{"id":34273,"date":"2018-10-30T16:43:17","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T11:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=34273"},"modified":"2018-10-30T16:43:17","modified_gmt":"2018-10-30T11:13:17","slug":"climate-change-taking-a-toll-on-global-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/climate-change-taking-a-toll-on-global-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate change taking a toll on global health:"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.in\/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiiwt2o_JnXAhVJM48KHd_xBFQQqOcBCCUwAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsci-tech%2Fenergy-and-environment%2Fclimate-change-taking-a-toll-on-global-health-lancet%2Farticle19951819.ece&amp;usg=AOvVaw3KPJD_DC-wOJ7qKWmBmmt-\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate change taking a toll on global health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Context:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New research published by The Lancet medical journal states that on an average there has been a 5.3% fall in productivity for rural labour estimated globally since 2000, as a result of rising temperatures around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Lancet report:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lancet study estimates 1.9 million deaths in 21 Asian countries in 2015 that could be attributed to PM2.5 air pollution from sources such as coal plants, transport, household pollution, others<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report talks of the various ways climate change has started affecting the health of people across the planet.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctors, academics and policy makers have contributed to the analysis and jointly authored the first report of \u201cThe Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partners behind the research include the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), University of London and Tsinghua University.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Anthropogenic effect<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research builds on the work of the 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, which concluded that anthropogenic climate change threatens to undermine the last 50 years of gains in public health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report said that over one billion people globally will be faced with a need to migrate within 90 years, due to a rise in sea level caused by ice shelf collapse, unless action is taken.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research found that 87% of a random sample of global cities are in breach of WHO air pollution guidelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The world has seen a 46% global increase in weather related disasters since 2000, the reported pointed out.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The total value of economic losses resulting from climate-related extreme weather events was estimated at $129 billion in 2016.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is Climate Change?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate change is a long-term shift in the statistics of the weather (including its averages).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, it could show up as a change in climate normals (expected average values for temperature and precipitation) for a given place and time of year, from one decade to the next.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why is climate changing?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Natural causes<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate change is a normal part of the Earth\u2019s natural variability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is related to interactions among the atmosphere, ocean, and land.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Variation in Solar energy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is also related to changes in the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth-As the stream of solar energy reaches earth, the character of the Earth\u2019s orbit and of its rotation plays a major role in causing long-term climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Volcanic eruptions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explosive volcanic eruptions can inject large quantities of dust and the gas, sulphur dioxide, high into the atmosphere.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whereas volcanic debris in the lower atmosphere falls out or is rained out within days, the veil of pollution in the upper atmosphere is above the weather and may remain for several years, gradually spreading to cover much of the globe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The volcanic pollution results in a substantial reduction in the stream of solar energy as it passes through the upper layers of the atmosphere, reflecting a significant amount back out to space.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Anthropogenic Causes<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth\u2019s temperature.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is Paris agreement?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an agreement within the UNFCCC dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The Paris Accord is considered as a turning point for global climate policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Aims:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It further aims at pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The agreement aims to increase the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also aims at making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Paris Agreement was adopted by 195 countries at the 21<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">st<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conference of the Parties of the UNFCC in Paris on 12<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> December 2015.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>India\u2019s commitment to climate change<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post US withdrawal from Paris Agreement, India announced that it would continue its support for climate action.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given the current scenario, India could play a leadership role in mobilizing the climate-vulnerable countries, to recommit to and strengthen the Paris Agreement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India could also formally make clause with China and the European Union (EU).China and EU have reportedly planned alliance to lead the implementation of the Paris Accord.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the price of solar energy has fallen and the need for coal has also decreased substantially, indicating that India is well placed to make a transition to clean energy use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a strategy to reduce its emission, India has embarked on a massive renewable energy programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upscaling the National Solar Mission, India has set a target of <\/span><b>100 gigawatts (GW) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of installed solar energy capacity <\/span><b>by 2022.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is five times higher than the original 20 GW target. May 2017 has seen record drop in solar power prices to Rs 2.44\/kWh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India also recently became the <\/span><b>fourth largest producer of wind energy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the world and announced plans to <\/span><b>cancel 14 GW of coal plants<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Indeed, India is currently in a strong position not only to meet, but exceed its Paris climate targets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even under India\u2019s new tax regime, <\/span><b>18% of tax<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is proposed to be levied on <\/span><b>electric cars<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, vis-a-vis 28% tax on conventional cars.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The green power revolution is envisaged to attract millions in investment and create job opportunities, while providing a substantial boost to export of new commodities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the aftermath of creating the largest market of solar power for itself, India has now proposed a pioneering commitment to sell only electric cars by 2030.