Climate Change is Affecting Human Health

Sophie Baldwin, 2/9/25

In recent decades, climate change has become a hot topic of conversation. With increasing surface temperatures and sea levels, many have begun to wonder about Earth’s habitability in the coming years. But while climate change is undoubtedly harming our planet, it is also harming our health. 

Harms to Human Health

One of the most obvious ways that climate change harms human health is through natural disasters and pollution. Higher temperatures and sporadic weather patterns brought by climate change have led to an increase in wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and droughts. These disasters destroy communities and injure populations. But these disasters can also have lingering effects. In places such as California where wildfires are becoming more and more frequent, air quality levels have decreased. Shockingly, according to the Chicago EPA, 57 million Americans live in areas that do not meet national air quality standards. Wildfire smoke and ground-level ozone are responsible for fine particulate matter particles. When inhaled, these particles can cause complications such as lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and cardiovascular disease. These outdoor pollutants prove detrimental to human health, especially in cities or urban areas where air quality is poor. In addition, warmer temperatures have increased the pollen count, prolonging allergy season and triggering asthma. 

Rising surface temperatures have led to a plethora of health concerns. For one, heatwaves are now more frequent. This raises many public health concerns, as heat strokes and heat-related illnesses are deadly. According to the WHO, 37% of heat-related deaths are attributed to human-induced climate change. To combat this, cities are implementing guidelines for staying indoors in hot temperatures and are even planting more trees to help cool down. In 2021, Washington State implemented a bill to increase tree planting (US EPA). 

Currently, 700,000 people die annually from vector-borne illnesses (WHO). Warmer temperatures are increasing these illnesses, particularly those from insects. Mosquitos and ticks breed better in warmer environments. Due to this, there has been an increase in the incidence of West Nile Virus (transferred to humans by mosquitos) and Lyme disease (transferred to humans by ticks). Bacteria also grow well in warm environments, leading to an increase in foodborne illnesses such as Salmonella. 600 million people worldwide suffer from foodborne illnesses, indicating the prevalence of this issue (WHO). Warmer sea temperatures increase the amount of mercury in seafood, also increasing the chances of poisoning.

Climate change induces more precipitation, and the runoff from rain can increase contaminants in drinking water. This reduces the availability of safe drinking water. In addition, warmer waters cultivate algae, and swimming in algal blooms can cause sickness. 

Who is at Risk? 

While these health hazards affect everyone, some groups are more susceptible than others. For example, children breathe at a faster rate, spend more time outdoors, drink more water, and are physically developing, increasing their risk. Socially vulnerable people (including people of color, low-income, some immigrants, and people with low English proficiency) are also at risk. They can live in locations prone to natural disasters or with poor infrastructure, have greater rates of preexisting conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, asthma), or have limited financial, citizenship, language, or cultural resources. Indigenous populations similarly lack reliable infrastructure and have higher rates of certain conditions (asthma, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and dementia). Older adults, people with chronic conditions, workers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities are among those at risk.

What Can We Do? 

Climate change can worsen mental health. It is important to take care of ourselves both physically and mentally. Follow orders from environmental or public health agencies, stay inside when it is hot, and be careful of the food and water you consume. In order to combat the public health issues triggered by climate change, the world must limit temperature rise to 1.5°C (WHO). By working together, we can all play a role in providing a safe world for generations to come.

References

Chicago EPA, “Climate Impacts on Human Health” https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-human-health 

United States EPA, “Climate Change and Human Health”

https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-and-human-health#:~:text=The%20health%20effects%20of%20climate,and%20overall%20poor%20mental%20health.

World Health Organization, “Climate Change”

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health