Health & Global Warming

Extreme temperatures can directly cause the loss of life (ex: 35,000 people died during heat wave in Europe, Aug‘03.). Warmer weather provides an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes. Diseases such as West Nile will be more common. High temperature can increase pollution of water and air, which harms the human body.

Tropical Diseases

Global Warming increases drought which lessens the supply of clean drinking water.

•         Cholera 

It increases temperature providing an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes.

•         Dengue fever

•         Malaria

•         Yellow fever

Impact on Air

The atmosphere’s ultimate fate is unclear.

·         More evaporation à increase in cloud cover

How High Will the Clouds Be?  It makes a difference!

·         Clouds close to the earth reflect sunlight à  cooling effect.

·         Clouds high in the atmosphere trap heat à warming effect.

 Generally:

•         Cloud cover increases

•         Levels of the greenhouse gas methane may increase

•         Hurricanes range farther north, south on warmer water