Close your eyes for minute and imagine what life will be like for your grandchildren. Once you have finished, open them. Most likely, you imagined advances in technology – flying cars, holograms, time travel, improved infrastructure; the list goes on. But, did anything about the environment cross your mind? If not, then close your eyes again.  This time, consider the changes in climate that have occurred recently. Think about those strange days in Columbia, South Carolina during mid-January when one day the temperature stood at about 50 º F and the next day at about 70º F. One day you wore a winter jacket and sweatpants while the next day you wore shorts and flip flops. For most people this scenario has a bizarre, almost frightening aspect; something is obviously wrong with this picture.

Because of climate change, your grandchildren may grow up in a world with increased rates of infectious diseases (World Health Organization). When temperatures rise, so does the frequency of infectious disease. High levels of pollutants in the air may make it difficult for your precious grandchildren to breathe when running and playing. Many other potential health risks exist stemming from climate change that may negatively impact the health of future generations. Also, because of climate change, your grandchildren could potentially grow up in a world where the beloved animals everyone cherishes no longer exist. The generation of young people coming of age today grew up watching movies like The Lion King, Madagascar, Bambi, and Nemo. They cuddled with their favorite stuffed animals when falling asleep at night. The real life versions of these animals are fast becoming a distant memory because they are quickly becoming extinct. The way those of us alive today view dinosaurs, as remarkable creatures from the ancient past, will probably be the same way our grandchildren and generations moving forward will view many of the animals currently on the endangered species list. Soon, these animals will just appear as an image on the internet, creatures that ‘once were’. There will be no more actual, real-life creatures that can be found in the wild or seen in a zoo. If you want your grandchildren to live in a beautiful world like the one people currently inhabit, then all generations of people need to come together and initiate the changes required to reverse the effects of climate change.  Based on the real findings of scientists who have devoted their lives to studying this frightening phenomenon, climate change not only negatively impacts the health and welfare of humans, but it also negatively impacts the health and welfare of animals who are so vulnerable to its devastation. 

People usually have personal favorites among the plethora of wild animals because each of them has particular attributes that capture the imagination of their followers. The arctic animals stand out as a special group because of the unique challenges of the harsh environments in which they live. The polar bear symbolizes the horrors of climate change because, as its environment has been destroyed by melting, it has become endangered. Though the polar bear, in actuality is an extremely vicious predator, its appearance contrasts with its lethal capabilities. Its white fur and sweet face have captured the hearts of many children, making it a popular bedtime friend. Now that the sea ice and snow are melting so quickly, the habitats of the polar bears are rapidly being destroyed; polar bears are struggling to survive, all because the enormous amount of greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere in the name of progress are warming the planet at a rapid clip. In fact, the US Geological Survey has projected that ⅔ of all the polar bears in the world will have vanished by 2050 (US Geological Survey). Polar bears have been spotted clinging to small chunks of ice in the seas almost completely devoid of any place for them to go. On average, the weight of polar bears has dropped by 15% (US Geological Survey). Their helplessness has galvanized people to pay attention to what is happening right under our noses.

Humans have developed ways to adapt to climate change; however, adaptation to fast paced changes proves difficult for animals. Darwin has taught us that adaptation occurs slowly over long periods of time. For example, in an effort to stay cool on a hot summer day, people have mastered the ability to lock themselves in their homes by turning on the air conditioning systems and drinking ice cold water from the door of the fridge. Polar bears will find such an adaptation completely impossible meaning that hot summer days will ensure their demise. Because their bodies are not built to withstand the heat, climate change is the biggest threat to the survival of polar bears. Also, there is a direct relationship between the fact that climate change threatens the survival of polar bears and the fact that polar bears are now providing an increased threat to the safety and health of humans. 

