Climate and Health

1. Climate and Health
Geography 130
Sec 02
Jose Velez
Gonzalo Lopez
Julie Gerard
Jazmine Willis

2. Extreme Heat
For the young, elderly, and sick, extreme
heat can be harmful.
Even healthy adults can suffer from heated
related causes

3. Heat
➢In August 2003 a heat wave in France caused
14,802 deaths in only 20 days (Kovats & Hajat
42).
➢According to the World Health Organization,
in that same year, there was a recorded
70,000 deaths due the extreme summer heat
wave alone
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/

4. Timeline of Heat Waves in the
U.S.
1) 134 degrees in California’s Death valley
on July 10, 1913
2) 128 degrees in Arizona’s Lake Havasu on
June 29, 1994
3) 125 degrees in Laughlin, Nevada on June
29, 1994

5. 4) June 27, 1994 in New Mexico’s South East
corner of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near
Carlsbad reached 122 degrees
5) In one week Kansas topped 120 degrees back
in July 1936; Fredonia on the 18th and in
Alton on the 24th
http://www.weather.com/news/top-10-hottest-us-states-20120916

6. Timeline of Freezes
1) -87 C in the Endicott Mountains of
northern Alaska on January 23rd,1971
2) -70 C in Rogers pass in Montana on
January 20th,1954
3) -66 C in Wyoming on February 9th, 1933
4) -61 C in Colorado on February 1st, 1985
5) -60 C in Minnesota on February 2nd, 1996
http://www.nhchc.org/resources/clinical/diseases-and-conditions/cold-related-injuries/

7. -Freezing temperatures have caused many
injuries or deaths, especially on homeless.
-About 700 homeless are killed annually in
US.
-Freezing temperatures increase risks of
hypothermia.
http://www.weather.com/news/top-10-coldest-us-states-
20121002?pageno=12

8. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
1. What is considered freezing and cold weather?
● According to the National Weather Service, a freeze is
characterized by: Winds above 10 miles per hour and an
air temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
● For simplicity, a freeze indicates cold weather since
there is not a specific definition for cold weather.
Katharine B. Perry. Frost/Freeze Protection for Horticultural Crops. NC State University, 1 Mar. 1994. Web. 8 Nov.
2014, <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-705.html>

9. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
2. Health effects of exposure to cold weather:
● Hypothermia; results from the core body temperature being
unable to adapt to the external temperature. As a result, pain,
numbness, and eventually death occur if exposure is prolonged.
● Frostbite; results from body tissue temperature dropping below
the freezing point or when blood flow is stopped. In this event,
blood vessels may be critically damaged and irreparable.
● Frostnip; freezes the skin atop areas with minimal muscle, such as
cheekbones, earlobes, and nose. Frostnip causes minimal damage
compared to frostbite and hypothermia.
Cold Environments-Health Effects and First Aid. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2 Oct. 2008.
Web. 8 Nov. 2014, <http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/cold_health.html>

10. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
Frostbitten feet
Frostbite. Summit Post. 11 Jul. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014, <http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321>

11. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
3. Wind Chill is defined as how cold the wind makes us
feel at given temperatures. Since wind can affect how
cold we can feel it poses a threat. For instance, if at
40 degrees Fahrenheit the wind blows at 20 miles per
hour, then our bodies will feel as if it were 30 degrees
fahrenheit. Consequently, frostbite can occur within
our bodies faster than expected.
Ahrens, Donald. Essentials of Meteorlogy. page 75

12. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
Wind Chill Index
National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014
<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill/index.shtml>

13. Health Effects of Freezes and Cold Weather
4. How people adapt and what they wear
● We are considered mammals. Therefore, keeping warm
during cold weather is essential. If exposure to cold
weather is protracted, then frostbite, hypothermia, or
frostnip may occur.
● Therefore, it is of paramount importance to keep the
hands, head, face, and fingers warm. These parts of the
body are usually the first to become affected by frostnip
because the body prefers to warm up the core instead.
However, one may also stay protected through shelter.
● Thus it would be smart to wear gloves, layers, eye
protection, hats, etc. on a cold day.

14. Rainfall
-Too little rain affects the supply of fresh
water, droughts, and famine.
-Too much rain can lead to floods,
drownings, damaged homes, and
contamination of fresh water supplies
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/>.

15. Rainfall
-Due to climate change, a warmer
climate means the atmosphere can
hold more moisture. Thus, extreme
precipitation occurs.
-58% increase in the number of
days with heavy precipitation in
the Northeast. 27% increase in the
Midwest.
-States have had to adapt by
updating infrastructure, improving
drinking water safeguards, and
creating a plan when floods strike.
<http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/rain-and-snow.html>.

