LIKE CORONA VIRUS, LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN EPIDEMIC BY OLADOSU ADENIKE

LIKE CORONA VIRUS, LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN EPIDEMIC

BY OLADOSU ADENIKE

(Email)

Since the creation of mankind, he has learnt to survive on the environment and nature which is climate dependent. Hence, the life cycle of man has been dependent on his interaction with himself and other living organism (plants and animals). The activities of man have brought a negative feedback mechanism to the environment. The first known epidemic recorded in time past is the plague of Athens which has killed over 75, 000 people.

With the advents of technology and industrialization, human being has being faced with disasters ranging from fire outbreak to flooding; raising public health concern and frustration. In recent time Spanish flu has killed up to 100 million people worldwide. Just like other living thing man has tend to live in the "darwanian" world of survival-of-the fittest, that is, man evolves with his changing environment.

Why climate arises poses threat to public health:

With the outbreak of corona virus (COVID-19) in China late last year (2019) and the increasing stress on health workers and financial burden on established governments round the world. Also the global effect of Climate change cannot be easily overemphasized as it has affected man’s socio-economic life and posing a threat to his health. The year 2020 started with wildfires in Australia killing at least 33 people and destroying 11 million hectares of bush, forest and parks. With the attendant effects of high temperature (above the normal physiological limit) resulting in outbreak of public health issues such as meningitis, fever and growth of pathogens.

Overall, the impact of climate change on food security cannot be underestimated, as it is leading to generalized malnutrition affecting most households in Middle-East and Africa. Furthermore, the effect of the less talked about acid rain in places full of threats to the communities and environment. Imaging a world of increasing 1.5⁰c per decade, then the impact of climate arises will be a “cynosure” of all eyes to behold.

Solution: Implementation of Paris Climate Agreement:

The world is presently reeling under the dangerous public health threat: corona virus. As such, world leaders have responsibly tackling its effects by taking healthy measures aimed at tackling its spread. The world must take climate change as a public health crises since we have thirty years (i.e 2050) according to IPCC as a “point of no returns” on climate action. Climate change is a pointer of the destruction of man’s civilization and ideas as it breeds famine, conflicts, inequality and insecurity. The worst is yet to come, if we don’t tackle climate change; it will tackle us.

Oladosu Adenike is an ecofeminist/peace activist and Climate activist

oladosuadenike32@gmail.com