Bianca Britton, a writer for CNN, describes an experiment conducted by the US Geological Survey in which researchers recorded footage of a female adult polar bear in order to examine changes in her behavior and feeding rates resulting from climate change (CNN). The footage revealed that polar bears now struggle to find prey to hunt, so they have started invading community lands. Because the polar bears are forced to intrude into heavily populated areas, an increase in the rate of human-bear conflicts has been documented. People living in the areas invade by polar bears remain fearful of having an unexpected encounter with a hungry bear that possibly could result in a fatality (Britton). The destruction of the sea ice stands out as the primary factor threatening the survival of the polar bears because the sea ice is their natural habitat, crucial for their survival in more ways than just for hunting. Currently, the extent of the sea ice is the lowest on record because the temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast as the global average. The loss of the sea ice cover is occurring at a rate of 4% per decade (US Geological Survey). According to New York Times writer, Erica Goode, “the sooner global warming and sea-ice loss are stopped, the better the long-term prognosis for the species” (Goode). Unfortunately, at this point in time, little hope exists that our furry friend, the polar bear, has a chance of survival if climate change does not stop soon. 

In addition to the heart-wrenching example of the plight of the polar bear, climate change also has a negative impact on the health and habitats of humans as exemplified in the aforementioned relationship between climate change and the spread of infectious diseases. In Paul Epstein book, Changing Planet, Changing Health : How The Climate Crisis Threatens Our Health And What We Can Do About It, he effectively argues that climate change has a significant impact on human health because of diseases it encourages and the large amounts of carbon dioxide  released into the atmosphere. Epstein maintains that climate change could devastate public health by midcentury (Epstein, 3). There are multiple ways in which climate change has had an impact on increasing the rate of infectious disease. It has contributed to the spread of malaria carrying mosquitoes and the melting of mountain glaciers which ultimately contaminate water supplies. As a result, climate change has caused fatalities, occurrences that make it clear that climate change is a risk to our health. Because of climate change, some countries are already feeling its negative effects; there are reports that climate change could wipe out the entire human race. Clearly, this problem needs to be handled with urgency (Choffnes).

In addition to health risks, extreme weather patterns also emerge as a big issue caused by climate change. According to Epstein, because of the damage humans have done slowly over decades to the environment, the atmosphere has become warmer. He believes that, “oceans have altered humidity and wind patterns in some regions and generated more extreme weather in others” (Epstein, 2). The connection between aquatic and marine environments makes it possible for infectious diseases of fish and wildlife to travel from freshwater sources to intertidal ones to marine environments. The ease of transmission affects many species that may not have come into contact with these specific disease agents before (Choffnes). According to Choffnes, “Salmon, for example, hatch in small freshwater streams, travel hundreds of kilometers downstream to the ocean where they live for several years, only to return to the same streams where they hatched to spawn and die shortly thereafter”.  He observed that if there is a change in the temperature of the streams or the fish pick up disease agents, because of certain vectors such as an intermediate host or a disease agent that thrives in a warmer environment, infectious diseases could potentially result (Choffnes). In Eileen Choffnes’s scholarly article, Global Climate Change And Extreme Weather Events : Understanding The Contributions To Infectious Disease Emergence: Workshops Summary, she asserts that we need to, “consider the possible infectious disease impacts of global climate change and extreme weather events on human, animal, and plant health, as well as their expected implications for global and national security” (Choffnes). To many people, it seems extremely obvious that there are no potential positive outcomes resulting from climate change, only outcomes dangerous to our environment and our health. 

