The nation's top medical societies have come out with a report that says man-made climate change is causing cancer-related deaths to rise dramatically in the U.S. Unusually dangerous weather patterns, increased CO2 levels, and an unprecedented rise in respiratory illnesses are only a few of the issues Americans will face as climate change continues to be ignored as scientific fact.
The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health's report takes into account more than half of all physicians in the U.S. and represents over 400,000 testimonies from doctors.
Director of the new consortium and a professor at George Mason University, Mona Sarfaty said doctors in America recognize climate change as one of the leading factors in making more American's ill.
Impacts of climate change
People in communities of color, children, the elderly, low-income population and those with chronic illnesses are more affected by climate change than others. Weather can have a direct effect on people resulting in injuries and death, asthma and other lung diseases.
Extremely hot weather and wildfires result in longer allergy seasons. The risk of increased infections like Lyme disease or the Zika virus can spread through insects carrying the infections through contaminated food and water.
Increase in depression and anxiety
For years scientists have warned of the impact of climate change on human health. Gas, oil, coal and the burning of fossil fuels to power our world releases C02 and methane into the Earth's atmosphere, warming the planet. The rate at which our planet is warming cannot be explained by natural climate cycles.
human health.
Climate change is expected to take the lives of 240,000 people per year by 2030. This is not a problem that is isolated in the Arctic Circle, it is a real and present danger happening here in America. It's not a future problem – it is a problem now. It's not only harming wildlife – it is harming human life.
Dangerous health effects
The purpose of the new medical consortium is to inform the public and policymakers about the dangerous health effects on all Americans as a result of climate change.
Hopefully, these findings will help us understand that by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions we decrease America's health risks.
