Climate change and its threat to one's wellbeing

Image source: climate.nasa.gov

Image source: wwf.org.uk

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to human health. The effects on the climate can be seen in three areas: air quality, water availability, and food production, affecting one's general wellbeing. People must act now before it gets too late. In this blog post, Janique Goff Madison shares how climate change impacts physical, mental, and emotional health.

Devastating wildfires and other natural disasters have been plaguing countries over the past two decades. While there were calamities centuries ago, their frequency over the last 150 years has been staggering. People today are aware of the dangers the planet will continue to face should the public and private sectors refuse to address climate change as the issue that it is.

Heatwaves and rising temperatures have claimed the lives of many wildlife animals and burnt to ashes majestic forests. Those who witnessed such tragedies have expressed their emotional distress, notes Janique Goff Madison. Small changes in rainfall, humidity, and temperature encourage the rapid growth of infectious diseases, including those carried by mosquitoes. Climate action is required to reverse the dangers of climate change.

Climate change is no longer an environmental health problem alone. It's now considered a public health dilemma. People are falling ill due to pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals, and poor water quality. What used to be an issue felt only by the poorest countries is now shaking the walls of the richest governments.