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182 6.6 Climate Change, Global Warming, Acid Rain, Ozone

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182 6.6 Climate Change, Global Warming, Acid Rain, Ozone 6.6 CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING, Niño is likely to increase. Global mean sea level ACID RAIN, OZONE LAYER DEPLETION, is projected to rise by 9 to 88 cm by the year NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS AND HOLOCAUST 2100. More than half of the world’s population now lives within 60km of the sea. They are likely 6.6.1 Climate change: to be seriously impacted by an ingress of salt water and by the rising sea. Some of the most The average temperature in many regions has vulnerable regions are the Nile delta in Egypt, been increasing in recent decades. The global the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh, average surface temperature has increased by and many small islands including the Marshall 0.6° + 0.2° C over the last century. Globally, Islands and the Maldives, (WHO, 2001). 1998 was the warmest year and the 1990s the warmest decade on record. Many countries have Human societies will be seriously affected by experienced increases in rainfall, particularly in extremes of climate such as droughts and floods. the countries situated in the mid to high lati- A changing climate would bring about changes tudes. in the frequency and/or intensity of these ex- tremes. This is a major concern for human In some regions, such as parts of Asia and Af- health. To a large extent, public health depends rica, the frequency and intensity of droughts on safe drinking water, sufficient food, secure have been observed to increase in recent de- shelter, and good social conditions. All these cades. Episodes of El Niño, which creates great factors are affected by climate change. Fresh storms, have been more frequent, persistent and water supplies may be seriously affected, reduc- intense since mid-1970s compared with the pre- ing the availability of clean water for drinking vious 100 years. All these are signs that the earth and washing during drought as well as floods. is sick. Its climate is changing, making it more Water can be contaminated and sewage sys- difficult for mankind to survive. The earth is los- tems may be damaged. The risk of spread of ing its ability to balance itself due to the imbal- infectious diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases ances created by human activities. will increase. Food production will be seriously reduced in vulnerable regions directly and also Projections of future climate change are derived indirectly through an increase in pests and plant from a series of experiments made by computer or animal diseases. The local reduction in food based global climate models. These are worked production would lead to starvation and mal- out on estimates of aspects such as future popu- nutrition with long-term health consequences, lation growth and energy use. Climatologists of especially for children. Food and water short- the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ages may lead to conflicts in vulnerable regions, (IPCC) have reviewed the results of several ex- with serious implications for public health. Cli- periments in order to estimate changes in cli- mate change related impacts on human health mate in the course of this century. These studies could lead to displacement of a large number have shown that in the near future, the global of people, creating environmental refugees and mean surface temperature will rise by 1.4° to lead to further health issues. 5.8°C. Warming will be greatest over land ar- eas, and at high latitudes. The projected rate of Changes in climate may affect the distribution warming is greater than has occurred in the last of vector species (e.g. mosquitoes) which in turn 10,000 years. The frequency of weather ex- will increase the spread of disease, such as ma- tremes is likely to increase leading to floods or laria and filariasis, to new areas which lack a drought. There will be fewer cold spells but more strong public health infrastructure. The seasonal heat waves. The frequency and intensity of El transmission and distribution of many diseases 182 Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Courses Chapter6.p65 182 4/9/2004, 5:21 PM that are transmitted by mosquitoes (dengue, new and unexpected ones. Strategies aimed at yellow fever) and by ticks (Lyme disease, tick- reducing potential health impacts of anticipated borne encephalitis) may spread due to climate climate changes should include monitoring of change. infectious diseases and disease vectors to de- tect early changes in the incidence of diseases and the geographical distribution of vectors; en- vironmental management measures to reduce CASE STUDIES risk; disaster preparedness for floods or droughts; and their health related consequences. Damage to coral reefs, Pacific It will be necessary to create early warning sys- tems