How climate change affects each of us

What will be discussed?

Everyone talks about climate change, but what does it mean for us? We have read a lot of scientific studies, studied the reports of state organizations, listened to the speeches of environmentalists and found the answer to this question.

The article is divided into several blocks, each of which tells how unstable weather, global warming and natural disasters affect our nutrition, health and safety.

What happens to food?

Climate change has a direct impact on agriculture. Natural disasters, soil depletion, lack of drinking water, extinction of some animal species and plants - all this leads to an increase in the cost of the food basket and the exclusion of a number of food goods.

Some food items are getting more expensive

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concludedGlobal food prices dip in December / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsthat the food price index in 2021 was 125.7 points, which is 28% higher than in 2020. At the same time, by

wordsCost of living crisis: Food prices will ‘continue to rise, and at a faster rate’ in 2022 / Consumer Helen Dickinson, director of the British Retail Consortium, supermarkets will only get more expensive.

There are many reasons why prices go up. But the main one is climate change, claimfood security. Special report: special report on climate change and land / IPCC members IPCCUN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme weather conditions affect the amount of crops, soil fertility, and the condition of livestock.

All this ultimately undermines the stability of the market and leads to higher prices.

For example, New York apple farmers are increasingly face"We're fighting for our lives" - US apple farmers endure major crop and profit losses as climate changes / CNBC with hail, drought and floods that wipe out crops. They try to save the fruit with new irrigation systems, but unfortunately, such tricks are reflected in the final price. Another example: in the summer of 2018, a drought in Europe raisedHeatwave ravages European fields, sending wheat prices soaring / Reuters the cost of wheat by 20%, which has never happened before.

Popular drinks such as coffee and beer are also becoming more expensive. For example, the drought in Brazil in 2013 and 2014 increased1. Drought in Brazil drives the price of coffee beans to a record high / The Guardian 2. Coffee prices are at 10‑year highs, and analysts say they have much further to go / CNBC twice the price of Arabica. BUT studyW. Xie, W. Xiong, J. pan. Decreases in global beer supply due to extreme drought and heat / Nature Plants, conducted in 2018, predicted a sharp reduction in the supply of beer and an increase in prices for it in the next ten years.

The reason is that three key ingredients - water, barley and hops - are threatened by climate change. Crops of these plants suffer from heavy rains and drought. As for the lack of clean water, some breweries are already facedChanging Tides - How Breweries are Combating Water Shortages and Working Towards Sustainability / Good Beer Hunting with her. The reason for this is the drought again.

In addition, price increases for some crops are due to a 'domino effect'. For exampleClimate Change Rocks Agricultural Commodity Market / VOAIn the summer of 2021, hurricanes in the United States caused severe damage to oil facilities, causing lower oil offers and higher gasoline prices. People began to demand ethanol, a cheaper version of the fuel. It is produced using sugar, so the price of this product has also increased.

Part of the food completely disappears from the diet

About 75% of agricultural crops dependsFAO’s Global Action on Pollination Services for Sustainable Agriculture / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from pollinators. Especially from bees, the number of which is declining every year. Scientists considerP. Cardoso, P. S. Barton, K. Birkhofer. Scientists’ warning to humanity on insect extinctions / Science Directthat 41% of the pollen-carrying insects are endangered. If we lose them, we will not be able to grow some varieties of fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Also, due to climate change, we will lose some grape varieties and we will faceClimate Change & Wine / Climate Central with the fact that the territories that have been used for several centuries for its cultivation will become unsuitable.

This will affect the variety and taste of the wine. Indeed, to create many elite drinks, products of certain terroirsTerroir is a set of climatic conditions and terrain features (the presence of reservoirs and forests, surrounding animals and plants) that affect the characteristics of the final product. That is, how sweet or bitter it will be, what smell it will have, and so on.that will simply disappear from the face of the earth. It is difficult for sommeliers and wine lovers to imagine Bordeaux without Cabernet and Sauvignon or Champagne without Chardonnay. However, some growers are already phasing out these varieties, replacing them with new ones that are more resistant to warm weather.

For example, in Bordeaux landedHow Climate Change Impacts Wine / The New York Times seven experimental species to determine which one will take root best in the fields of the French province. Another common practice among modern vintners is to move plantations to the mountains, where rising temperatures have a less detrimental effect on them. This raises the price per bottle.

But climate change is not limited to land.

