The Effects of Climate Change

What is Climate Change?

Climate change is the long-term change in global temperatures and weather patterns. Climate change has become increasingly apparent after the Industrial Revolution, mainly due to the increased production of greenhouse gasses, which trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing global warming.

Since 1880, Earth’s temperature has risen 0.14° F every decade. Additionally, since 1981, that temperature has increased to 0.32° F per decade. The years from 2013 through 2021 are among the ten warmest years recorded. The recent 2021 surface temperature average across land and ocean was 1.51° F warmer than the 20th century average of 57° F and 1.87° F warmer than the pre-industrial period.

Climate change is caused by various factors, including deforestation, fossil fuels, overconsumption, power generation, and goods manufacturing. Ultimately, these factors contribute to the increase of greenhouse gasses – like carbon dioxide and methane – in the atmosphere, which traps the sun’s heat. In addition, natural processes like the change in the Earth’s orbit and rotation and variations in solar activity also contribute to climate change.

Climate change is incredibly detrimental to the environment. It can cause hotter temperatures, droughts, heat waves, the extinction and endangerment of many species, and health risks; dramatically change precipitation patterns; strengthen hurricanes; raise sea levels; melt the Arctic and Antarctic; enable poverty; and displace families. If climate change prevention does not occur, the Earth will continue to warm. Eventually, the Earth can reach dangerous temperatures that cannot sustain human life. 

With the increase in climate change awareness in the past few years, it is crucial to acknowledge both the natural and human causes of this phenomenon. Human causes have had much more of an impact on the spread of climate change. Actions need to be taken by all to slow the effects of climate change, and the clear impacts that we have made need to be addressed.

Starting with the natural causes, these include changes in Earth’s orbit and rotation, along with solar activity and volcanoes. The orbits that Earth makes around the sun are all slightly different and affect the amount of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere during the summer. This leads to ice ages at times when there is less sunlight around the North Pole. During these events, glaciers will expand across the surface of the Earth, which will melt with the appearance of warmer weather. 

Another natural cause is volcanic eruptions, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As stated by Jessie in the last blog post, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will trap the sun’s heat. However, carbon dioxide emissions from humans are 100 times larger than those from all volcanic eruptions in the world each year. 

Human causes of climate change vary but almost all connect to the emission of greenhouse gases. The most significant cause of the emissions is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or gas. As can be seen in the graphic in the last post, greenhouse gas levels have risen drastically over the past years.

Furthermore, different factors affect the impacts of climate change in a particular area. Agriculture, road construction, and deforestation can lead to local warming and cooling, as artificial surfaces such as roads and highways absorb more heat than natural ones. Land cleared for agricultural and industrial purposes also largely affects this, as when forested areas are destroyed, the stored carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. 

Due to weather changes and increased pollution, the effects of climate change can also lead to several health hazards. These health hazards include increased vulnerability to illnesses, early mortality, threats to mental health, and greater vulnerability to particular health issues. It is estimated that between 2030 and 2050, malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress will contribute to an additional 250,000 yearly deaths.

First, because of global warming, climate change may result in a variety of health problems related to the air. Climate change may result in longer pollen seasons and higher pollen concentrations, which will be harmful to everyone with allergens. Furthermore, rising levels of particulate matter air pollution, such as ground-level ozone, are another harmful effect of climate change on the air. Smog is largely made up of ground-level ozone, which is known to cause well-recognized health issues like asthma, premature deaths, and weakened lung function. Due to the presence of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds, wildfires brought on by global warming are also extremely harmful. These contents significantly reduce air quality locally and in areas downwind of the fires. Similarly, extreme rainfall and rising temperatures can also lead to poor indoor air quality.

Disease transmission may also be accelerated by seasonal fluctuations, rising air and water temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extremely heavy rainfall. For instance, the Great Lakes' rising water levels have increased the number of waterborne illnesses. Additionally, conditions suitable for the transmission of dengue fever, the most significant viral illness originating in anthropoids, are closely related to the ambient temperature. The number of dengue fever cases has increased thirtyfold over the past fifty years due to global warming, reaching 390 million illnesses annually. Also, the likelihood of numerous human diseases, including malaria and the West Nile virus, may rise in the next years due to a predicted increase in mosquito abundance.

In addition to diseases becoming more prevalent, food production could also be negatively impacted by global warming due to extreme weather events like floods and heat waves. Such disruptions can lower the quality of food and cause famines. As a result of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is anticipated to reduce some crops' nutritional value, climate change could have an impact on food costs and delivery systems. The amount of protein in many crops, including soy and barley, decreases as plant nitrogen concentrations increase in response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Furthermore, farmers anticipate using more pesticides and herbicides as a result of the rising climate in order to curb the spread of weeds and pests. Warmer weather will also make livestock more vulnerable to parasites, pests, and microorganisms. Consequently, keeping livestock in a healthy environment will cost more. Using parasiticides to get rid of parasites risks introducing these chemicals into the food chain and encouraging parasite resistance, which would be detrimental to the food industry.

People's mental health may also be badly affected by climate change. Researchers have discovered that suicide rates fluctuate with the weather and rising temperatures, indicating that depression and other mental diseases may be impacted by climate change. For instance, studies have shown that those who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina developed high levels of anxiety and PTSD. Following heat waves and floods, similar outcomes have been observed and there is evidence that wildfires have a similar effect. In hot weather, patients with severe mental diseases, such as schizophrenia, are especially at danger since their medications may impair their ability to regulate their body temperature or even cause hyperthermia.

