Week 6
Impacts of climate change on human systems
Urban heat islands were recognised over 200 years ago, but the problems associated with the temperature increase in urban areas compared with rural is a more recent problem, as the temperature gap between built up areas and countryside increases. On a hot summer day in the UK the difference can be as much as 9°C. This has health implications. For example, during the 2003 European heatwave 70,000 people died, mainly due to dehydration and hyperthermia.
Impacts of climate change on human systems
Urban heat islands were recognised over 200 years ago, but the problems associated with the temperature increase in urban areas compared with rural is a more recent problem, as the temperature gap between built up areas and countryside increases. On a hot summer day in the UK the difference can be as much as 9°C. This has health implications. For example, during the 2003 European heatwave 70,000 people died, mainly due to dehydration and hyperthermia.
Possible ways to combat or at least reduce the urban heat island effect involve effective architecture. Designing buildings to improve air flow at street level, addition of water bodies in urban environments and inclusion of green space through parks, green roofs and green walls may help in a small way to counteract the effect of cities and towns.
Food security is the other concern from climate change on human systems. We are over reliant on just three main foodstuffs- maize, wheat and rice- with over 40% of agricultural land taken up with these three staples. The changing climate means that pathogens, particularly fungi, are being found in more northerly parts of Europe, which could be devastating to the population.
We made need to be more open minded about the food we eat in order to increase productivity by 50% by 2050, which is the current estimate of our needs. This may include vegetarianism, genetically modified crops, or eating a broader range of food available, such as in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's fish fight, or the insidious reporting in many newspapers that people in the UK should eat invertebrates.
We made need to be more open minded about the food we eat in order to increase productivity by 50% by 2050, which is the current estimate of our needs. This may include vegetarianism, genetically modified crops, or eating a broader range of food available, such as in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's fish fight, or the insidious reporting in many newspapers that people in the UK should eat invertebrates.