The authors of the article in the journal Science they sayb. Honisch, A. Ridgwell, D. n. Schmidt. The Geological Record of Ocean Acidification / Sciencethat due to CO_² The world's oceans have reached record levels of acidity. Corals and many types of marine animals cannot exist in such conditions. Food chains are breaking down.

It's not just a tragedy for wildlife: the fish that live and feed on coral reefs are the main source of protein for more than half a billion people.

But the biggest concern among environmentalists is the lack of drinking water. According to dataWater Scarcity/WWF World Wildlife Fund, already now a billion people around the world do not have access to it, and about three billion lack it at least a month a year.

Rivers and lakes that were once usable either dry up or become too polluted. For example, the second largest lake in Bolivia is almost disappearedLake Poopó: why Bolivia’s second largest lake disappeared – and how to bring it back / The Conversation, and Lake Chad, the largest in Africa, has been decreasedLake Chad shrinking? It’s a story that masks serious failures of governance This article is more than 2 years oldOli Brown and Janani Vivekananda / The Guardian by 90%.

What is happening to people's health?

In addition to the fact that climate change affects the quality of food, the risk of getting asthma, catching an infection, facing mental problems and even dying from the heat increases. But first things first.

People lack essential macro and micronutrients

Approximately 800 million people on Earth experiencingHunger and food insecurity / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations lack of food. And 92% of the world population, according to some data92% of U.S. Population Have Vitamin Deficiency. Are You One of Them? / Biostationface a deficiency in essential nutrients.

Macro- and microelements importantS. Giulia, b. F. Leah Z. C. CarolThe effect of climatic factors on nutrients in foods: evidence from a map systematic / IOPScience for complete nutrition. They ensure the growth and development of a person, and also prevent many diseases.

For example, iron deficiency in pregnant women increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality and is also a cause of low birth weight infants. Iodine deficiency affects the neurological development of children, and vitamin A deficiency increases the likelihood of blindness and death from infectious diseases.

Now there are very few works that could objectively assess how food quality is related to climate change. Environmental scientists mainly study the impact on agriculture in general, while nutritionists study the impact of macro- and micronutrients on health.

Nevertheless, some experts still managed to establish a relationship.

So, reportClimate Change & Nutrition / Harward T.N.Chan Harvard University showed that when wheat, corn, rice and soybeans are the most exposed to CO_², they lose up to 10% zinc, up to 5% iron and up to 8% protein.

These elements are of great importance for human health: zinc is important for the full functioning of the immune system, and iron for the formation hemoglobin, whose molecules move oxygen in the blood.

Increased risk of death from heat

Climate change is causing temperatures to rise in many regions. On particularly hot days, it is difficult for the human body to regulate temperature. Because of this, more and more people suffer from heat cramps, hyperthermiaHigh body temperature. It is also called "heat exhaustion". and sunstroke.

For example, last summer the air temperature in Canada reachedWeatherwatch: Canada records its highest temperature / The Guardian record 49 ° C - the heat was about 10 days. During this time she took awayRecord heatwave may have killed 500 people in western Canada / The Guardian life of 500 inhabitants. 99% of people died at home - in rooms where air ventilation was insufficient.

But some faced heat stressA condition in which the body cannot get rid of excess heat. on the street. Among them was for exampleMan Palm visiting Springs collapsed and died during last week’s dangerous heat wave / News Channel 3, 55-year-old Jeffrey-Martin Kier.

He was going to meet his girlfriend Jill Langham, but on the way he felt unwell - he vomited several times, and then he lost consciousness.

Particularly vulnerable to excess heat turn outThe Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment / GlobalChange.gov elderly, pregnant women, children and people with chronic diseases. In addition, the heat is especially harmful to those who have to work outdoors: farmers, builders, installers.

According to analysisM. Tigchelaar, D. S. Battisti, J. T. Spector. Work adaptations insufficient to address growing heat risk for U.S. agricultural workers / IOPScienceconducted by researchers from the University of Washington, agricultural workers are more susceptible to heat stress than others. 21 days a year they work in unsafe conditions - when the air temperature outside is more than 28 ° C. By the end of the century, according to experts, the number of days unsafe for their work will almost triple.

In addition to diseases that develop quickly and rapidly, prolonged exposure to heat can aggravate cardiovascular, respiratory and renal diseases and diabetes, as well as increase the likelihood stroke.

According to the results of the 20-year researchQ. Zhao, Y. Guo, T. Y. Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000 to 2019: a three-stage modeling study / The Lancet, published in The Lancet, more than 5 million people worldwide die every year due to exposure to temperatures - this factor accounts for about 9% of all deaths. At the same time, futurists warnClimate Change: Global Temperature / Climate.gov: The air temperature on Earth will continue to rise, which will lead to even more accidents.

