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Climate Change is Killing Us — In More Ways Than One

We've all heard about climate change's effect on our planet, but what about its catastrophic impact on human health? Climate change is expected to cause an estimated USD$2-4 billion in direct damage costs to health by the year 2030.

By Grace Jennings-Edquist, 360info
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Climate change

Climate change is expected to cause an estimated USD$2-4 billion in direct damage costs to health by the year 2030. | Illustration by Michael Joiner 360info, images via Health Vectors by Vecteezy

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We've all heard about climate change's effect on our planet — but do you know about the many ways it also impacts human health?

Climate change is expected to cause an estimated USD$2-4 billion in direct damage costs to health by the year 2030, according to the World Health Organization.

But the human health toll is more devastating.

Increasingly frequent heatwaves, storms, bushfires, hurricanes and floods can cause death and injury. The smoke from bushfires contributes to respiratory illness and premature death, especially in busy cities. 

Already, 37 percent of heat-related deaths can be attributed to human-induced climate change — a figure that will likely rise along with temperatures.

As the latest Global Burden of Disease study revealed, heat and air pollution have become bigger problems in many parts of the world since 1990:

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