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NDCs are contributions that each country should make in order to achieve the worldwide goals<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The level of NDC that each country sets determines the targets to be achieved by the particular country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These contributions should be reported every five years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The principle of \u2018progression\u2019 prevails which indicates that the next NDC should be more \u2019ambitious\u2019 than the previous one.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are India\u2019s intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) targets?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Reduce emission intensity by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India will introduce new, more efficient and cleaner technologies in thermal power generation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reducing emissions from transportation sector.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote energy efficiency, mainly in industry, transportation, buildings and appliances.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop climate resilient infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pursue Zero Effect, Zero Defect policy under Make in India programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Produce 40 per cent of electricity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, if international community helps with technology transfer and low cost finance.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India will install 175 GW of solar, wind and biomass electricity by 2022, and scale up further in following years<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India will aggressively pursue development of hydropower.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will try to achieve the target of 63 GW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2032<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is looking towards full implementation of Green India Mission and other programmes of afforestation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop 140,000 km long tree line on both sides of national highways.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Develop robust adaptation strategies for agriculture, water and health sectors<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redesign National Water Mission and National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Active implementation of ongoing programmes like National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture, setting up of 100 mobile soil-testing laboratories, distribution of soil health cards to farmers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additional impetus on watershed development through <\/span><b>Neeranchal scheme<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective implementation of <\/span><b>National Mission on Clean Ganga<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early formulation and implementation of <\/span><b>National Health Mission<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complete <\/span><b>Integrated Coastal Zone Management plan.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mapping and demarcation of coastal hazard lines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Major Climate Laws in India<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>National Action Plan on Climate Change, 2008 \u2013<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Plan outlines eight \u201cnational missions\u201d running until 2017. These include solar, energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, Green India (REDD &amp; LULUCF), water, Himalaya ecosystems, agriculture and strategic knowledge of climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>National Electricity Plan, 2012 \u2013<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Plan\u2019s 4th chapter deals with initiatives and measures for GHG mitigation, and aims to keep CO2 intensity declining while massively expanding rural access and increasing power generation to meet the demands of a rapidly growing economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Post \u2013 Copenhagen domestic actions, 2010 \u2013<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 10 May 2010, India released its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory for 2007, with the aim of enabling informed decision<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2010<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making and to ensure transparency. India has become the first \u201cnon<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2010<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annex I\u201d (i.e. developing) country to publish such updated numbers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>National Clean Energy Fund<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has announced a <\/span><b>levy, a clean energy cess, on coal, at the rate of Rs. 50 (US$1) per tonne<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which will apply to both domestically produced and imported coal. This money will go into <\/span><b>a National Clean Energy Fund <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that will be used for funding research, innovative projects in clean energy technologies and environmental remedial programmes. Expected earnings are US$500 million for the financial year 2010\u20132011.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Impacts of climate change:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than half a million Indians are estimated to have died prematurely in 2015 due to particulate matter (PM) 2.5 air pollution, according to a new Lancet report that highlights the significant public health risks from climate change.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The medical journal said that the world has seen a 46% increase in weather-related disasters since 2000, contributing to $129 billion in economic losses in 2016.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It estimated an average of 5.3% fall in productivity for rural labour globally since 2000 as a result of rising temperatures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study estimated 1.9 million deaths across 21 Asian countries in 2015 that could be attributed to PM2.5 air pollution from sources like coal power plants, transport, household pollution, waste, shipping, agriculture and others.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PM2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 micron) is one of the deadliest components of air pollution. It is a fine particle that can settle deep in the lungs and be absorbed in the bloodstream, which can lead to respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it is not Asia alone that faces high air pollution\u2014the report revealed that \u201c87% of random sample of global cities are in breach of WHO air pollution guidelines, meaning billions of people worldwide are exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Undernutrition as the largest health impact of climate change in the 21st century\u201d and noted a 6% decline in global wheat yields and 10% fall in rice yields for each additional one degree Celsius rise in global temperature.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report observed that climate change is affecting the health of all populations and that these impacts are disproportionately felt by communities least responsible for climate change and those who are the most vulnerable in society.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Climate change taking a toll on global health: Context: New research published by The Lancet medical journal states that on an average there has been a 5.3% fall in productivity for rural labour estimated globally since 2000, as a result of rising temperatures around the world. The Lancet report: Lancet study estimates 1.9 million deaths&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/climate-change-taking-a-toll-on-global-health\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Climate change taking a toll on global health:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-test-1","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704957391},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34273\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}