One infectious disease that exemplifies this threat is malaria, a disease that is spreading extremely quickly due to climate change through malaria carrying mosquitos. A direct relationship between climate change and this infectious disease has already been established and defined as an emerging problem. Warmer temperatures have caused an expansion in the areas in which mosquitoes are able to survive and thrive because the conditions of these particular areas suit mosquitoes so perfectly. According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), “if those breeding mosquitos happen to be a species that can transmit disease and if there is an infected population in the region, then the disease is more likely to spread in that area. Because they are sensitive to climate, the distribution and number of vectors is also affected by climate change” (UCAR). Scientists have been noted that by 2100, the predicted average global temperature rise will be significant. However, ironically, some of the areas where mosquitos are currently prevalent could potentially become too hot for them to survive because of the expected temperature rise. However, other areas where people never would have thought mosquitos could survive will potentially turn into warm and wet environments in which they thrive. Unfortunately, these places will likely face a massive escalation of disease (Morland). The people that will be affected most by the influx of mosquitoes are those who live in poor urban communities and those in undeveloped countries. According to UCAR, “As climate change is expected to continue to alter the distribution of disease vectors, it is important to recognize that there are several other factors (such as changes in land use, population density, and human behavior) that can also change the distribution of disease vectors as well as the extent of infection” (UCAR).  It is likely that malaria carrying mosquitos will not make a big difference in places like that United States and other developed countries where public health systems know how to treat and combat mosquito-borne illnesses (Moreland). However, just because a person lives in the United States or any other developed country, they are never completely safe from the negative impact of  climate change on health.

  George Luber makes assertions about other threats to human health in his book, Global Climate Change and Human Health : From Science to Practice. He argues that climate change threatens human health because it cause illnesses derived from contaminated food and water. As well, extreme weather patterns and heat waves reduce air quality due to wildfire smoke, ozone depletion and aeroallergens causing the rates of asthma to increase. These health issues, stemming primarily from poor air quality, affect vulnerable groups of people, the old, the young, and citizens facing economic challenges. As Asthma is a very common diagnosis, those who suffer from it are now going to have more severe symptoms and reactions due to climate change. Essentially, reduced air quality makes it harder for people to breath. Those who suffer from asthma attacks could potentially have more frequent and intense ones. John Iadarola, YouTube host for The Young Turks, made a video, New Ways Climate Change Will Affect Public Health, in which he supports the claim that rates of asthma are increasing due to climate change. Rates of asthma are skyrocketing as result of the heat, allergens, and air pollution (Iadarola). Allergy season now lasts a month longer than previously in many places. Premature deaths have occurred as a result of exposure to intense heat. Also, there has been some well documented   that supports the claim that Lyme Disease is also on the rise. Despite the views of conservative politicians who deny the existence of climate change, an exceedingly threatening phenomenon, documentation of the health problems precipitated by climate change does exist.  

When the topic of climate change comes up, people typically have emotionally charged opinions about their beliefs. For most people, climate change is an obvious problem, but, for others, they may have more controversial opinions. The non- believers are often informed by their political or religious ideologies. Hopefully, awareness of the real (not alternative) facts, will encourage all members of society showed them how climate change will have a destructive impact on their health. Ultimately, everyone is going to feel the effects of climate change whether they believe in it or not. Thankfully, the media forces watchers to consider the meaning of this crisis. Media outlets provide statistics about how humans are the main perpetrators of climate change; therefore, humans need to initiate changes in their lives to reverse the damage they have done. The main hope for the future generations is to encourage everyone to come together and buy into programs that diminish the damage done to the environment by insensitive humans. Now is the time to incorporate sustainable choices into daily life. These can include small changes like taking shorter showers, especially if you have always been a hog for water. The issues facing everyone are daunting, so remaining silent is no longer an option. This topic needs to be discussed in public, for it is not too late. Even little changes, like reusing bags and recycling, can make a difference. Epstein reminds us and urges us to, “transform the way we power society and organize our economy to preserve a livable planet” (Epstein 3). I want to keep it a safe place where our grandchildren can play and everyone can continue to experience the beauty of nature.

 Go look outside your window. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world because each person sees the sky, the clouds, the sun, and the moon. Depending on where you live, you might see a beach, mountains, city building, grass fields, etc. Take it all in. With an optimistic point of view, positive change is possible. Let’s move toward thwarting climate change so our grandchildren can enjoy the scenery too, specially the animals. 
