We are in the middle of climate change and all we can do is raise our eyes and see above, to observe where exactly is this middle we find ourselves diving into , where we can go from here and what we can do about it. Global warming is a reality which is if not hard, impossible to escape, and we reached the point where urgent measures must be taken and insightful observations made in order to change direction and find a safer, stronger and better path towards evolution, by diminishing the effects of global warming.
A recent report coming from the White House listed some very important health risks associated with climate change. According to the file, heat-related deaths will rise. Also, the number and traveling range of insects carrying diseases once confined to the tropics will increase.
Scientists believe that indeed warmer weather has a great effect on health, but they strongly also state that this only a fragment which belongs to a complex set of forces that are influencing health. Extreme urbanization, overcrowded communities, pollution coming from industries which evolve, the food we eat, the water we drink, the chemicals coming from pills, sweets, cosmetics, basically everything that surrounds us can contribute to a faster death and lower levels of health. Vulnerability is the leitmotif of our times and climate change is only a small fraction contributing to the weakness of mankind.
Temperatures are rising indeed but deaths from heat are not, partly because the road to progress has been helping people adapt. We protect ourselves from heat with the help of technology. Air conditioning is already highly popular all over the world and treatments for heart disease ( which may appear due to extreme heat conditions) have greatly improved.
Yes, humans are defined by their capacity to adapt to various life conditions but adaptation doesn’t necessarily make the problem disappear. Climate change is still happening and its consequences are increasingly dangerous. Entire ecosystems are threatened with extinction and huge areas run short on water.
Although the US government releases reports related to the effects and threats of climate change, scientists seem to hold a more restrained point of view. We are not sure about the truth, we can only know that truth always lies somewhere in the middle, but not in the middle of climate change. What we do know is that Obama administration is using the climate change issue as the centerpiece of his final months in office.
All in all, “There’s a lot of evidence showing that extreme weather can hurt people, but what we don’t know is whether those effects are getting worse,” director of the Columbia University Climate and Health Program stated. There is still not enough evidence to show how exactly climate change affects the health of people. After all, climate change can be defined as the smooth criminal of our era, as it brings hidden, controversial and uncertain effects that are hard to measure and even harder to observe in all their entirety. It’s up to us to discover, believe and act upon the truth.
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