and education for epidemic preparedness. The severity of periodic warming due to El Improved water and air pollution control will Nino in 1997 in the Pacific led to the most become increasingly essential for human health. serious death in coral ever known. It is esti- Public education will have to be directed at mated that about 10% of the Earth’s coral changes in personal behaviour. Training of re- reefs were dead, another 30 % were seri- searchers and health professionals must become ously affected and another 30% were de- an essential part of the world becoming more graded. responsible towards the expected outcome of Global Climate Change (GCC). The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Townsville, Australia, has predicted that all the reefs could be dead by 2050. 6.6.2 Global warming: About 75% of the solar energy reaching the Butterfly populations in the United King- Earth is absorbed on the earth’s surface which dom increases its temperature. The rest of the heat radiates back to the atmosphere. Some of the Global warming is leading to an early arrival heat is trapped by greenhouse gases, mostly of butterflies in Britain. Scientists say that but- carbon dioxide. As carbon dioxide is released by terflies can now be spotted much earlier ev- various human activities, it is rapidly increasing. ery year in the last two decades. Some, like This is causing global warming. the red admiral, can now be seen a month earlier than was the case in the mid – 1970s. The average surface temperature is about 15°C. Others, like the peacock and the orange tip This is about 33°C higher than it would be in are appearing between 15 and 25 days ear- the absence of the greenhouse effect. Without lier than in the past. Future rise in tempera- such gases most of the Earth’s surface would ture is likely to have a detrimental effect on be frozen with a mean air temperature of -18°C. these butterflies. Some butterflies which need cooler temperatures might suffer. Human activities during the last few decades of industrialisation and population growth have polluted the atmosphere to the extent that it has begun to seriously affect the climate. Car- A Task Group set up by WHO has warned that bon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by climate change may have serious impacts on 31% since pre-industrial times, causing more human health. Climate change will increase vari- heat to be trapped in the lower atmosphere. ous current health problems, and may also bring There is evidence to show that carbon dioxide Social Issues and The Environment 183 Chapter6.p65 183 4/9/2004, 5:21 PM levels are still increasing. Many countries have industrial activities account for 61% of sulfur signed a convention to reduce greenhouse gases dioxide pollution. Motor vehicle exhaust fumes under the United Nations Convention on Cli- are the main source of nitrogen oxides. The ac- mate Change. Current international agreements ids in acid rain chemically react with any object are however not still effective to prevent the they come in contact with. Acids react with other significant changes in climate and a rise in sea chemicals by giving up hydrogen atoms. levels. Effects: Acid rain is known to cause widespread environmental damage. Global warming is accelerating faster than what climatologists had calculated a few 1. Acid rain dissolves and washes away nutri- years ago. In 1995, the Intergovernmental ents in the soil which are needed by plants. Panel on Climate Change predict that glo- It can also dissolve naturally occurring toxic bal warming would rise temperatures by 3.5 substances like aluminium and mercury, to 10 degrees Centigrade during the 21st freeing them to pollute water or poison century, if the present trends continue. It is plants. now believed that this could be much greater. This would lead to not only tem- 2. Acid rain indirectly affects plants by remov- perature changes but in the amount of rain- ing nutrients from the soil in which they fall. India may see great annual fluctuations grow. It affects trees more directly by cre- in rainfall leading to floods and drought. ating holes in the waxy coating of leaves, causing brown dead spots which affect the plant’s photosynthesis. Such trees are also 6.6.3 Acid rain: more vulnerable to insect infestations, drought and cold. Spruce and fir forests at When fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural higher elevations seem to be most at risk. gas are burned, chemicals like sulfur dioxide and Farm crops are less affected by acid rain than nitrogen oxides are produced. These chemicals forests. react with water and other chemicals in the air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid and other harm- 3. Acid rain that falls or flows as ground wa- ful pollutants like sulfates and nitrates. These ter to reach rivers, lakes and wetlands, acid pollutants spread upwards into the atmo- causes the water in them to become acidic.
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