Climate Change and Human Health
Climate Change and Human Health (Click to start interactive)
Connections to NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education:
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5.ESI Earth Systems and Their Interactions: h. Provide evidence to explain how increases in Earth's temperature can affect humans and other organisms.
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Crosscutting Concepts: Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World.
If you need a refresher on how carbon dioxide is contributing to global warming, watch The Warming Trend and the Greenhouse Effect.
In the proper balance, greenhouse gases make life on Earth possible. However, scientists are concerned that an increase in greenhouse gases, caused by burning fossil fuels, has led to increased warming that threatens to have significant impacts not just on the environment but on human health.
A range of human health problems can be linked to a warming climate. As temperatures increase, insect populations can spread disease across wider areas. Moreover, freshwater supplies shrink, furthering drought and famine among poorer nations especially. In this interactive, you’ll explore the connection between climate change and health issues. You’ll also learn about some ways to reduce these health risks. As you work your way through the interactive, select a human health problem that interests you and read “What Could Go Wrong?”
Click the image on the left to begin the interactive.
Choose one of the potential health risks of climate change. Write down how a change in one part of the Earth system can have detrimental effects on other parts of the system.
