Environmental effects of climate change, such as droughts, high temperatures, and flooding, have negatively impacted human health. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in order to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths, the world must limit the rise in temperature (Livingston et al., 2018). Warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns affect air quality, causing asthma attacks and respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect food safety and nutrition by lowering the levels of proteins and minerals in crops like rice and wheat making foods less nutritious. Climate change also leads to water-borne pathogens (bacteria, parasites, and viruses), toxins, and cyanobacterial blooms in water. Establishing early warning systems for heat waves prevents the effects of climate change.
Reference
Livingston, J. E., Lövbrand, E., & Olsson, J. A. (2018). From climates multiple to climate singular: Maintaining policy-relevance in the IPCC synthesis report. Environmental Science & Policy, 90, 83-90. Web.