Temperatures are rising dangerously because of climate change, which is spreading diseases and making food insecure.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and 122 other experts put together the yearly Lancet Countdown report, which shows the scary effects of climate change. The average person had 50 more days of dangerous temps than they would have had climate change not happened. 2023 was the hottest year on record.
Important Facts:
- Ten out of fifteen tracked indicators have reached alarming new highs* Extreme weather events, deaths from heat for older people, and food insecurity have all gone up* The number of deaths from heat for older people has gone up by 167% since the 1990s* 512 billion work hours could have been lost because of extreme heat, which is worth hundreds of billions of dollars
Effects of climate change:
Extreme drought makes it harder for 151 million more people to get enough food. 60% of areas are facing extreme rainfall, which raises the risk of flooding and water pollution.
A lot of diseases spread by mosquitoes are on the rise, like dengue. Concerns about nutrition, food stability, and mental health
What oil and gas companies do:
More fossil fuel output and government subsidies are “fueling the fire” of climate change.
Signs of Progress to Encourage:
- A 7% drop in deaths caused by air pollution from fossil fuels (2016–2021).
*10.5% of energy comes from clean renewable sources, up from 5.5% in 2016.
What You Should Do:
- Put public health first at COP29 * Switch to clean energy * Cut back on fossil fuel subsidies * Spend money on public health facilities
Effects of climate change on health:
- More illnesses and deaths from the heat * The spread of viral diseases * Effects on mental health * Concerns about nutrition and food security
The Lancet Countdown study stresses how important it is for people all over the world to work together right away to stop climate change and keep people healthy.
Policies and actions in place now:
- Put the world on track to warm by 2.7°C by 2100 * Go far beyond the goal set by the Paris Agreement
COP29 Meeting:
- Make action on climate change a top priority * Commit to real solutions * Protect people’s health and the world
The report stresses how important it is to move right away to stop climate change.
The experts warn:
- Climate change is making it harder to get food and spreading diseases * More people are dying and getting sick from the heat * The effects on mental health are getting worse
The Lancet Countdown is a warning that stresses how important it is for everyone to work together.
Global Working Together:
- Important for preventing global change * Keeping people healthy
The study stresses how important it is for countries to work together.
In conclusion:
Climate change needs our instant attention and our full cooperation.
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