Transcript Health Effects of Climate Change

Health Effects
of
Climate Change
August, 2014
MN Climate & Health Program
Environmental Impacts Analysis Unit
625 Robert Street North
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55164
A BRIEF REVIEW
Remember: climate & weather
are different!
• Weather – the current condition of the
atmosphere at a particular place and time
• Climate – the pattern of weather over a long
period of time (usually 30 years)
Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse gases =
trap heat in the
atmosphere
– Carbon dioxide,
methane, water vapor,
and ozone
• Greenhouse effect =
the process by which
greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere trap
heat from the sun
Global Warming
Image Courtesy of NASA: http://climate.nasa.gove/causes
Climate Change
• Climate Change
– A significant change in the Earth’s climate
over time
Greenhouse
Gases
Greenhouse
Effect
Global
Warming
Climate
Change
HOW DOES CLIMATE CHANGE
AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH?
Climate Change diagram
Climate change in MN
Application Question 1:
Of these 3 observed climate changes,
which one(s) may have contributed to
the weather in the soccer game
scenario?
Application Question 2:
Events from climate
change
What events may have been
present during the soccer
game scenario?
Note: We can’t say that
climate change caused the
weather at that specific
soccer game, but climate
change is one factor that
influences it. Climate
change increases the
likelihood that these events
will happen more often and
possibly to a greater degree.
Health outcomes of climate
change
Application Question 3:
What health outcome(s)
occurred in the soccer game
scenario?
Review of diagram
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
13
Welcome to Greener News at 5!
Directions
Goals
• To demonstrate your
knowledge of how climate
change affects our health,
you will work in a small
group to prepare a short
news report for Greener
News at 5. In the news
report, you should
communicate a specific
weather event (such as a
severe thunderstorm or
drought) and how it
impacted the health of the
people living in the area.
• Goals
– Clearly communicate the
connection between climate
change and health
– Ensure that all team
members contribute equally
– Deliver the news report in
under 5 minutes
– BE CREATIVE!
• Props, costumes, accents,
etc.
• Co-anchors, weather
reporters, sports reporters,
etc.
Example
“Welcome to Greener News at 5. We’re you
co-anchors, Zachary and Tracy. In today’s
climate change news: the heat index topped
107 degrees today! Unfortunately, because
of the high humidity and heat, the Twin
Cities marathon was cancelled halfway
through the race, as a result of several
runners fainting and becoming severely
dehydrated. Instead, everyone got a
popsicle! However…they melted in 14
seconds, covering the runners in a layer of
sugary stickiness…”