Climate Change: Why Should We Care?

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Adnan Sultan, currently a student at Batterjee Medical College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Over the past few years, climate change has become a common topic in the news. Big charts with curves and edges flying by for mere seconds before being dismissed to move on to the next segment of “breaking news”. Here’s another one of those hard-to-grasp facts for you: average global temperatures have increased by 1 degree celsius since 1880. It is projected that this number will jump to 1.5 degrees celsius by 2050 and then to a whopping 2-4 degrees celsius by 2100. Just wear shorts instead, right? Well, not exactly. These numbers don’t translate into a half degree celsius increase in the temperatures we see on weather applications, but rather into violent disruptions of Earth’s climatic routine. Floods and hurricanes pay first-time visits to countries and destroy their infrastructure. Heat waves attack countries which aren’t accustomed to high temperatures. These examples directly harm human health.

A rise in temperatures increases ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter present in the air and sometimes translates into heat waves. This irritates the respiratory tract and is especially bad for vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, and individuals with asthma, as it can further exacerbate pre-existing diseases and symptoms. Heatwaves harm the cardiovascular system by causing stress on the heart; again putting children, elderly, and individuals with a history in harm’s way. Furthermore, sudden changes in temperature affect the movement and behavior of disease carrying vectors like mosquitoes and ticks. For example, dengue fever and malaria, notoriously mosquito-borne diseases, could become common in areas previously considered safe. The same is true for water-borne diseases, where due to the alteration of precipitation and the increased frequency of floodings, water sources are vulnerable to contamination with pathogens. This would lead to outbreaks in water-borne diseases like cholera. 

In conclusion, climate change harms our health in more ways than one. It opens the doors to the dissemination of diseases across continents and creates problems possible to treat, but not to reverse. It is not too late for us to try and fight this battle. Each one of us has a responsibility in working for a better tomorrow. Inform, educate, and call for action in your local communities. This issue knows no race, nationality, or religion. We must all stand against it as one in hope for a safer, more livable planet. 

About the author

Adnan Sultan is currently a student at Batterjee Medical College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He is passionate about volunteering and research, where he’s actively looking for opportunities in both fields. Adnan’s volunteering experience includes aiding the less fortunate and improving the environment and his research interests revolve around neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular health.