Climate Change Attorney Blog
NOAA reports that on February 19th a panel of scientist released the findings of studies predicting adverse impacts upon human health resulting from climate change. In a summary released by NOAA it was noted that the studies: “shed light on how complex interactions and climate change alterations in sea, land and sky make ocean and freshwater environments more susceptible to toxic algal blooms and proliferation of harmful microbes and bacteria”
The studies are predicting a series of adverse impacts including:
“”Changes in the harmful algal bloom season appear to be imminent and we expect a significant increase in Puget Sound and similar at-risk environments within 30 years, possibly by the next decade,
Researchers at the University of Georgia, a NOAA Oceans and Human Health Initiative Consortium for Graduate Training site, looked at how global desertification – and the resulting increase in atmospheric dust based on some climate change scenarios – could fuel the presence of harmful bacteria in the ocean and seafood
A changing climate with more rainstorms on the horizon could increase the risk of overflows of dated sewage systems, causing the release of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and protozoa into drinking water and onto beaches. In the past 10 years there have been more severe storms that trigger overflows.”
While the reports indicate some of thee effects could be the result of natural climate variations, nonetheless they pose serious potential impacts.