Health Effects of Climate Change
THE CLIMATE
AND
YOUR HEALTH
Carbon is the building block of life
CHOCOLATE CHOLESTEROL
ALCOHOLSTARCH
EVERYTHING THAT WAS EVER ALIVE HAS CARBON IN IT
Burning releases carbon into the air as carbon
dioxide (CO2).
Earth can only absorb half. The rest is building up in our atmosphere
where it blankets our planet, trapping heat from the sun.
Bakersfield, CA
AIR
WILDFIREYARNELL HILL, AZ JULY 2013
WILDFIRE SMOKETRIGGERS ASTHMA ATTACKS AND INCREASES ER VISITS
INHALED BY PREGNANT WOMEN: LOWERS BIRTH WEIGHTS
SMOKE TRAVELS FAR
FIRE IN NEW MEXICO SMOKE IN DENVER, CO MEMORIAL DAY 2012
OZONE
IRRITATES THE LUNGS
CAUSES ASTHMA IN ACTIVE KIDS
POLLENMORE FOR LONGER
MOLD CAUSES ASTHMA AND TRIGGERS ATTACKS
ALLERGY AND ASTHMA HAVE TRIPLED
von Hertzen L, Hanski I, Haahtela T. Natural Immunity. EMBO Reports 12:1089–1093, 2011
HOT DRY WEATHER INCREASES CHILDREN’S BLOOD LEAD
Laidlaw. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 June; 113(6): 793–800.
HALF A MILLION US KIDS HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM
LEAD
NOBLESVILLE, IN
WATER
BLUE BABY FROM NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER
COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW
PITTSBURGH, PAALLEGHENY RIVER
LEPTOSPIROSIS passes from wild animals and livestock to humans and pets when urine
washes into puddles and flood waters
BLUE GREEN ALGAE BLOOMS
BLUE GREEN ALGAE TOXINS CAUSE HEPATITIS AND LIVER CANCER
CAN KILL DOGS AND SMALL CHILDREN
AMOEBIC MENINGITIS2010 2012
Lilly Lake, Stillwater MN
FOOD
AFLATOXIN
CROP MYCOTOXIN MAP 10/12
MERCURY AND PCBS
If we don't cut our emissions in half by 2030, global temperature will rise 8 degrees by 2100
and stay that way for 1,000 years.
A HEALTHY PRESCRIPTION
For Climate Action
20,000 HEART ATTACKS PREVENTED23,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR
10,000 COLON CANCERS
215,000 HEART ATTACKS PREVENTED570,000 NEW DIABETES CASES EACH YEAR
300,000 HEART ATTACKS/STROKES PREVENTED260,000 NEW DIABETES CASES EACH YEAR144,000 CANCER DEATHS
CLIMATE911.ORG
Healthy People = Healthy Planet