As our interaction deepens in the discussion about the environment, there is a common trend in all of our blogs; the impact that this imposes. It introduces issues on society, the economy, wildlife, and many more areas. I would like to delve into the impact that climate change has on society because we are all affected by this on a daily basis in different ways including mental health, food and water consumption, and the air.
It is a known fact that humans need to eat to survive. Many countries, including the United States, have large agricultural markets and as the climate changes these farms are more likely to be affected by flooding, drought, diseases, pests, and uncontrollable weeds. The increased precipitation causes runoff of chemicals into the crop supply and also cause the increase amount of diseases and unmanageable weeds. Interestingly enough, increased carbon dioxide also stimulates the carbohydrate production and decreases the levels of minerals and essential proteins in starchy plants such as wheat, rice, and potatoes. Another food industry affected is the seafood market. Sea levels and ocean temperatures are continuously rising which causes acid build up and causes the fish and shellfish (which we consume) to either die or become infected with harmful imbalances. The increase in precipitation also causes more runoff which in turn contaminates the seafood habitat. This also contaminates the water that society drinks. Americans take a lot of pride in the food culture and value the cuisine so why are policy makers ignoring the effects that climate change is having on this aspect of the American culture?
Humans also needs to breathe air in order to survive. The ever changing climate is also affecting the air patterns and levels of the air quality. The increased carbon dioxide levels also boosts the levels of airborne allergens from plants which disrupts both the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems. These increases have also been known to cause premature deaths, increased childhood hospital visits, lost school days, and acute respiratory symptoms. Children are often affected most by this because their immune systems are more susceptible to these conditions and therefore their chances of acquiring respiratory and allergy problems are higher. The population continues to grow which means there are more adolescents being brought into this environment. Personally, I have had asthma and allergies my entire life and I have noticed a significant increase in the allergy season through the years. This proposes an important question; is it ethical to bring these children into the world if they are destined to develop these problems?
The last area of disturbance I would like to touch on is climate change’s effect on humans mental health. Climate change causes extreme natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, wild fires, and heat spells. Many people that endure these traumatic events end up dealing with post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Communities are often destroyed by natural disasters leaving the occupants to flee from their homes and the only lives that they knew. This leads to social disorganization, migrations, and increased crime rates in other areas. Climate change does not just destroy the environment and ecosystem, it is destroying us as well.
The news discusses the environmental effects that natural disasters have like ruining infrastructure and the crazy weather. Sometimes the stories touch on what we can do as a society to make things ‘better,’ but the media often ignores the most important and direct effects humans like our food, water, air, and mental well being. I believe it is important to look at how climate change affects both the ecosphere and society because one day it might change humans altogether.
Works Cited:
https://health2016.globalchange.gov/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climate-change/how-to-live-with-it/health.html
https://ecoamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ea-apa-psych-report-web.pdf
https://www.edf.org/climate/how-climate-change-plunders-planet
Nicole,
I found your topic this week extremely interesting. We know that climate change has many terrible effects on the environment, so it is not surprising that these environmental effects also affect humans. As a Sci-Fi enthusiast, I commonly watch various movies that use climate change to set a dystopian reality. For example, the movie, Interstellar, uses climate change to establish a dying Earth which is slowly killing the Earth’s population and resources. Essentially, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are making the planet uninhabitable due to climate change. In the movie, the population is decimated, the food supplies are depleted, natural disasters are occurring, and the atmosphere’s oxygen contents are draining. Now, this movie appears to be set with the near future; thus, I decided to see if climate change could truly cause these effects. Dr. Matthew Kleinhenz, a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at Ohio State University, stated “Effects of weather have always been with us and most astute know how to deal with them and over the course of a career. But the system is built to tolerate certain levels of fluctuation and when those tolerances are regularly being exceeded it sends ripples through the whole system.” In other word, he believes that climate change does indeed strain our resources such as food, but they are resilient. Thus, many food sources wouldn’t be lost, yet extremely limited and strained. Therefore, the movie was partially correct, but not completely accurate.
Nonetheless, these dystopian realities are very possible. I find it fascinating that we can look at the these movies and act like it will never happen to us. But, these movies are offering possible insights into a future Earth. Every impact of climate change that you described was implemented in the movie one way or another. And, we know that it is just not possible to sustain our planet at the current rate. I believe that movies are a great form of communication to discuss these problems in a non-traditional setting. Although they might not be truly accurate, they can introduce us to problems and new perspectives that are crucial in finding solutions for climate change. Overall, I really liked your post and ideas.
Resources:
https://www.thekitchn.com/could-a-crop-blight-really-wipe-out-everything-but-corn-and-okra-food-on-film-212647
The Science of Interstellar by Kip Throne
Nicole,
I like how you are focusing on a societal impact because all of society will be affected, some more than others. I think it is important for people to realize how society will be forever changed by their actions. People will say they are here for a good time, not a long time so they don’t really care about their impact on the environment. They seldom remember that what they are doing will affect not only how long they are here for, but how well their life is. People who are selfish about their impacts on the environment do not realize that their “good time” is going to turn into a bad time if they don’t make some simple changes. I have looked into the effects climate change and pollution will and does have on farming and the agricultural community and it is honestly really devastating. Having chemicals being runoff into our food supply is something that worries me because I don’t want to be eating chemicals that have no place being in my body. I am not someone who eats seafood but I know so many people do, especially in states and countries close to the ocean so a huge portion of people on Earth will be affected by seafood contamination. Bringing up the point of air pollution causing illnesses and having other aversive health effects is something that is important for people to understand. I’m sure by the time I have kids, they will be sick most of the time during their childhood because of how much air pollution there is. I am also guessing that lung cancer will be pretty prevalent because of how many toxins people are breathing in every day. I do not have any allergies but my brothers do and I have noticed them getting worse over the years. My youngest brother is on many allergy medications and the spring is such a rough time for him. I hadn’t really thought about them getting worse because of air pollution but I am almost positive that is why they have gotten so bad. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, there isn’t much that can be done for people with asthma and allergies worsened by pollution. That’s a pretty sad reality because people who have done damage are having the damage come back to them, but also young children or people who care for the environment are being affected. I have never thought about climate change affecting people’s mental health. Being a psychology major, I honestly feel dumb for not thinking about that because that is such a good point you make. I think bringing it back to the people who are “here for a good time, not a long time,” their quality of life is really going to move downhill as they will probably struggle with mental illness at some point in their life due to their harmful effects on the environment.
https://www.aafa.org/climate-and-health/