Many people have also passed away prematurely as a result of heat stroke and related diseases, accidents, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cerebrovascular disease brought on in part by rising temperatures and extreme weather. For instance, heavy rainfall-induced floods are the second deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States and are responsible for around 98 percent of deaths each year, mostly from drowning. Furthermore, based on death certificates, over 11,000 Americans have died from heat-related causes since 1979. Some research indicates that over 1,300 annual deaths in the United States are due to extreme heat.

Numerous people's places of residence may also be impacted by climate change. Many individuals are more vulnerable to wildfires, droughts, and other natural disasters in their regions as a result of extreme weather. In particular, impoverished people will have great difficulty adjusting to these living conditions without the ability to quickly relocate, resist heat, and acquire food, especially with growing prices, as natural disasters are incredibly costly.

Fortunately, in California, those affected by climate change can get government help. The CalBRACE project in California works with agencies, tribes, and community partners to develop policies, data, and strategies that integrate benefits for public health, health equity, and climate adaptation into their operations and investment plans. This project aims to prevent and reduce the health effects associated with climate change through state and local actions. In addition, San Mateo County was able to evaluate the prevalence and trends of asthma burden and modify the Community Health Vulnerability Index for their jurisdiction. San Mateo County was able to address particular local climate and respiratory health challenges as a result, particularly among at-risk groups.

In California and the United States as a whole, agriculture is a major industry, meaning that it is also a major producer of greenhouse gasses. In California, it is the fourth-largest emitting sector, only behind transportation, industry, and buildings, and in the United States, it is the fifth-largest behind transportation, electric power, industry, and commercial and residential. It is important to know about the policy at a national, state, and county level.

After being elected president, Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement and created the first National Climate Task Force with the goals to reduce United States greenhouse gas to 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 and in relation to agriculture, to have a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

In California, four climate-smart agriculture programs have been put into place to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses while also providing benefits to aid the process for farms and surrounding communities. These are the Healthy Soils Program (HSP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALCP), and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). 

Developed in 2017 by state agencies and departments and currently administered by the CDFA, the Healthy Soils Program hopes to develop and promote healthy soil on California farms and ranch lands. The HSP Incentives Program and HSP Demonstration Projects, respectively, provide financing opportunities and showcase the implementation of HSP practices. These include, “cover cropping, no-till, reduced-till, mulching, compost application, and conservation plantings.”

Also launched in 2017 and administered by the CDFA, the Alternative Manure Management Program, similar to the HSP Incentives program, provides financial grants to dairy and livestock farmers who implement improved manure management practices to reduce methane emissions. 

The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program, administered by the California of Conservation, protects agricultural lands from being converted into other developments, whether it be residential or industrial. The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, also provides grants to help install irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gasses and conserve water. 

Climate change plans, especially in relation to agriculture and farmland, vary by county. With different agricultural and economical solutions in different places, policy can be drastically dissimilar. We encourage you to take some time out of your day to look up the policies in place in your county, and see what you can possibly do to help.

Our Project

For more information, we went to two farms in California to learn about the local impacts of climate change. One of the farms was a fruit farm near Escalon, California. The second farm, a vegetable farm, was located in San Martin. In order to fully understand how the farms are impacted by climate change, it is important to understand how the farms are constrained by the various farming policies in each location. 

The first farm we visited was owned by a Mexican immigrant named Tonny near Escalon, California. Tonny came to California to live with his wife about six years ago. Tonny now enjoys a happy marriage with his wife, with whom he has had three children since moving to California. Near Escalon, Tonny owns two fruit farms—one he bought and one he rented. Farmers in Escalon who have access to city-provided water have had to rely on nuts like almonds rather than fruits. In contrast, Tonny uses his own water to sustain his own fruits. In the future, Tonny intends to transform his business into a U-Pick.

The second farm we visited is owned by a Chinese immigrant family. This farm is situated near San Martin, California, which is a part of Santa Clara County, and it specializes in Chinese vegetables. Given that the Chinese family's English is not very good and that San Martin is primarily Hispanic (45.6%) and white (44.6%), it is challenging for the family to live there since there are so few Chinese speakers there. This family came to America in pursuit of a better life for their two children, a teenage girl and a little boy. The family saved money by working minimum wage jobs in San Jose so they could rent their current farm.

Unlike to the city of Escalon, the Santa Clara County does not rely as heavily on agriculture. In fact, as a result of urbanization, Santa Clara County has even seen a decline in its agricultural resource base of irrigated land since the 1980s. However, the Santa Clara community still values agriculture. In fact, the county's overall agricultural production currently places it in 30th place in California. In terms of irrigation, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in 2014, has had an impact on irrigated agricultural production. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act limits farmer access to and utilization of their last viable source of water, and as a result, agricultural property is now closely scrutinized for the availability of water resources. Many farmers must also reduce their water use as a result of the drought in California. Additionally, there are incentives, such as Valley Water's Landscape Rebate Program, which encourages farmers to use less water. In an effort to promote agricultural conservation, the Santa Clara County has also begun the Local and Regional Planning Project grant project San Martin Farm Futures. In terms of agricultural production value, Santa Clara County produces a lot of vegetables and fruits, such as peppers, cherries, tomatoes, and salad greens, but few nut crops.

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