“The violence that exists in the human heart is also manifest in the symptoms of illness that we see in the Earth, the water, the air and in living things.”
-Pope Francis on climate change
My main focus for this blog is the issue of climate change and how it has affected air quality. Air quality is pivotal to human health and should be a main focus when discussing combating the effects of climate change.
Climate change is huge topic of debate. The more I follow the primary election, the more I realize that some do not believe that climate change is a product of human activity or that it is a serious threat to our environment. This is astonishing to me, because we can see the effects everyday in many forms. Animal extinction, seasonal changes, and agricultural problems are all major concerns that we are facing because of climate change.
A walk down by Town Lake and it’s branching streams shows an immense amount of accumulated tree debris. The debris looks like wreckage from recent floods Austin has experienced. This debris fills both sides of the stream and even is partially stuck in the tops of trees. While this much needed rain is beneficial to replenishing low lake levels, it has caused many disasters across central Texas. Climate change is one reason for this flooding. Texas has been identified by scientists as one of the most vulnerable states to be affected by climate change. It has been predicted that Texas would suffer from longer and hotter periods of drought with interspersed damaging rainfall (Bagley). This coming from increased temperatures from the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
These gases pose a major health threat. Warming temperatures, which can be contributed to an increase in CO2 levels, has disrupted air qualities mainly in industrialized and urban cities. Cars are a major source of CO2. When volatile compounds from vehicles are emitted in the air they react with oxides of nitrogen in the presence of heat and sunlight. Together they form ground level ozone, a major pollutant, the primary component of smog (Climate). This smog is what you can see in the air of major polluted cities. Warmer temperatures can increase the frequency of days with unhealthy levels of air pollutants.
As I spend more time outdoors at various parks and lake areas close to downtown, the more I notice the incredible amount of traffic that has taken over the area. Even being in the center of a park, it is hard to ignore the noise and smell that is coming from the lanes of highways running nearby.
One of my visits took me to the north side of the lake right behind Austin High. It was a beautiful day in the 70’s and many people were out and about doing various things. Most were getting their daily exercise in and others were casually visiting the scenery. As mentioned earlier, the biggest thing I noticed was the incredible amount of traffic that was happening right next to a main spot of outdoor activities. This seemed so ironic to me. In an effort to become/stay healthy, we could possibly be putting ourselves in an environment that may not be conducive to our goals. The heavy traffic is no doubt a source of pollution, and breathing this in can harm our health.
Texas has already experienced great climate change and warmer temperatures are creating a perfect environment for these volatile reactions to occur, producing ground level ozone (Climate).
According to a major report released by the American Lung Association, Austin ranked first out of 220 other cities for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for 24- hour particle pollution (State). What does this mean? Particle pollution refers to a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in our air. A major source of particle pollution is exhaust smoke from cars and trucks. “Twenty-four hour” simply refers to the average level of these particles over a 24-hour time period. While Austin does extremely well in this category, the city received a D in high ozone days and was ranked 95th for high ozone days compared to the other cities (State).
Ground level ozone poses many risks to human health. These risks include, premature death, breathing problems, and cardiovascular effects. When we breath in dirty air, volatile pollutants enter our bodies and causes harm to the respiratory tract. Exposure can trigger cases of asthma, worsen existing illnesses, and provoke development of chronic diseases. Lung cancer, COPD, and emphysema are among these chronic diseases. Pollution also can lead to long term effects by harming lung development. This creates additional risk for lung diseases later in life (Physicians).
Anyone who spends time outdoors is at risk for developing these problems. In particular children, seniors, and people with existing cardiovascular or respiratory diseases are especially vulnerable.
Outdoor activity is always encouraged because of the many benefits that nature can offer. But now a question of whether our nature is healthy, arises from the effects of climate change. If we continue on this path what will our air be like in ten or twenty years? Even cities now, across the globe, have extremely polluted air. How we will be able to enjoy, let alone live in an environment where the very thing needed to survive has been polluted and is of no use?
As I ventured further from the lake into the trees I came across many species at work. Low to the floor there were many spider webs formed between branches. I spotted one spider capturing its prey in it’s extensive web. While I was exploring the floor, I noticed this orange substance on many plants. I initially thought that it was orange spray paint from construction workers marking areas, but I couldn’t make out any particular figure or lines formed by the substance. I realized that the orange matter was growing on the plants and was not put there by someone. I would later come to find that the orange matter is a form of plant rust. Rust is a type of fungi that parasitizes plants and thrives in wet conditions, which is why I came across down my the lake. Climate change can aid in the dispersal of this disease by bringing percipitaton at irregular times. The rust appears as yellow or orange spores on the underside of leaves. It can stunt plant growth, and productivity is often reduced. Plants can even die from this disease (Leaf).
Orange spores growing on underside of leaves
As my outdoor adventure came to an end, I stumbled upon many friends sunbathing on fallen tree logs across the stream. These turtles were perched on the tree relaxing, secluded from human activity. I tried to accompany them on the log but they opted to dive in the water instead. Maybe next time I’ll dive in with them.
Works Cited
Bagley, Katherine. “Texas’ Climate Stubbornness Takes an Increasingly Big Toll.” Inside Climate News. Inside Climate News, 15 July 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
“Climate Impacts of Human Health.” EPA. United State Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
“Leaf Rust.” Garden Vigor. Garden Vigor, n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
“Physicians for Social Responsibility.” How Air Pollution Contributes to Lung Disease (2009): n.pag. PSR. Physicians for Social Responsibility. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
“State of the Air 2015.” American Lung Association. American Lung Association, n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.