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Humans are running out of time to stop this global threat.

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Climate Change - The Biggest Global Health Threat of the 21st Century

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Climate Change - The Biggest Global Health Threat of the 21st Century

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Climate change. Global warming. Environmental destruction.

There are many abstract ideas used to describe the biggest threat to our planet in modern times.  So often, people switch off from the enormity of the issue or think that it means higher temperatures and floods in the developing world but that Ireland won't be affected.

However, Earth is a system where everything is connected and change in one area influences changes in all other areas.  It is already affecting us and unless we all take drastic action, things will only get worse.

This padlet will discuss:

What causes climate change?

What are the consequences of climate change for life on earth?

Why climate change action in Ireland to date has been insufficient?

(Rizkiyanto, 2009)

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Climate is the average weather in a place over many years.  Climate change is a shift in these averages and the warming of the earth's atmosphere, oceans and land.  The rapid rise in climate change that we see now is a result of human activity - our consumption of oil, gas and coal (fossil fuels) to provide energy for our homes, industry and transport.

Greenhouse gases act like a duvet to keep the earth at a temperature of 33 degrees which is warm enough to for humans to live.  However, since the Industrial Revolution and particularly since the 1970's, human consumption of fossil fuels have had the effect of a winter duvet in the summertime and the earth is getting too warm.  These gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, trap the Sun's heat which causes the Earth's temperature to rise.

The main causes, either directly or indirectly are from:

Transport

Pollution

Energy Production

Unsustainable consumption of plastics, fast fashion

Agriculture

The earth is now about 1⁰C warmer than in pre industrial times.  In fact, the Earth is now warmer than it's been in 125,000 years!

This is unprecedented and if allowed to continue, the world will be 4 degrees hotter by 2100.  This would be similar to a 40 degree fever in a human and would lead to irreversible loss of plants and animal species, devastating heatwaves and rising sea levels.

The world will be in critical care.

(BBC, 2022; Masson-Delmotte et al., 2022; Mullan, 2023; Parsons, 2021)

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Please watch this short video for an overview of the causes of climate change.

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Climate change in 60 seconds | The Royal Society

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Extreme weather events are already more intense across the globe.

In East Africa, farmland is turning to desert with 22 million people at risk of severe hunger.

In Europe, increased wildfires have lead to seven times more land burnt in the first 6 months of 2022 than the average recorded.

Warming temperatures in places like Siberia mean that frozen ground(tundra) may melt, releasing greenhouse gases that have been trapped for centuries in to the atmosphere.

As more droughts and food shortages occur, more people will be forced to migrate northwards, making the current refugee crisis even more acute.

Millions of people will need humanitarian aid as there will more food shortages, lack of clean drinking water and land loss.

And even though most of the carbon emissions come from the wealthy Northern Hemisphere, it is the poorer, developing countries in the South who will suffer the most.

(BBC, 2022; Davies, 2019; Romanello et al., 2022)

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The stark reality of some of the impacts of climate change:

Rising sea levels

Thawing permafrost

Wildfires

Extreme weather events

Earthquakes

Severe droughts

More infectious diseases

Psychological Effects - such as PTSD

Poverty

Poor quality food

War and violence

Climate Refugees

(Romanello et al., 2022; Mullan, 2023; Xkcd, 2022)

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Climate Change and the Health Consequences

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Climate Change and the Health Consequences

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The very foundations for good health are being weakened by climate change.  This impact intensifies the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions on health.

A growing number of persons over 65 die each year from heat-related causes as a result of the intense heatwaves, which also impact mental health and ability to work and exercise.

Physical and mental health are increasingly being impacted by frequent and extreme weather events, both directly and indirectly.

Developing countries are disproportionately overburdened by economic losses, the threat of infectious disease outbreaks and the security of the world's food supply.

Children, older people, those who are already ill and those living in poverty are the most vulnerable in every society to the health consequences of climate change.

(Romanello et al., 2022; CDC, 2022)

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Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government, Australia

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Please watch this short video from the Better Health Channel on the impacts of climate change on our health and what we can do about it.

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Everyday Stories of Climate Change - A Comic

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Everyday Stories of Climate Change - A Comic

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This illustrated resource helps young people to learn about how climate change impacts ordinary families in five different countries around the world.

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The results of a global poll in 2022 show that 7 in 10 people are concerned about the impact of climate change.  However, as shown in the graph above, there are other issues that people feel are more important such as war, the cost of living, their families' health and the ongoing pandemic.

People know that they need to change their behaviour to address global warming but when the issue isn't top of their agenda, they are unlikely to do so unless there are incentives that match their priorities.

