The Effects of Climate Change on Public Health and the Healthcare Provider 's Role in Addressing Climate Change

Climate change is a term that refers to major changes in temperature, rainfall, snow, or wind patterns lasting for decades or longer. Both human-made and natural factors contribute to climate change” (EPA, p. 1, 2011). Some examples of human-made causes of global warming include burning fossil fuels (e.g., petroleum, coal, diesel), cutting down forests, and developing land for farms, cities, and roads, because these activities all release green house gases into the atmosphere. Green house gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. There are some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that occur naturally and are emitted into the atmosphere both through natural processes and human activities. Other greenhouse gases are created solely by anthropogenic causes and emitted into the atmosphere solely through human activities. (EPA, 2011) Some examples of natural causes of climate change include shifts in the Earth’s orbit, the sun’s intensity, the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, and volcanic activity. (EPA, 2011) Greenhouse gases are necessary for life to exist on Earth because they trap heat in the atmosphere, which warms our planet and in a state of equilibrium.