Health Effects Of Global Warming
As weather temperatures increase globally, heat waves become more common and enable deadly mosquitoes to travel greater distances. Diseases that appear in warmer climates now travel to new lands and infect new populations 1.
The extreme heat waves of 2003 killed up to 70,000 people in Europe. These type of catastrophic temperature changes will most likely become an increasingly regular occurance.
An increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the air increases the risk of allergy and asthma for humans. Air pollution and increased pollen tends to make allergies worse. They also tend to increase smog in heavily industrialized urban settings 2.
As weather patterns become more unpredictable and the potential for extreme weather events increase, species on planet earth will experience an increase in deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, and stress-related disorders 3.
A 2008 study by Stanford University reveals a correlation between increased carbon emissions and human mortality. The study conducted by Professor Mark Jacobson reveals that for each increase of one degree Celsius caused by carbon emissions, the resulting air pollution would lead to 1000 additional deaths annually. Worldwide there would be an increase of 20,000 deaths per year.
There will also be an increase in asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Jacobson points out that this is not merely a correlation relationship. The crisis has evolved into a cause and effect relationship, which is much more difficult scenario to resolve 4.