Written by Hamda Alvi
A few weeks ago, I went to the beach with my family, the cool spring winds calm with the sounds of rapid waves. I walked closer to the edge where the water gently touched the sand, rocks glistening right below the surface and… paused. There in the very center lay a piece of white plastic, oddly cut from the ends and wedged between the rocks. This got me thinking about our environment and the harm we cause to it. How we cause pollution, cut down trees and burn fossil fuels, demolishing homes of many animals and killing them in the process. But the main question that stayed at the back of my mind was: how climate change affects us.
Health problems caused by climate change play a very important role. Intense heat due to climate change can cause many problems, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, especially amongst the elderly. Heatwaves are also a critical issue and can cause many painful deaths. Extreme heat also raises pollen and other irritants which might initiate aching allergic reactions and also trigger asthma. We all love going outside, sitting in the sun, and playing in parks with friends and family. But what happens when that is no longer possible without concerning health issues?
The rise of sea levels and extreme weather destroy homes, buildings, and important facilities and equipment. This causes trouble, forcing people to move. Many people are not financially stable, proving the destruction of their home and moving rather difficult for them. This can not only ruin homes but families and can wound people or even kill them. Drinking water is also affected. Water is essential for survival and essential for every living thing on this planet. But what happens when it begins to be contaminated and undrinkable? A lack of safe water can lead to many health-related issues and might even ultimately lead to people’s deaths. It does not stop there! Food prices rise as difficulty arises amongst farmers trying to produce fresh food for us to buy in our local supermarkets. Extreme hot weather can cause their food to die out, not only affecting the food they are growing but their animals as well. It rains less and the water from lakes and rivers evaporates.
The water also causes floods as it simply runs off the land instead of being absorbed, harming not only essential equipment and supplies but also the crops. There are many people who are not able to afford the quickly rising food prices, and this may prove to be a problem for them. What happens when we can no longer buy the foods we love?
There are so many ways climate change affects us, tying us all together. The harm we cause to our environment and our earth ultimately comes back to us and hurts us in many different ways. Now, when you go outside, remember to keep an eye out for small things like garbage on the streets and pick it up. And remember that every small good deed helps us take another step closer to a safer and healthier place to live. Next time I go outside, I will make sure to remember to bring my handy gloves and a bag to keep the garbage out of our earth.
Sources: https://seeds.ca/schoolfoodgardens/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Climate-Action-Zine.pdf https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/12/27/climate-change-impacts-everyone/ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health