16. Drought
-When drought occurs crops can be destroyed, food supply is diminished, loss
of wildlife habitats, greater chance of wildfires, poor water quality, and
many other detrimental factors can occur.
-The serious drought in California has made this the 4th driest year in
California history.
-Water transport system must be fixed in order to sustain agricultural
production in the San Joaquin Valley and to sustain major West Coast cities.
-Jerry Brown’s $25 billion plan to fix California’s water system is currently in
the works.
<http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/floods.asp>

17. <http://www.trbimg.com/img-53a36854/turbine/la-me-ln-drought-worsens-
across-california-20140619>

18. Other natural disasters that
occur due to change in climate
include...

19. Hurricanes
-2005 was a record setting
year for tropical storms
with 28 named storms.
-They cause numerous
deaths, destruction, and
billions of dollars in
damage.
-Risk factors include high
winds, storm surge,
flooding, and tornados...
<http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/record2005.asp>

20. Tornados
-States in “Tornado Alley” should be
most concerned.
-Extremely high winds cause flying debris
and result in injuries and death.
-Destruction of homes, farms, trees, and
buildings.
-Sometimes causes water contamination.
<http://devanmoura.weebly.com/environmental-impact.html>

21. Harmful Pollutants
➢Harmful air pollution has caused a
dramatic increase in the number of
Americans with Asthma.
➢Worldwide, air pollution will cause about
800,000 premature deaths.

22. Increased Air Pollutants will also lead
to…

23. ➢Higher rates of cardiac mortality
➢Increased rate and chances of cancer
➢Increased birth defects and death in
newborns
➢Neurological and Neuropsychiatric effects

24. ➢Increased Respiratory infection
➢Kidney damage
➢Damage to the Digestive System

25. Causes of Air Pollutants
Within the last 50 years the burning of fossil
fuels has lead to an increase in the levels of
carbon dioxide and other harmful levels of
greenhouse gases.

26. Change in climate enhance
diseases
Changes in climate have a bad impact on
the population increasing the risk of
possible diseases leading sometimes to
deaths.
Dangerous especially for young children,
old adults, persons with medical conditions
and homeless.

27. Change in climate enhance
diseases
Warm temperatures:
I. More risks of heat-related illness or even
deaths
II. Higher air and water pollution
Cold temperatures:
I. Increase risk of hypothermia
II. Increase risk of frostbite
III.Increase risk of Raynaud’s disease

28. Change in climate enhance
diseases
Extreme changes in weather conditions can
lead to:
-food poisoning because no more fresh food
and water.
-intestinal and stomach illnesses
-risk of depression and others mental
diseases.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html

29. Change in climate enhance
diseases
Freezing weather effects: Raynaud’s disease

30. Effect of overall climate change
-Higher temperatures: increasing the risk of
storms and create stronger storms
-Changing landscapes: changes in
vegetation and less conservation
-Endangers wildlife: many endangered
species will disappear completely within a
few years

31. Effect of overall climate change
-A rising temperature will increase the risks
of diseases or deaths
-Higher sea level: melting glaciers and
thermal expansion ( warm water takes
more space than cold water)
-Drought, floods and fire more frequent
and stronger
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/
threats-impacts/

32. Effect of overall climate change

33. Works Cited
Curtis, Luke, et al. "Adverse Health Effects of Outdoor Air
Pollutants." Environment International (2006): 815-830.
Kampa, Marilena and Elias Castanas. "Human Health
Effects of Air Pollution ." Environmental Pollution (2007):
362-367.
Kovats, Sari R. and Shakoor Hajat. "Heat Stress and Public
Health: A Critical Review." Annual Review of Public Health
(2008): 41-55.
World Health Organization (2014)

34. Works Cited continued
"Climate Change Threatens Health: Flooding." NRDC:. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/floods.asp>.
"Climate Change and Health." WHO. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/>.
"Global Warming Effects on Rain and Snow." Global Warming Effects on Rain and Snow. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/rain-and-snow.html>.
"Medscape Log In." Medscape Log In. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513258_11>.
"Records Set in the Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2005." Records Set in the Hurricane Season of 2005. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/record2005.asp>.
"Types of Drought Impacts." Types of Drought Impacts. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
<http://drought.unl.edu/droughtforkids/howdoesdroughtaffectourlives/typesofdroughtimpacts.aspx>.

35. Works Cited continued
"Climate impacts on human health." EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 9
Nov. 2014
<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html>.
"Climate Change: Threats and Impacts." The Nature Conservancy. (2014). Web. 9 Nov. 2014
<http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-impacts/>
Katharine B. Perry. Frost/Freeze Protection for Horticultural Crops. NC State University, 1 Mar. 1994. Web. 8 Nov.
2014
<http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-705.html>
Cold Environments-Health Effects and First Aid. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 2 Oct. 2008.
Web. 8 Nov. 2014
<http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/cold_health.html>
Frostbite. Summit Post. 11 Jul. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014
<http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321>
Ahrens, Donald. Essentials of Meteorlogy. page 75
National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2014
<http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill/index.shtml>