Health problems caused by climate change

Allergy sufferers and the elderly suffer from health problems caused by climate change

08/05/2013

The effects of climate change and global warming are already noticeable. Allergy sufferers and older people in Germany will suffer the consequences in the future, experts say. Hay fever plagued should therefore be prepared for a prolonged pollen season. In addition, the rising temperatures would be accompanied by a significant warming of the interiors of buildings, which could be hazardous to health, especially for seniors.

Harbingers of climate change also lead to health problems in Germany
Even in climatically temperate Germany, climate change is reflected in the increasing health problems of many people. Especially the elderly and allergy suffer from the rising temperatures. "The growing heat load will lead to health problems, especially in older people", reports the Vice President of the German Weather Service (DWD), Paul Becker, at the climate conference of the authority last Tuesday. Elevated temperatures could cause damage to the organs. In addition, nocturnal heat disturbs sleep. The DWD is currently developing a new early warning system for rising indoor temperatures, which should start this summer. "As the increase in temperature will not be confined to outdoor areas, the extension of the heat warning system to the interior to protect the population is essential," said Becker. Countries, municipalities, and old people's homes would be warned in this way and could take appropriate action to bring vulnerable people to cooler areas. For example, the DWD calculated for the Upper Rhine Graben that today about 15 percent of the average nocturnal indoor temperatures in the period from May to September would be above 25 degrees Celsius. "In the middle of the century there will be 35 percent in average residential buildings", reported the vice president of the DWD.

Even for the pollen allergy Becker had no good news. The pollen season will extend in the future due to rising temperatures. The expert urged to reduce global CO2 emissions, as this fueled the greenhouse effect significantly. "According to estimates known to me, global CO2 emissions rose to 32 gigatonnes in 2012, up 3 percent on the previous year. However, there were considerable regional differences. After all, emissions in the EU fell by 2 percent, "explained Becker.

Climate change leads to natural disasters
Climate change will remain a key issue of our time. The effects are already noticeable. Natural disasters such as devastating hurricanes, floods and floods are regarded as the first harbingers of increasing climate extremes and anomalies. How our climate changes in the future in detail, can only be roughly predicted. However, experts assume that developing countries, in particular, are feeling the effects massively. The glaciers and polar ice caps will hurt, which will cause a rise in sea level. This changes the ocean currents, which also have a significant impact on the climate. In the worst case, the drying up of the warm Gulf Stream would cause the temperatures in Northern Europe to drop so much that a new ice age threatens. In addition, it is expected that the deserts will continue to expand and millions of "climate refugees" from countries only a few inches above sea level, lose their homes.

Currently, around 1.2 billion people have no clean drinking water available. With a global rise in temperatures of 2.5 degrees, an additional 2.4 to 3.1 billion people would face water shortages and be at risk of starvation. Tropical diseases like malaria could spread drastically. Other infectious diseases would very likely increase rapidly.

While in the past 100 years, the average warming was about one degree Celsius, a temperature increase of 1.5 to 3 degrees Celsius by the year 2100 is expected, explained Becker. This also applies to Germany. "In these at first glance small increases extreme rashes are embedded. Thousands of people can fall prey to them, "the expert warned.

"There is no doubt about the existence of human-induced climate change. Effects are already recognizable, "said the vice president of the DWD. Although natural factors such as solar radiation and volcanic eruptions also contribute to climate change, they overlap with man-made climate change. "We are firmly convinced that in the long term, human influence will have the strongest effect and that, in the future, there will be another rise in temperature." (Ag)

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