Global Climate Change (hereby referred to as GCC), ‘the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases’.(Conway E). According to The Butterfly Effect, even a small change could lead to a series of effects, which may cause a serious consequence. The Butterfly Effect also appeals in GCC. One critical consequence of Global Warming is the effect on human health based on three aspects.
Firstly, GCC directly raises the temperature and propels the vector-borne diseases to spread. Secondly, mental health could be effected by climate change indirectly. Thirdly, GCC causes diseases through natural disasters. According to these three points, it would be obvious to find the indirect series of consequences that cause by GCC are even more acute than the direct raise in temperature. By exploring these diverse topics, this paper will show how GCC has consequences that are by their nature unpredictable. First of all, according to the Public Health Officials, the vector-borne diseases — the infections that transmitted by infected arthropods— have increased in both frequency and geographic range.
(Omodior ; Becker) As vectors are more likely to reproduce in warmer environment, the raise in temperature provided them a hotbed. Researchers from University of Arizona found that mosquito’s population increases through GCC which relates to raise the risk of getting vector-borne diseases.(planetforward.org) The data from Climate Central shows that the Disease Danger Days (Risk of disease transmission by mosquitoes) in San Francisco has raised 47 danger days since 1970 to 2017. In US, 94% of the cities have an increasing number of Disease Danger Days. (climatecentral.org) Vector-borne diseases have the major portion of infectious diseases, they accepted for more than 17% and even caused annually deaths of more than 700 000 due to World Health Association.(who.int) Geographically, mosquitoes and ticks vectors shift in different areas because of the seasonal changes. Spring and Fall seasons facilitated vectors’ reproduction and Summer will decrease breeding habitats due to the drier environment.
However, the population would not be decreased in summer. Vectors would find other regions to breed, thus, the geographic range that vector-borne diseases spread is widened. Moreover, GCC not only raises the risk of disease transmission by vectors through vectors’ behaviors, but also weakens human’s immune system by bringing natural disasters. Through these humdrum datas, the significance had been shown. The rise of temperature effected small insects and even lead to thousands cases of humans’ demises through propelling vector-borne diseases.
Nowadays, the rates of aggression and violent suicides have been raised through Global Warming.(Padhy SK, Sarkar S, Panigrahi M, Paul S) GCC prolongs the droughts, which also leads to a directly negative influence on agriculture. More number of farmers suicide due to this situation. Due to Health Day, the suicide rate among farmers ranged between 0.36 and 0.95 per 100 000 annually. On the other hand, other occupations’ annual suicide rates never exceeded 0.19 per 100 000.(Preidt R) GCC can both affect humans’ mental health directly by exposing humans to trauma and indirectly by affect people through physical health and community wellbeing. (Nitschke M, Tucker G, Hansen A, Williams S, Zhang Y, Peng B) People would be easier to get physical exhaustion in hotter regions, and it would bring inability to concentrate, decreased productivity, and irritability with clients or co-workers.(Hanes T) Also, GCC could damage the environment. GCC has effected South Africa more seriously in contrast with other countries as countries in Africa are mostly low-income countries.
It is prevalent to find mental disorders in South Africa. They are mainly caused by violence and communicable. Researchers in University of Adelaide supported that extreme heatwaves facilitate to emerging violence(Berry HL, Bowen K, Kjellstrom T.). Also, vectors-borne diseases increases due to temperature’s augment. These two factors caused by GCC indirectly affect the problem of mental health in South Africa. Even worse, the indirect impact of drought lower household incomes which leads to make Africa people lack of the necessary resources and policies needed to execute a strategy to deal with mental problems.
Therefore, a negative feedback loop has emerged.(Ziervogel G) In addition, GCC also brings natural disasters that directly affect human health both mentally and physically. GCC increased risk of drought and increased intensity of storms, including tropical cyclones with higher wind speeds, a wetter Asian monsoon, and possibly more intense mid-latitude storms.(earthobservatory.nasa.gov) The immediate effects of natural disasters are traumas and injuries. People would have negative feelings after experiencing the trauma, they would probably feel suicidal, want to harm others or harm him/herself. (counseling.org).Natural disasters like droughts that caused by GCC would weaken human health on nutrition-related effects, water-related diseases, airborne and dust-related diseases and many other health effects. (Stanke C, Kerac M, Pudhomme C, Medlock J, Murray V) In conclusion, vectors-borne diseases, mental health and natural disasters’ effects on human health that caused by GCC are just a tip of the iceberg. GCC raises the temperature overall.
However, if we see the problem through a narrow scope, Butterfly Effect appeals to GCC. Global Climate Change effects on a mosquito could even lead to an acute consequence through increasing the risk of getting infectious diseases; GCC raises the temperature and brings disasters which also leaves people with mental sequelae and physical injuries. As a result, human beings, the Earth, the ecosphere on Earth, could collapse like dominos through the series of consequences.
