Influence of Increased Heat in the Earths Atmosphere on Human Illness - Essay Example

? In the Context of Non-Communicable Disease, Discuss the Likely Impact of Global Temperature Rise on Human Health Table of Contents 0 Introduction3 2.0 Greenhouse Gasses 4 2.1 Affects of Climate Change 5 3.0 Heat Related Illness 6 3.1 Allergens and Heat 7 4.0 The Sun 9 5.0 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 12 In the Context of Non-Communicable Disease, Discuss the Likely Impact of Global Temperature Rise on Human Health 1.0 Introduction Global temperature rise has a profound effect on the overall health of the populations of the world. As the greenhouse gasses continue to increase through human activity, the temperature of the Earth’s surface will continue to grow. Ecological impact on the human populations will continue to be affected by the aspect of growing heat problems in contrast with a lack of infrastructure that is prepared to handle the impact. The development of stress related heat diseases will continue until they become epidemic if adaptation and remedies to the problem are not put into place. As a result of increases in overall temperatures on the surface of the Earth and increase radiant effects from the sun, the increases in non-communicable disease caused by global temperature elevation will continue to increase as human life begins to change in relationship to the effect. Climate change is about the sun. The way in which the radiation of the sun is distributed by the complex systems that prevent the Earth from scorching or freezing from the balance between radiation and the gasses that radiate into the system is essential to understand in order to understand how temperature affects the human body. It is also essential to understand how the sun’s rays affect the overall nature of human health both through giving vitamins, but also in creating damage to the skin, which is the body’s way of regulating temperature. The non-communcable diseases that can develop from climate change include those that will develop because of increased exposure to various forms of radiation. 2.0 Greenhouse Gasses The temperature of the world is increasing. According to the World Bank (2009, p. 76) “the physical impacts of future climate change on humans and the environment will include increasing stresses on and even collapses of eco-systems, biodiversity loss, changing timing of growing seasons, coastal erosion and aquifer salinisation, permafrost thaw, ocean acidification, and shifting ranges for pests and diseases”. In other words, the entire natural world is at risk for changes that can be detrimental to existing ecological balance and will result in a shift in the way in which disease and pestilence is spread. The UK government is in a constant effort to pass and implement Bills that will require the reduction of greenhouse emissions because of the importance of this problem (Great Britain 2007). The greenhouse effect is defined by the way in which thermal radiation is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and then re-radiated into a variety of directions. Some of it is radiated towards the Earth. This re-radiation is being increased by the accumulation of gasses in the atmosphere which in turn is increasing the temperature of the Earth’s surface. The natural greenhouse gasses help the Earth to make human life possible by creating the optimum temperature at which life can thrive. Human activities are now putting that balance in jeopardy as deforestation and burning fossil fuels are putting the effect out of balance (Porteous 2008, p. 314). Human activity has created an anthropogenic influence on the ozone layer which impacts the greenhouse gasses and radiation of the sun since the 1950s, but the debate about its existence still rages on (Muller 2010, p. 12). 2.1 Affects of Climate Change The surface effects will be drought, the inability to grow grains, about 25% of the worlds species will be at risk for extinction, and communities will suffer from heat stress that will result in a number of different manifestations (World Bank 2011, p. 78). Industry capacities will change, meaning that work may experience another shift in meaning as it did when the industrial revolution changed the meaning of work. There is an urgency for planned adaptation so that cities and suburbs are not caught in old frameworks that are no longer useful in current contexts. Developing countries may see an advantage as their infrastructure is built to withstand the increases in temperature because they are current while older cities will be burdened with infrastructure that is no longer relevant (Dodman, Bicknell, and Satterthwaite 2012, p. 4). The methods of survival will change and the needs of the human body will bear the burden. Heat stress is one of the ways in which the body will be burdened. In Shanghai in both 1998 and 2003 heat waves led to elevated mortality. In 1998 there were more deaths than in 2003 because human response was different in the second incident. Improvement of living conditions such as aspects such as larger living areas, air conditioning, and urban green space may have contributed as these concepts evolved due to the influence of the 1998 heat wave. An implementation of a heat warning system is likely responsible for the lower levels mortality in 2003 in comparison to 1998 (Tan, Zheng, Song, Kalkstein, Kalkstein, and Tang 2007, p. 193). This means that human beings are quickly adapting to the problems of higher levels of heat and the dangers that it presents. The heat wave that hit in Shanghai in 2003 also affected Europe. The heat wave lasted through July and August with monthly mean temperatures over the 90th percentile. The deaths world wide were estimated at 22,000 to 50,000. Urban centers were the afflicted the worst “possibly due to the urban heat island effect, elevated pollution levels, and the age distribution of the population” (Tan et al 2007, p. 194). In England there was a significant impact on hospital admissions, particularly in London where mortality was also increased. There was an overall 17% increase in deaths in England, with the worst effects experienced by the over age 75 populations. The infrastructure problem that impacted the city of London was in the 16% increase in hospital admissions during that time. This was caused by “unusually hot Ozone and particulate matter concentrations ...also elevated during the heat wave (Johnson, Kovats, McGregor, Stedman, Gibbs, Walton, Cook, and Black 2005, p. 6). 