RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—We were glad that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took its first step in clearing the air Friday, releasing an endangerment finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten human health and welfare. This should help to set stricter emission standards for vehicles, power plants, and other big sources of the pollution that can both damage our lungs and heat up our planet.
The effect of greenhouse-gas induced pollution on global warming is becoming a major health issue. Experts including Paul R. Epstein, M.D., M.P.H., associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, say climate change is, and will continue to be, the underlying cause of a host of medical problems. Speaking at a conference at Mount Sinai School of Medicine earlier this month, he told med students to expect these health problems to grow as a result of climate change, and urged future docs to improve public health by working in their communities to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some of the health problems cited, as well as ways to fix them.
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1. Allergies and asthma. More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stimulates allergenic plants like ragweed to produce a lot more pollen, making sniffle seasons more severe. Scientists also believe that burning fossil fuels is a strong force behind skyrocketing asthma rates—the number of people suffering from this ailment has quadrupled since 1980. |
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The fix: Consider nasal irrigation. It may sound gross, but for a $10 investment you can buy a neti pot, used to flush irritants out of your nostrils and nasal tissues. Several studies have found that neti pots ease allergies and other nasal problems. To avoid breathing woes, try not to exercise near busy roads. A British study found joggers who took short runs near clogged roads took in a nasty mix of volatile organic compounds, which can damage lung health. Also, check ground ozone pollution levels daily and stay inside when it’s hazardous outside. |
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2. Heat-related illnesses and death. Global warming is changing the characteristics of heat waves, producing more warming at night and more humidity. The elderly, who often have more trouble getting around, and the poor, who often go without air conditioning, are most susceptible to heat waves. |
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The fix: If you can’t afford air conditioning when it’s super hot, take the bus to a nearby community center or mall and spend part of your day there to cool down. Drink plenty of water, open windows at home, and run a fan. If you’re renovating or replacing your roof, choose light-colored shingles or concrete, or paint your flat-top roof with white roof coating to reflect the heat. |
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3. Lyme disease. Higher temperatures lengthen the baby-making season for ticks that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, so global warming means more of the tiny bloodsuckers looking for your exposed skin. The disease can cause a long list of symptoms, including migrating pain, panic attacks, headaches, difficulty falling or staying asleep, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). |
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The fix: The government-approved chemical tick repellents like DEET are not necessarily safe for you or the environment. When you go into tick-infested areas, wear light-colored clothing so you can spot a tick on it more easily, tuck your pants into your socks, and as soon as you return home, do a full-body tick check. If you do suspect Lyme disease (it’s estimated that less than half of people affected get the telltale bull’s-eye rash), seek a doctor who specializes in treating it. Blood tests that other doctors rely on are regarded as weak indicators; specialists can diagnose some cases based on symptoms, not just lab results. Visit LymeNet for more information. |
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4. Waterborne diseases. The EPA’s endangerment finding concluded that our unprecedented levels of greenhouse gases will correlate to more intense storms and more heavy downpours and frequent flooding. “After extreme weather events, we’ll see clusters of [waterborne disease] outbreaks,” explains Dr. Epstein. That’s because clean water is often in short supply after hurricanes and massive flooding, when disease-carrying pathogens like E-coli are more prone to contaminate. After Hurricane Katrina, excess water and humidity created a perfect storm for mold and fungi growth, which can cause respiratory and mental problems. |
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The fix: If you’re living in an area impacted by severe storms and flooding, check often with local water authorities to make sure your water is safe to drink straight from the tap (especially if your water is a different color than normal or smells different). They may tell you to boil your water if there’s a waterborne illness outbreak. To reduce the risk of flooding after heavy downpours in your neighborhood, plant water-chugging native plants instead of turf lawn seed, don’t use chemicals or fertilizers on your yard (they make your soil lifeless and unable to soak up rainwater), and favor a gravel or other porous surface driveway instead of blacktop. Don’t buy a house in a floodplain. |
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5. Mosquito-borne diseases. Floodwaters are an open invitation to mosquitoes. Instances of West Nile fever and dengue fever, both transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes, are expected to increase in coming years, even in the U.S., says Dr. Epstein. Dengue fever, nicknamed break-bone fever because of the extreme pain, splitting headaches, and severe flulike symptoms it inflicts, has been known as a tropical disease. But a changing climate means it’s creeping into the United States. “It’s knocking at our door,” says Dr. Epstein. While one episode is usually not fatal, he explains, but since there are four types of dengue fevers, you can become infected with more than one type over the years, and that can become fatal. |
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The fix: Make your property inhospitable for these flying bloodsuckers. Eliminate standing water around your house by drilling holes in the bottom of tire swings, emptying buckets and kid pools when not in use, and keeping these containers upside down so rainwater doesn’t collect in them. Replace the water in birdbaths at least weekly. Also, make your property bat friendly—bats can eat up to 100 percent of their body weight in mosquitoes and other pests each night. |