Case Study: Climate, Health, and Strategy

 Case Study: Climate and Health: Xan

It’s an unseasonably hot day, and Xan and his family are having a picnic in the park– they thought it would be a nice break from living above the Gardiner Expressway. It’s anything but peaceful, given the coughing and sneezing, and now one of the kids is feeling nauseous after swimming in the lake.

Analysis:

In this case study, the Xan family faced several health-related problems caused by the climate crisis. The Xan family was outdoors in a park and also swam in the lake, so they might have been affected by high temperatures, air pollution, and water contamination.

Climate change can be a significant threat to humans. Our case study is an excellent example of it. Rising temperatures and air pollution can affect heart attack and stroke and spread infectious diseases, including psychological trauma. High temperatures and polluted air may be responsible for respiratory issues, exacerbated heart conditions, and asthma. Some other problems may be excessive sweating, headache, pneumonia, flu, diarrhea, dehydration, stomach cramps, and dizziness.  In the case study, the family was coughing and sneezing on an unseasonably hot day. The climate crisis made the weather forecast more unpredictable. That’s why people may not know earlier that the heat would rise too much.

We don’t know whether the Xan family took necessary skin protection. Because of the climate crisis, the earth’s air layer of protection is in danger. That’s why exposed skin is at more risk of diseases like skin cancer.

At the same time, the climate crisis can cause water pollution. The water could be contaminated with harmful chemicals or germs, making the kid feel sick. Some water-borne diseases are Legionella, Hot tub rash, Norovirus, Shigellosis, E. coli, Giardia, and Schistosomes. If you swim in contaminated water and accidentally ingest some of that water, there is a risk of contracting severe stomach infections; among the possible effects, there may be diarrhea, skin rashes, ear pain, cough or congestion, and eye pain. This could be why the kid feels nauseous after swimming in the lake. Global warming is also responsible for the rise of the lake water temperature. This situation helps to raise insect-borne diseases.

Sometimes harmful industrial chemicals like Ammonia, chloramine, and copper are emitted with lake water, which may cause people to feel sick.

A possible strategy to deal with one of the health impacts identified:

In case study # 3, we found three kinds of Climate Crisis problems: water pollution, air pollution and high temperatures. Today, we will discuss what strategies we can take for the extreme heat.

-          I should adopt energy efficiency policies to reduce the demand on the electric grid during the heat wave. Stop using unnecessary lights, use energy-efficient lights, and turn off all electrical machinery when not in use.

-          Buildings may combine heat and power systems or rooftop solar power.

-          We have to identify the vulnerable population. Then, we plan keeping all populations in mind, like opening cooling stations during extreme heat weather, especially in areas where people work in warm temperatures or open directly under the sun.

-          We need to install a green roof for water retention.

-          Planting big trees which give shade on sidewalks and parks. This will also help to reduce polluted air and balance the environment.

-          Federal government should give grants and loans to update building projects and other climate-friendly strategies taken by scientists and environmentalists.

-          Federal agencies should provide climate data and information to the local planner and policymakers to assess the risks and opportunities.