My latest in @sciam: How does #ClimateChange harm our #health today and threaten it tomorrow? Let me count the ways... THREAD (1/n)

#BeyondIceAndPolarBears
#TheFaceOfClimateChangeIsYouAndMe
blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/c…

1. The frequency, intensity, and duration of #ExtremeWeather events (heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods, storms) are increasing, with some of the first and worst impacts occurring in least-developed countries, whose people have contributed least to climate change. (2/n)

2. As average temperatures continue to rise, so will heat-related disorders. One shocking thing I've learnt is that an unforeseen example of human #ClimateCanaries has emerged in Central America , where 20,000+ sugarcane workers have died from chronic kidney disease. (3/n)

3. Besides the fact that #ClimateChange + #AirPollution share many major common sources (fossil fuel+biomass burning), climate-driven changes in weather patterns & higher CO2 levels could also worsen air quality (already a leading cause of death) in many regions worldwide. (4/n)

4. Elevated CO2 levels are associated with decreased human cognitive performance in office workers + schoolchildren. Today’s CO2 levels (~410 ppm) are the highest they’ve been in the past 15 million years, and will likely exceed 1000 ppm by 2100 on our current trajectory. (5/n)

5. Climate change influences the transmission of vector/food/water-borne diseases. E.g. warming temperatures have influenced the invasion of North America by West Nile virus. There are also concerns that ancient/unknown microbes may emerge from thawing Arctic permafrost. (6/n)

6. Climate change threatens #FoodSecurity + #NutritionSecurity. Higher CO2 levels are warming temperatures are expected to cause declines in global yields of major staple crops, while also depleting their protein + mineral contents, and collapses in marine ecosystems. (7/n)

7. Military experts warn that climate impacts are #ThreatMultipliers that will aggravate stressors such as environmental degradation and political instability in vulnerable regions, thereby catalyzing #Conflict and #MassMigration. (8/n)

8. Climate change poses threats to our #MentalHealth and well-being. E.g. Loss of homelands = #Solastalgia. Extreme weather events are associated with acute and post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, and child/spousal abuse. (9/n)

BUT the main takeaway is this: #ClimateMitigation presents the greatest #GlobalHealth opportunity of the 21st century, offering a wealth of immediate+local health benefits such as reducing air and water pollution from fossil fuel combustion. So, what are we waiting for?