Increased risk of allergies and asthma

By statisticsW. R. L. Anderegg, J. T. Abatzoglou, L. D. L. Anderegg. Anthropogenic climate change is worsening North American pollen seasons / PNAS, about 10-30% of the world's inhabitants suffer from various types of allergies. Slightly more than half of them encounter seasonal forms caused by pollen. And as the flowering season has increased due to climate change, the number of allergic and asthmatic diseases is on the rise.

Thus, the concentration of pollen in North America increased by 21%, and the flowering season became 20 days longer than in 1990.

Recently scientists discoveredW. R. L. Anderegg, J. T. Abatzoglou, L. D. L. Anderegg. Anthropogenic climate change is worsening North American pollen seasons / PNASthat, in addition to climate change, the development of allergies is facilitated by a high concentration of CO_². When solid particles—sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, soot—attach to pollen grains, they break into small pieces and are more easily inhaled.

In addition, the effect of pollen has become more powerful.

Now a smaller amount can cause an acute allergic reaction. That's why they became popular allergy cardsAllergy Map / Polleninfo.org, which tracks the movement of pollen grains, and also takes into account the assessment of the status of users connected to this program.

In addition to the allergy associated with flowering, there are other types of it that also cause concern for scientists. For example, knownM. J. Mendel, A. G. Mirer, K. Cheung. Respiratory and Allergic Health Effects of Dampness, Mold, and Dampness‑Related Agents: A Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence / PubMed Centralthat increased flooding leads to mold growth in damp buildings, which increases the number of pulmonary diseases.

People are more likely to get infectious diseases

Climate change affects the growth of pathogens and carriers of some infectious diseases, and also increases their range.

For example, in Canada over the past ten years, people have become 20 times more likely to get infectedLyme disease: Monitoring / Government of Canada Lyme disease. Because of it, the function of the nervous system is disturbed in a person, he experiences severe fatigue, numbness of the arms and legs, inability to control the muscles of the face and palpation of the heart.

Scientists bindLyme disease: Monitoring / Government of Canada growth of infection with unprecedented activity of the black-legged tick - the main carrier of the disease. Climate change has affected its longevity and increased egg production, as well as expanded its range.

And thanks to the warm winter, the adult tick no longer needs to hibernate, and it is activated much earlier than 10 years ago.

The season of tick activity has also increased on the territory of the Russian Federation. In some regions, the number of people infected with tick-borne encephalitis becameScientists have named the most unfavorable regions for tick-borne encephalitis / RBC 15-20% more than a couple of years ago.

Some types of mosquitoes are also dangerous, as they spread diseases. They carry malaria and dengue fever further and further beyond the boundaries of their usual range. In one of researchImpacts of 1.5ºC global warming on natural and human systems / IPCC even 1.5-2 ºC rise in temperature would increase the number of people at risk of malaria.

By the way, in January 2021, German scientists found a link between climate change and the COVID‑19 pandemic. AT articleR. M. Beyer, A. Manica, C. Mora. Shifts in global bat diversity suggest a possible role of climate change in the emergence of SARS‑CoV‑1 and SARS‑CoV‑2 / Science Direct, published in Science Direct, they emphasize that climate change has contributed to a favorable environment for many bat species to thrive, resulting in new coronaviruses, including the strain SARS‑CoV‑2.

Deteriorating mental health

Heat waves, natural disasters and the resulting disturbances in life worsen people's mental health. Both directly - when a person experiences a similar event, and indirectly - when watching an unfolding catastrophe from afar or reading news about climate change.

StudyR. M. Parks, J. E. Bennett, H. Tamura-Wicks. Abnormally warm temperatures are associated with increased injury deaths / Nature Medicine, published in the journal Nature Medicine in January 2020, showed that the proportion of suicides increases with rising temperatures.

The stress experienced during a natural disaster can manifest itself in insomniairritability, substance abuse, loss of interest in normal activities. According to reportMaking the Connection: Climate Changes Health / APHA According to the American Public Health Association and ecoAmerica, up to 54% of adults and 45% of children suffer from depression after a natural disaster.

