Respiratory Risks
This respiratory condition causes airway swelling and makes breathing difficult, especially during high-pollen or smoky days.
What is asthma
This is the body’s dangerous response to overheating, causing a high temperature, confusion, and the need for emergency medical care.
What is heat stroke.
Crops may grow more quickly but lose some of the nutrients we need when there is an increased amount of this greenhouse gas in the air.
What is carbon dioxide.
This buzzing, blood-sucking insect reproduces much faster and spreads more diseases as global temperatures rise.
What is a mosquito.
Warmer temperatures cause plants to produce more of this powdery substance, extending allergy season.
What is pollen.
Severe, prolonged periods of dry weather ruin crops and dry up water supplies, threatening human survival.
What is drought.
Climate change can cause bacteria, parasites, and toxins to multiply - which can increase the risk of foodborne _________, like salmonella.
What are illnesses.
Warmer winters allow this tiny, blood-feeding arachnid to survive in new northern regions, increasing the spread of Lyme disease.
What is a tick.
This toxic blend of smoke and fog forms more easily in hot weather and irritates human lungs.
What is smog.
Rising sea levels and intense rainstorms cause this type of disaster, which can contaminate drinking water with sewage and chemicals.
What is flooding.
This term describes a situation where communities lose reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food due to climate change and/or extreme weather.
What is food insecurity.
In public health, this term refers to any living organism (like an insect) that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism.
What is a vector.
Intense heatwaves and droughts dry out forests, leading to these disasters that fill the air with dangerous microscopic ash particles.
What are wildfires.
This is the name given to urban areas with lots of concrete and few trees that trap heat, making them much hotter than nearby rural areas.
What is urban heat island.
Rising ocean temperatures and acidity harm these animals, directly threatening a major source of protein for billions of people.
What are fish.
This viral disease, characterized by severe joint pain and high fever, is rapidly moving north into areas where mosquitoes didn't used to survive the winter.
What is West Nile Virus.
Increased flooding from heavy storms causes this fuzzy, toxic substance to grow inside damp homes, triggering severe respiratory issues.
What is mold.
Beyond physical injuries, surviving extreme weather disasters often causes various kinds of emotional and mental health struggles.
What is trauma.
Warmer temperatures and changing soil chemistry can increase plant absorption of these items, such as arsenic (rat poison).
What are toxic heavy metals.
Shorter winters and longer summers mean vectors (disease carriers) can stay active and infect humans for more months out of the year, expanding this specific timeframe.
What is transmission season.