Conversations around climate change have been ongoing for some time now. Most of the people who have had this conversation, seem only to link climate change to its long-term effects. However, there are several ways in which climate change affects our daily lives and here are some.
1. A Rise in Food Prices
Food security depends on a predictable and friendly climate. When the seasons can effectively meet the farmer’s calendar and when everything is smooth, food produced is usually plenty, and consumers get to buy food at affordable prices.
However, when the climate becomes hostile, food production becomes very expensive. So engaging in farming becomes a risky activity for the farmer. The consequences are high prices for the foods produced.
The prices we pay for food today might have been lower if not for climate change.
2. Poor Infrastructure
The quality of infrastructure highly depends on the climate at hand. Though the process of creating infrastructure considers climate conditions, the effects of continued climate change like floods and heat are putting pressure on the current infrastructure which is not made to withstand certain conditions.
The rise in temperatures, the continuous rising sea level, and the floods experienced in different parts of the world all contribute to the destruction of roads and other infrastructure.
These days, tarmac roads start getting potholes or peeling faster than they used to.
Apart from the fact that the roads might not have been constructed well, the link between climate change and infrastructure indicates that the pothole you encounter while driving home might be because of climate change factors.
3. Utility Bills
Another issue with climate change is a rise in utility bills, specifically the ones that touch on temperatures. Climate change has led to a rising in temperatures. Hot seasons are hotter than they used to be, and people have to spend more on keeping body temperatures down.
Electricity bills such as that for air conditioners keep on rising by the day.
4. Common Colds
Recently, there have been so many cases of common colds. Apart from respiratory conditions such as then Covid-19, many people have contracted the common cold. You have probably experienced this too.
Climate change plays a role in this development. The temperature shift usually affects the whole ecosystem, leading to some pathogens increasing or decreasing.
In this case, the rise in temperatures has provided a conducive environment for different groups of cold-related viruses to flourish. The most common virus that has succeeded following this temperature shift is the Human Rhinovirus, responsible for 40% of colds.
5. Poor Quality of Breathing Air
The continued change in climate has contributed to the poor quality of air we breathe.
The quality of air depends on factors that also depend on climatic factors. When these factors change, air quality also varies.
With the current climate changes, air quality is being affected negatively. Good examples are the recent heat waves and drought. Heatwaves are responsible for causing ground-level ozone pollution since the chemical reactions that create ozone in the atmosphere occur at hot temperatures.
This change means that the quality of the air you breathe today is poorer than the one you breathed last year.
6. More severe storms
When it rains, storms are a normal phenomenon. However, with the effects of climate change, the storms become more severe. Climate change has tampered with the whole atmosphere’s composition leading to changes in how normal rains and storms occur. More water vapour in the atmosphere has led to excess rainfall and flooding. Additionally, the warming oceans have affected the frequency and extent of the most intense tropical storms.
7. More poverty and displacement
People can only live comfortably in places that support life efficiently, something that becomes a bit difficult with the continued severity of climate change. Climate change leads to environmental conditions that lead people to poverty because of floods, desertification and other bad effects of climate change.
Occurrences such as floods destroy property and even farm produce, rendering many homeless and without food to eat. The major consequence, in this case, is becoming poor and looking for new places to live.
8. Effect on manufacturing
The products one enjoys on a daily basis come from the process of manufacturing. On the other hand, manufacturing depends so much on conducive climate conditions. When the climate conditions are ideal, then the manufacturing process happens with ease and at a relatively low cost. Consequently leading to affordable products in return.
However, when the climatic conditions are not friendly, there is a strain in the process so output goes down. For instance, during the heatwaves, workers are not in a position to work for the required number of hours, meaning the machines may have to stop working for some time. This is just one of the instances where climate change tampers with manufacturing. This means that the global manufacturing sector will be accumulating losses due to these inconveniences.
Here are more articles to check out
5 Ways Climate Change Will Affect Our Lives
Environment: 6 Ways To Adapt To Climate Change
Environmental Issues: How Climate Change Will Affect The Future Of Africa
Climate Change And The Environment: How Can You Eliminate Greenhouses Gases In Your Household?
The effects of climate change in Kenya
The Truth About Congestion Charges And Other Ways To Reduce Traffic Pollution