At the same time, children are especially vulnerable to news about climate change and are more likely to exposedWe need to talk about “ecoanxiety”: Climate change is causing PTSD, anxiety, and depression on a mass scale / Quartz eco-anxiety. AT researchR. M. Gandour, L. J. Sherman, C. J. Vladutiu. Prevalence and Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and Conduct Problems in US Children / The Journal of Pediatrics, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, states that almost one in three people between the ages of 13 and 18 suffer from these disorders. It also shows that in 2012, children aged 6 to 17 were diagnosed 20% more often than in 2007.

Recently The Washington Post Magazine collectedThe Environmental Burden of Generation Z / The Washington Post Magazine stories of adolescents experiencing environmental anxiety. For example, Sarah Niles, an 18-year-old girl from Alabama, said that fears about climate change have simply become part of her life - mixed with other fears that are common among teenagers.

It becomes more difficult to exercise outdoors

Doctors claimv. F Gladwell, D. K Brown, C. Wood. The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all / PubMed Centralthat such training comprehensively supports human health - from stabilizing blood pressure to raising self-esteem. However, doing a workout is becoming less and less safe.

Rising summer temperatures, especially in the south and southwest, make running, riding bicycle, hiking and many other outdoor activities are less comfortable. So, in 2016, several athletes participating in cross-country races in Heartland suffered heat stroke and were hospitalized.

Rising temperatures also affect, for example, skiing and snowmobiling. Firstly, the season itself is getting shorter due to the reduction in the number of cold days. And secondly, winter sports are more dangerous because of the risk of avalanches.

And news for Olympic fans: a recent study showedD. Scott, N. L. b. Knowles, S. Ma. Climate change and the future of the Olympic Winter Games: athlete and coach perspectives / Taylor and Francis Onlinethat by 2050 there will be only eight sites suitable for the Winter Games, and by 2080 - only one.

What's happening with housing?

Natural disasters that wipe out thousands of homes every year are not the only problem. Climate change is taking its toll on more earthquake-resistant areas, too, by increasing the cost of utilities and insurance.

People's homes are more likely to be damaged and destroyed by natural disasters

The number of natural disasters is directly related to climate stability. Melting glaciers leave behind more and more water vapor. Penetrating into the atmosphere, it becomes fuel for the development of stronger storms.

Also, rising temperatures lead to droughts in some areas, which increases the risk of fire. According to reportClimate and weather related disasters surge five‑fold over 50 years, but early warnings save lives — WMO report / United Nations UN, over the past 50 years, the number of such disasters has increased 5 times.

One of the divisions of the United Nations responsible for disaster reduction, leadsHuman Cost of Disasters / UNDRR comparative statistics for two different decades. In addition to the fact that there are more climate disasters, work with their consequences is becoming more expensive.

This cannot but affect the lives of ordinary citizens. So, for example, 2019 was a fatal year for the Irkutsk region. Since March there have been raging fires. And in June it was overwhelmed by a flood. It was floodedResults of the year in Siberia: fires, floods and breakthroughs / Kommersant more than 100 settlements. The elements completely destroyed 4,000 residential buildings. 42,000 people were partially or completely deprived of their property.

But Russia is far from the first place in terms of the number of natural disasters. Asian countries suffer much more from them: the Philippines, China, India. In Bangladesh alone, due to the summer monsoons, without a home stayedMonsoon Rains Pummel South Asia, Displacing Millions / The New York Times over a million people. Among them was, for example, 40-year-old ul-Islam, who had to leave housing that had become unusable, not for the first time.

According to one researchGlobal displacement disaster risk - a baseline for future work / IDMC, 14 million people are homeless every year due to natural disasters. And there may be more such people. The American Federal Emergency Management Agency even posted on its website guideProtect Your Property From Storm Surgehow to protect your home from natural disasters.

Home insurance is on the rise

In the US, 95% of homeowners insure their property. American researchers have noticed a link between climate change and the rise in the cost of contributions: tariffs grew upHow climate change is changing your insurance / PBS more than 50% between 2005 and 2015.

This is because insurance companies are increasingly forced to pay premiums to homeowners whose homes have been affected by natural disasters, and they are trying to compensate for the costs.

Thus, the organization of the national insurance program NFIP owedD. P. Horn, b. Webel. Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) / FAS homeowners $20.5 billion. They were supposed to cover the cost of rebuilding homes from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Sandy.

And although home insurance is a young practice for Russians, the demand for it is gradually increasing. According to statisticsRussians began to insure private houses more often / RBC in 2020, the number of citizens willing to take out insurance for private homes increased by 7%. Therefore, the experience of Western countries may be relevant for us.

