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The Climate Change Disaster By City Tech Blogger Zin Win Ko

The issue of climate change has created significant changes in weather patterns and has allowed temperatures to shift overtime. In terms of human activity, the excessive burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have contributed to the increasing atmospheric temperature of the Earth. This raises the likelihood of natural disasters such as droughts and water scarcity. Additionally, the rising temperatures can led to severe  storms that cause flooding and landslides which destroys communities on a socioeconomic level. The combination of factors such as gas emissions, ice sheet melts, and sea level rises have resulted in high acidity in the ocean. Our marine life and ecosystem have essentially been threatened. The rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and warmer temperatures have damaged several industries of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and tourism. This can result in negative effects on people’s health and wellbeing while keeping people below the poverty line.

The Agricultural Industry has been severely damaged by issues pertaining climate change because of intense heat waves and water shortages. The negative impacts of agricultural production have caused food shortage and low quality food. As plant productivity and supply decrease, the price of agricultural crops such as rice, wheat, maize, and soybeans have slowly increased overtime. This directly reduces the consumption of cereal, leading to greater food insecurity. The effects of climate change in our agricultural production has continued to affected our lifestyles. It has been felt on an socioeconomic level from increased food prices to shortages in food products.

The rising atmospheric temperature of the Earth have led to natural disasters such as droughts and floods. This results in the harm of rural and urban communities. Additionally, the production of crops would create a significant burden on the law of supply and demand which results in a significant price increase. The rising prices of crops make it difficult for families to be financially stable. The changes have affected certain middle-class and lower-class families. For example, farmers have difficult meeting the system of supply and demand due to changes in climate. With acres of crop fields, agricultural crops such as grains, corn, fruits, and vegetables have been drastically affected which challenges the farming communities.

On the other hand, climate change has a range of impacts on the business industry. There has been economic losses from reoccurring natural disasters such as storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Because of rising sea levels, society’s critical infrastructure, such as housing, airports, railway, supply chain operations, and factories, have been severely damaged. Infrastructure and Tourism has a correlational relationship because tourism can have substantial economic consequences when tourist suitability declines. Once popular destinations have become isolated because the beauty of that region has been destroyed by weather disasters. Climate change has affected the quality of experience and destination choice for tourists and damages the business industry.

Climate Crisis has affected our planet, but it has had a greater effect on people’s health and well-being. According to WHO, climate change is the biggest health threat that influences human health. For example, increased carbon dioxide emission in the air could make agricultural crops less nutritious, leading to malnutrition and hunger. Another example is increased temperature and  humidity increases the susceptibility for disease. The risk of respiratory disease and allergies rise increase as temperatures change as well as organisms growing such as mold, fungi, and air pollutants. In terms of healthcare, power outages could disable hospital systems which is a necessity for taking care of patients.

Although people’s experience varies disproportionately, the effects of climate change depend on various factors such as age, gender, geography, and socioeconomic status. Many people that have been exposed to extreme weather conditions have had their health impacted resulting in respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, and mental health issues. In addition, the health effects for different age groups depends on sensitivity to climate change-related health risks and capacity to respond to or cope with change. The most vulnerable groups of people to disease are low- income families, immigrants, indigenous people, children, pregnant women, older adults, people with disabilities, and people with co-morbidities.

Climate change is a problem that people have created on their own, and humans have continued to feel the impact of climate change. With the growing world population, food scarcity, and increased poverty, it is difficult to survive on this planet. We have to take action in order to reverse the effects of climate change on our planet. We must stop deforestation to lower the level of carbon dioxide in the air and reduce the usage of fossil fuels, electricity, automobiles, etc. to prevent air pollution. We can prevent global warming and lead to climate disasters with every person’s contribution.

 

Reference

How Climate Change Impacts the Economy

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file

/605067/12._Tourism.pdf

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/peter-thomson-sustainable-blue-economy

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/201

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