Disease: The Hidden Threat Of Global Warming

By: Christopher Duray

Posted: 11/15/07

FARMINGTON - The looming threat of global warming has always centered around climatic events such as melting icecaps flooding the earth. As it turns out, a big problem people may be overlooking is the diseases that could emerge from the rising temperature.

At the UConn Health Center in Farmington Wednesday night, Dr. Mitch Kennedy discussed the way the effects of global warming may have a larger impact on our physical health than previously suspected.

Kennedy is a Naturopathic physician, the first to join the staff of the UConn Health Center, where he sees patients and works as an instructor. He also runs a practice in Avon. Kennedy is a passionate environmentalist, having spent 17 years running an industrial pollution prevention consulting firm before he entered medicine. Wednesday's lecture marked his tenth lecture on global warming, having been one of many people trained by Al Gore on ways to present global climate change awareness.

Kennedy spoke for an hour, first touching on the trends that show the steadily warming planet and its increasing levels of carbon dioxide, and then moving on to how this affects the planet's population. Warm climates and increased levels of carbon dioxide are perfect breeding grounds for diseases. Because climate change has rendered winter shorter, diseases usually killed off by the cold have a longer chance to survive and infect people.

Warm weather also affects disease vectors, which are carriers that transport viruses from one place to another. A common vector would be a wild animal like a bird or dog. The weather allows for this carrier to enjoy a longer breeding period so that more carriers are created to infect even more people.

Because of these factors, Kennedy blames more and more diseases that have been emerging since the 1970s on global warming. Diseases like Ebola, Lyme disease, E. Coli or Legionnaire's spreading can be attributed to climate change. Still others still have been making a resurgence, such as the West Nile Virus, Avian Bird Flu, or in some places, even the Bubonic Plague.

Kennedy also said that since plants feed off it, the carbon dioxide imbalance causes an increase in certain dangerous fauna. As global warming increases, plants like ragweed and poison ivy will spread faster and develop stronger strains.

The biggest threat in terms of plant life is red tide, according to Kennedy. Red tide is a form of massive infestation of sea algae that usually occurs at beaches. The algae kills large quantities of fish, and certain strains of it can cause problems ranging from skin irritation and rashes from swimming in it, to liver failure and death if it is ingested. It can also cause respiratory problems, particularly in asthmatics.

Kennedy was also adamant about recycling, since certain disposal methods can contribute to diseases. Many plastics, for example, release a toxin into the air called Dioxin when burnt. Dioxin is an incredibly potent carcinogen.

A large point that Kennedy made had to do with hurricanes. With the warmer weather, hurricanes are more likely to strike and be larger than normal. Americans need only look at Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans to understand the danger. Kennedy pointed out that in a post-hurricane disaster area, diseases are easily spread, particularly in damaged homes where dangerous mold spores thrive.

To make matters worse, the healthcare in such areas is dismal. According to a New York Times article published last July, only one hospital was fully open in New Orleans at the time. Two operated at partial capacity, and four others were still closed. In all, the amount of available hospital beds has dropped by roughly two thirds. Should global warming increase the odds of situations like this being commonplace, health care will take a serious blow.

Kennedy finished his speech by identifying America as the largest producer of greenhouse gasses in the world, both net and per person. He suggested many ways for people to try and remedy this, such as planting trees, installing low flow showerheads, buying recyclable goods, carpooling or switching incandescent light bulbs with compact, fluorescent ones.

"Do as much as you can, and tell people what you're doing," he said. "Fix up your own area, a little bit by a little bit, and eventually we'll get where we need to be."

He spoke to an audience of about fifteen people from the Farmington community. Kim Scala, a homemaker, was particularly impressed by his presentation. "I was surprised how much the United State contributes to global warming," she said.

Scala said Kennedy's speech inspired her to switch her electricity service to a more clean burning provider.

Kennedy acknowledged that students living in dormitories have less influence in what lightbulbs and showerheads are purchased, but said students do a service to the planet by walking to classes instead of driving. He strongly encouraged UConn students to join environmental groups.

Contact Christopher Duray at

Christopher.Duray@UConn.edu.