stuff and become much

sicker and possibly die from the bacteria and viruses found in the food.

With the current warming trend going on, I’m sure that many people think that the

probability of stopping and/or reversing global warming is futile. However, I do not believe that

enough people have attempted to help end the problem. If people can work together and try to be

more energy efficient, greener and more organic, I am sure that we can stop global warming in

its tracks.
Works Cited:
Ziska, L., et al. “Ch. 7: Food Safety, Nutrition.” The Impacts of Climate Change on Human
Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, 4 Apr. 2016,
health2016.globalchange.gov/food-safety-nutrition-and-distribution.