The same poll indicated that on average only 39% of people globally feel that their government have clear strategies in place to combat climate change.  Behaviour and system change on the scale necessary to combat climate change needs good, decisive leadership and without that, people will focus on the immediate issues in their lives and not on the long term effects of climate change.

(Bailey, 2022)

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The Current State of Ireland's Carbon Footprint

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The Current State of Ireland's Carbon Footprint

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Ireland has the 3rd highest carbon output per capita in the EU and the 30th highest globally.  For such a small country, we contribute a lot of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.  Why?

Agriculture - 38% of emissions in Ireland come from cow herds and fertiliser.  The average in the EU is 10%.

Transport - Ireland's public transport and active travel system is poorly developed so most people rely on cars for travel. Even though public money has been allocated to improving these issues, only 40% of Ireland's active travel budget was drawn on in 2022.

Irish governments have historically been slow to act on climate change, particularly with the agriculture sector.  However, time is running out and emissions have to be cut by 50% in 2030 and 100% by 2050.  So what are the Irish plans for the future?

(EPA, 2021; Mullan, 2023; Sutton, 2022)

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Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023  (the annual update to the Climate Action Plan 2019) calls for using grants, incentives, and taxes to organise €125 billion of public and private investment to allow:

enough renewable electricity to power every home and business in the country by 2030

70% of people in rural Ireland to have buses that go three times a day to the nearest town

500,000 homes retrofitted to BER B2 to make them warmer

1 in 3 private cars on our roads to be electric by 2030

walking, cycling and public transport to account for 50% of all daily trips

tillage farming to cover up to 400,000 hectares by 2030

Tariffs for micro-generation - selling back to the grid

Planting forests

Propsed ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2030

This plan is a step in this right direction and the government acknowledges that many of the actions outlined will be challenging and require a mindset shift on behalf of the Irish people.  However, the plan outlines the benefits which include:

warmer homes

cheaper electricity

better transport

biodiversity-rich landscapes

improved health

a thriving, green economy for current and future generations

Nevertheless, there is a big challenge ahead to reach the targets set and reach the 100% reduction required by 2050.  Every year matters.  Every individual matters.  Every choice matters.

(Government of Ireland, 2019; Government of Ireland, 2023)

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Bailey, P. (2022). Earth Day 2022: Global Attitudes to Climate Change. [Report]. IPSOS. www.ipsos.com

BBC News. (2022). What is Climate Change? [Website]. www.bbc.com/news/science-environment

Better Health Channel. (2022). Climate Change and Health. [Video]. Victoria State Government, Australia.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Climate Effects on Health. [Infographic]. National Center for Environmental Health, US.

Davies, S. (2019). Climate Change - The Facts. [Documentary]. 360 Productions.

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. (2023). Climate Action Plan 2023: Change Ireland for the Better. Government of Ireland.

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. (2019). The Climate Action Plan 2019: Securing Our Future. Government of Ireland.

Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, & B. Zhou (eds.) (2022). IPCC Report: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Doi:10.1017/9781009157896.

Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Ireland's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projection. [Infographic]. www.epa.ie

Mullan, E. (2023). Environment and Health Lecture Notes. SETU Waterford.

Parsons, G. (2021). Extinction. [Image]. The Week.  www.the week.com/politicalsatire

Raeside, A. (2021). Climate Change. [Image]. Powell River Peak Newspaper.  www.prpeak.com

Rizkiyanto, F. (2009). Climate Change: Time [Image]. www.ferdi-rizkiyanto.blogspot.com

Romanello, M., Di Napoli, C., Drummond, P., Green, C., Kennard, H., Lampard, P., Scamman, D., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S. et al. (2022). The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels. The Lancet,400(10363), 1619-1654. Doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01540-9.

Science Sparks. (2019). What is Climate Change? [Infographic]. www.science-sparks.com

Sou, G., Risha, A.N., Sims, C., and Ziervogel, G. (2022). Everyday Stories of Climate Change. [Comic Book]. RMIT University and The University of Manchester.

Sutton, M. (2022). 40% of active travel budget drawn on in 2022. Cycling Industry. www.cyclingindustry.news

Turner, M. (2021). Climate Change Target COP 26. [Image]. Irish Times. www.irishtimes.com

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Wilkinson, S. (2020). Trillion Tree Planting. [Image]. The Philadephia Inquirer. www.inquirer.com/opinion/cartoons

XKCD. (2022). 4.5 Degrees - How Big A Change Is That? [Image]. www.xkcd.com/1379