Weather
and Living Things
|
|
|
|
|
Lesson 3
Global Weather Patterns and Disease
Introduction | Invitation | Exploration | Explanation | Taking Action | Conclusion
Introduction
The climates of the United States and Russia are expected to
change as a result of the increased concentration of a
number of "greenhouse gases." Although we can also expect an
overall net global warming, the distribution of this warming
will not be the same throughout all regions. Changes in
temperature, rainfall, and other climatic elements are
expected to vary considerably by region.
Within the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is concerned that these climatic changes will increase the
number of people who are stricken with various infectious
diseases. We know that even though an infectious
disease may originate in a particular area, many of them are
capable of spreading to other regions and countries.
While global climate change is unlikely to effect the spread
of most diseases, there is a special set of diseases that
whose rate of infection will vary with changes in the
weather. We have already investigated one of these
diseases in lesson one when we considered the outbreak of
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. In this lesson we
will investigate other diseases that are likely to increase
in frequency as the weather patterns change.
Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to outline the nature, causes, symptoms, treatments, and future outlook for the disease that was investigated by your group.
Among the diseases that are likely to increase in frequency
due to global warming are those that are transmitted by
arthropods such as mosquitoes, sand flies, midges, and
ticks. These include the diseases malaria,
dengue, encephalitis, and yellow fever. Climate change
may also affect diseases spread by snails or by
water,
such as schistosomiasis and cholera, because changes in
rainfall will have an impact on flow of rivers and levels of
lakes.
According to to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, the current diversity of infectious disease
threats facing humanity is unprecedented. During the
last twenty years, malaria, dengue, cholera and tuberculosis
(TB) have resurged, and many of them have been described as
"global infectious disease threats" because of the fact that
our international interdependence, modern transportation,
and changing social patterns ensure that theses emerging
infections are a global threat, from which no country is
sufficiently sheltered.
Top
Exploration
In this section, your job is to split up into groups and have each group complete a research project on one of the following diseases:
Malaria Dengue Encephalitis Yellow Fever
Cholera Schistosoiasis Leishmaniasis
Your group's project should include but not be limited by the following:
1) A general description of the disease
2) An explanation of the causes of the disease
3) A description of the symptoms
4) An overview of the current treatment that is available.
5) Future outlook for the disease with a focus on why
the frequency
of this disease is likely to increase.
To find information about your disease, it is recommended
that you complete an Internet search using the
name of the disease as the keyword in your search. You
may also need to complete a search on global
climate
change in order to learn how the the frequency of this
disease is likely to change. To assist you in
this
regards, here are some links that you may find
helpful.
|
|
|
|
|
It is also recommended that the research of each group be
summarized in a web page or Power point
presentation. If this is not feasible in your
classroom, then a written report or poster board
can
serve as effective alternatives.
Explanation
Now it is time to share what your group has learned with other members of the class. Your job in this section is to present a 5-7 minute presentation of the disease that you researched. If you completed a web site and you have access to multiple computers, then you could have your classmates go to your web site and explore the site under your direction. If you completed a Power point presentation, then each member of your group could take a turn at presenting some key aspect of your research. Likewise, if you completed a written report or a pasteboard, the key highlights of these projects should be discussed by each member of your group. Try to make your presentation informative, interesting and fun.
Taking Action
In this lesson, we have explored how our expected global warming may contribute to an increase in frequency of a wide range of infectious diseases. For this, and other reasons, it is time that we take action to reduce global warming. In this respect, it is recommended that you complete at least one of the following activities:
1) Monitor your energy consumption for a week and
determine 3 specific ways in which you can
lower your energy consumption. Then try to make these
modifications in your habits.
2) Make a poster showing ways that we alleviate the
spread of these infectious diseases by altering
our
behaviors.
3) Make a poster or bumper sticker to educate others
about the increased spread of these
infectious
diseases due to global warming.
4) Become a member of a group that is dedicated to
improving the environmental conditions in
your
community such as the Environmental Club at your school or
the Sierra Club.
Conclusion
In this lesson, the relationship between climate change and
disease was explored. If the earth continues to warm
consistently, we can expect to see an increase in the
incidence of a wide range of infectious
diseases. As we have discussed in prior lessons,
human actions may have powerful impacts on both our weather
and our health.