Utility costs are on the rise and power outages are more frequent

As temperatures rise, more people are buying home air conditioners and fans. Climate Central analyzed data from 244 US cities and definedThe High Cost of Hot/Climate Centralthat 93% of them increased the number of days during which additional cooling was required. This caused utility bills to rise.

In addition, increased demand for electricity, especially during peak periods, leads to network outages or outages. The same thing happens during natural disasters. For example, from the mid-1980s to 2012, electricity turned offBlackout: Extreme Weather, Climate Change and Power Outages / Climate Central 10 times more often. And in 80% of cases this was due to bad weather conditions.

What is happening with transport and movement around the world?

Those who have been to Venice at least once have probably heard the guides lament that it will soon go under water. The news is sad for many tourists, but it is only flowers compared to how climate change affects our daily movements.

Flights are often canceled

Some planes can't fly in heat waves - flights from the Middle East are increasingly departing at night. This practice may soon become standard for European countries.

The fact is that hot air is not as dense, so the planes get less lift, and the engines produce less power.

At night, the air temperature drops, which slightly compensates for the losses.

AT researchE. Coffel, R. Horton. Climate Change and the Impact of Extreme Temperatures on Aviation / AMS Journals In 2015, scientists suggested that if nothing changes, airlines will be forced to remove passengers from flights or leave baggage in order to lighten the weight.

In addition, flights are more often disrupted due to unforeseen weather conditions. For example, superhurricane Sandy in 2012 provokedSandy closes major U.S. airports, flights grounded worldwide / SNN rising floodwaters that almost flooded LaGuardia Airport. And in Canada, one runway had to repairBeyond Frozen/The Starbecause the permafrost on which it was located began to melt.

The road surface becomes more expensive and deteriorates faster

Higher temperatures soften the pavement. This leads to the formation of holes and potholes, especially in places with heavy traffic, and also creates an additional load on bridges. Therefore, construction work, especially in areas with high humidity, becomeThe Potential Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation / National Academies more costly.

At the same time, the impact of floods and snowfalls also shortens the life of highways, disrupts traffic, delay construction, and erode the soil that supports roads, tunnels and bridges.

On the other hand, some areas may only winNational Climate Assessment / GlobalChange.gov from this: due to the reduction in the number of snowfalls and warmer winters, the roads will not have to be cleared of snow and ice.

Travel destinations are changing

Sea level rise, anomalous heat and natural disasters affectedClimate Change Is Stretching Mumbai to Its Limit / The Atlantic Mumbai - the birthplace of Bollywood and Venice, gradually outgoingVenice is underwater — and a preview of what climate change will bring to coastal cities / The Washington Post under water.

This also affected the French Alps, where, due to avalanches, closedAlpine climbing routes crumble as climate crisis continues / The Guardian several climbing routes, as well as many other places.

What's going on with security in general?

In addition to exacerbating existing political tensions, climate change could trigger new military conflicts.

Meta-analysisM. Burke, S. M. Hsiang, E. Miguel. Climate and Conflict / Annual Reviews showed that each climatic deviation towards higher temperatures or more extreme precipitation affects the level of violence in the world: the number of interpersonal violent acts increases by 4%, and intergroup - by 14%.

Experts emphasize that this is not the only factor. However, they have suggested links between military action and climate change in several major events. For example, the war in Darfur understandableDarfur conflict heralds era of wars triggered by climate change, UN report warns / The Guardian constant drought that provoked conflict between shepherds and farmers.

And the Syrian civil war precededJ. Selby, O. S. Dahy, C. Frohlich. Climate change and the Syrian civil war revisited / Science Direct mass migration of 1.5 million people who lost their crops and livestock due to a prolonged dry period.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett claimsU.N. Council Hits Impasse Over Debate on Warming / The New York Timesthat an unstable climate will exacerbate conflicts over migration policies and competition for resources. This will affect developing countries the most.

According to reportThese 11 countries could face extreme instability from climate change, says U.S. intelligence / CNBC US national intelligence, after 2030, many countries, referred to as "hot spots", will need humanitarian assistance. These include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Nicaragua, North Korea and Pakistan.

Extreme weather events will exacerbate poverty, dissatisfaction with governments, tribal and ethnic tensions.

Now many experts are trying to find a way out of this situation. For example, the Carbon Nation documentary looks at possible solutions that could slow climate change.

And in a review of it by The Guardian for sure noticedWill Carbon Nation succeed where An Inconvenient Truth failed? / The Guardian main idea: "The global idea is this: what is good for the climate is good for the economy, and for national security, and for health, and for nature."