How climate change affects our health

By Amado de Jesus
Philippine Daily Inquirer


ACCORDING to the inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, sustained global temperature rises of 5 to 6°C could lead to the loss of Greenland and the western Antarctic ice sheets by the middle of the next century, raising sea levels by up to 13 meters.

Considering that a third of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of a shoreline and 13 of the world’s 20 largest cities are located on the coast, a 13-meter rise in sea level could displace a billion people in mass migration.

Water supply

Buildings in Mexico City are sinking due to overexploitation of the aquifers under the city and the water distribution network is losing 40 percent of water.

Aquifers are underground reservoirs that can be tapped for water when wells are dug until they reach the top of the aquifer. This layer is called the water table. The water table sinks lower when a considerable amount of water is pumped from an aquifer or during a dry spell.

Reduced river flows and increased water temperature will lead to declining water quality as the dilution of water contaminants are reduced, less oxygen is dissolved in water and microbiological activity increases.

Buildings and communities

Cities of the future need to adapt to climate change. First, they have to contribute less to the causes of climate change by minimizing waste, reducing consumption and preserving open space. Cities must construct green buildings and green communities that encourage walking to reduce carbon emissions and fight the global problem of obesity. Second, they must be climate resilient and must be able to cope with the risks of climate change.

What can you and I do?

Our present rate of consumption and waste creation is harmful to our health. We are using resources 25 percent faster than they can be replaced. Zero waste must be everyone’s goal and this can be achieved by composting and recycling. We have to live the 3 Rs in sustainable living: reduce, reuse, recycle. Sustainable consumption means knowing what we need from what we want.

Low carbon living is an understatement. The bigger energy guzzlers are homes than cars. Houses consume lumber, energy and other resources, and excrete waste. The middle-class household produces yearly 3,500 pounds of garbage, 450,000 gallons of wastewater and 25,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Investment in safe rain water harvesting during the long rainy season will bring abundant benefits during the hot season. Instead of building concrete gardens which is a very common practice, we can build underground water cisterns to store rain water for watering plants and flushing toilets. Then we can preserve open and green space above the cistern and be more environmentally responsive.

Accessible information on the life cycle of economic products and our energy usage should peter down to the community level. NGOs, pressure groups, local communities, school children should take an active interest in methods of adaptation to climate change.