3.0 Heat Related Illness Heat can cause illnesses that range from simple exhaustion and headache to the result of death. A variety of symptoms can include syncope, cramps, stress, exhaustion, and stroke. There is an average of over 200 deaths per year in the UK due to heat related affects. The military has an average of 3.5 deaths per 1000 where they are stationed in hot climates. One of the ways to prevent heat related illness is acclimatisation. This means that the body has the capacity to get used to a new climate under certain conditions. Not all bodies have the capacity to acclimatise for heat related conditions. There are four risk factor categories for heat vulnerability. The environment, the constitution of the individual, behavioural factors and medical factors all must be taken into consideration where the ability to endure extremes in heat are concerned (Warrell and Anderson 2003, p. 261). Heat stress can contribute to increases in coronary incidents, increases in respiratory problems, and increases in overall illnesses affected by stress, which are almost all illnesses known to mankind (Downing, Olsthoorn, and Tol 2004, p. 293). Respiratory illnesses are particularly vulnerable due to increased air pollution. This is developed due to increases in anthropogenic greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbon. The overall atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) has increased from 280 parts per million (PPM) in pre-industrial periods to 385.3PPM in 2009. This is due to human activities that have changed the levels of gasses in a significant and dangerous manner (The National Environmental Education Foundation (Australia) 2009). 3.1 Allergens and Heat Allergens are dispersed on a greater level due to growth and distribution of organisms in which they are produced. This will result in an overall increase in allergic disease, affecting those who already affected by allergies and those who will react to increased levels. This includes mould, spores, indoor proteins and pollens through the distribution mediums of grasses, weeds, fungus and trees (Ziska and Caulfield 2000). The seasons already are defined by variations in allergen levels and there is a correlation between increases in temperature and the levels of moisture created to increase fungal growth and the level of sunlight. The allergy season has seen a specific increase of 10-11 days in the last 30 years (Alcamo and Olesen 2012, p. 62). The main issues that evolve from exposure to aeroallergens are asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic urticria and atopic dermatitis. Allergic reactions can result in permanent bronchial obstruction and further damage to the lungs as well as heart problems due to allergen and elevated level of heat (Reid and Gamble 2009). There is evidence that the pollen grown at higher levels of heat has a higher level of allergenicity. In addition, this will mean more incidents of asthma as more people become affected by the increases of pollen in the air who might not have had the effect of asthma if they had not been exposed to these levels (Alcamo and Olesen 2012) In addition to heat, increased levels of CO2 can increase fungal production. Fungal spores are responsible for increased exacerbation of both asthma and allergy (Great Britain 2007). An association between fungal spoors and asthma deaths has been found to exist. The exposure to fungus has been associated with increased incidents of the development of asthma, including the aspergillus fungi. In a UK study reported by Pasqualotto (2010, p. 763) allergies to a variety of fungi which included five common moulds and five aeroallergens concluded that asthma patients were also allergic to these ten specific moulds and aeroallergens. The elevation level of the skin test reaction was in direct correlation to higher incidents of admissions for asthma related distress. Ozone depletion is a concern because of the results of increased exposure to the radiation of the son. Ultra violet (UV) light that is damaging to humans can be divided into three categories. These categories are UV-C, UV-B, and UV-A which are determined by the level of nm within the radiation wavelength. The stratospheric ozone layer is breaking down to release bromide and chloride as it is increasingly exposed to UV radiation. The reduced levels of ozone are affecting human health through exposure to more chemicals at unnatural levels, which is contributing to the overall dangers of climate change on human health (Mu?ller, R. and Royal Society of Chemistry (Great Britain 2012, p. 10). 4.0 The Sun The most noticeable rise in a non-communicable disease in relationship to global temperature increases on human health is that of the effect of the sun in causing skin cancer. Where the sun was once considered a source of heath, it is now considered a resource from which cancerous skin cells can develop. The sun as a factor in skin cancer was first noted in 1896 when Unna made descriptions of sailors and the changes in their skin cancer from the constant exposure to the sun (Jemec, Kemeny, and Miech 2010, p. 39)). There is more frequency of skin cancer where there is a higher ambient sun-radiance. However, since the 1970s there has been a marked increase in the number of incidents of skin cancer. In countries where there are fair skinned people who have migrated into high ambient sun regions, the increases in skin cancer have been disturbingly high. Melanoma is increasing in incidents in both the South of the United States and in Australia at a rate of 5% per year (Warshawsky and Andolph 2005, p. 380). The rates of skin cancer are found to be related to the number of sun burns experienced during childhood. This means that while preventative care as an adult is still recommended, it is not a significant help in relationship to the potential for skin cancer that has already been developed. The UVB spectrum in the sun’s rays results in direct damage to the genomic DNA, leading to the carcinogenic process that will cause skin cancer (Warshawsky and Andolph 2005, p. 380). In a survey done in the United States at a University in Alabama about the risks of skin cancer, 492 students were surveyed about their knowledge and habits. While most knew that skin cancer could be caused by exposure to the sun, only 29% knew how to properly protect themselves. Where 69% of all surveyed believed that all people should protect themselves, only 51% believed that they should protect themselves. There were only 3.1% who avoided the sun at peak hours (Skin Cancer 2011, p 48). In the UK food standards agency workshop report: An investigation of the relative contributions of diet and sunlight to vitamin D status (Ashwell et al 2010, p. 603) the results of the discussion determined that vitamin D could be supplied to the body in the UK when short durations of sunlight at mid day were experienced during the peak period of UVB radiation. This comes into conflict with the need to stay out of the sun during these peak periods. Recommendations were to only be in the sun until personal limits of sunburn risk. The need for the sun for vitamin replenishment in conflict with the growing problem of skin cancer means that the global crisis of elevated temperatures is already having an effect on the ability of human life to be provided with needed elements of physical health. 5.0 Conclusion While there is a debate about the existence of climate change in some circles, the evidence of increased heat in the Earth’s atmosphere is clearly evident. The influence of increased heat in the Earth’s atmosphere on human illness will continue to have a profound impact as long as greenhouse emissions are continued to be allowed to damage the biosphere. Increases in deaths due to heat will be seen as well as increased incidents of respiratory illnesses as more exposure to elements that have an effect on the respiratory system begins to harm more people. The heat of climate change will affect a great number of systems as the cascading affect will continue to create harm and damage to human life on Earth. 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