M12.9 Climate Change

1) What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?

I find the health effects of climate change most troubling. Im very concern on the harms that climate change can cause pregnant women and children. With the increase in temperature, can lead pregnant women to be dehydrated. Dehydration early on in pregnancy can cause low birth weight and can cause pre-term labor. With the increase in air pollution, pregnant women are exposed to air pollutants that can lead to respiratory illness. This can also lead to low birth weight and pre-term labor. When infants are born at a low weight, this can cause various health effects later in life. When infants are born pre-maturality, they may not be fully developed and can lead to various issues like RDS. The increase in air pollutants, children also have higher risks of developing respiratory diseases like asthma.Learning about the various health effects that climate change causes, we can inform individuals about the risk they face. Educating individuals about the effects of climate change can decrease the adverse health effects that climate change causes. 

2) As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?

I believe that the decrease of CO2 needs more attention right now. As we saw, there has been an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere and this is causing various environmental effects. First, CO2 causes an increase in temperature, this then causes for ice glaciers to melt. Melting of Ince glaciers in leading to an increase in sea levels. The increase in CO2 is also causing for various chemicals to be trapped in the ozone layer, this increase the air pollutants we are exposed to. In recent years there has been a fight to decrease the burning of fossil fuels, the main contribution to increase levels of CO2. We know that there is alternatives for fossil fuels, alternatives that does increase CO2 levels. We should be advocating for policy making that decrease the use of fossil fuels. Though this is challenge, as we know our government is currently in opposition to many environmental protections. 

3) If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?

I would describe climate change in very simple words. I would describe what is contributing to climate change and how this is affecting our Planet. I would also describe it in ways they can relate. For example, describing how driving a car is contributing to green gasses. How the increase in energy use at home can also increase the emission of green gasses. I would also explain to them way then can help and fight climate change. For example, walking more or using a bike to travel short distances. I would also explain to them how buying local grown food if available can help fight climate change. I would explain things they can do at home to reduce emissions.