Page 34 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design

TRANSITION OF FORMS OF SOLAR ENERGY USE 11

extremely vulnerable in hot weather because their cardiovascular systems overwork in
order to regulate and maintain normal body temperature. In addition, higher temperatures
exacerbate respiratory problems because increased temperature increases the concen-
tration of ozone at ground level. The natural layer of ozone in the troposphere blocks
harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth’s surface. However, in the lower
atmosphere, ozone becomes a significantly harmful pollutant that can damage lung tissue
and cause pulmonary dysfunction and severe cases of asthma and other lung-related
diseases. Even modest exposure to ozone can cause healthy individuals to experience
chest pains, nausea, and pulmonary congestion.
A recent statistical analysis of mortality and hospital admissions showed that death
rates in the United States increased during extreme temperatures, seriously endangering
the old and very young urban populations. In July 1995, a heat wave in Chicago killed
more than 700 people. Worse yet, a heat wave in 2005 killed 15,000 elderly in France,
7000 in Germany, 8000 in Spain and Italy, and 2000 in the United Kingdom. Recently,
the BBC announced 25,000 deaths in England and Wales owing to cold weather, all of
which went relatively unnoticed. It is also estimated that each year 200,000 people die
from excess heat in Europe. However, an astonishing 1.5 million Europeans die annually
from excess cold.
Global warming also increases the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those
that appear only in warm areas. Deadly diseases often associated with hot weather,
such as West Nile viral infection, cholera, and Lyme disease, are spreading rapidly
throughout North America and Europe because increased temperatures in these areas
allow disease carriers such as mosquitoes, ticks, and mice to thrive. In the past decade,
West Nile virus–carrying mosquitoes in the United States and Canada have increased
significantly. It is a general consensus among scientists that global temperature rise will
increase the frequency of disease outbreaks, particularly in areas with polluted waters.
Heat-related deaths can be prevented by emergency measures such as moving
vulnerable people to air-conditioned buildings and by reducing the emissions of
photochemical oxidants that cause ground-level ozone. Many of the impacts of climate
change on health could be avoided through the maintenance of strong public health
programs that monitor, quarantine, and treat the spread of infectious diseases and respond
to other health emergencies as they occur.

IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION AND ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ON HUMAN HEALTH

It is estimated that air pollution, even with the U.S. Clean Air Act (among the most
stringent air-quality laws in the world), causes as many as 50,000 Americans to die
prematurely annually. Perhaps the leading cause of air pollution–related death in both
industrialized and developing countries is particulate matter, such as soot and dirt parti-
cles, causing respiratory failure. Another significant health concern, aside from ground-
level ozone, is lead emissions from gasoline, which cause neurologic damage and
impairment to the intelligence of children. Sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-burning
steam plants are a significant factor as well in respiratory diseases. Air pollution today
poses a risk to millions worldwide, especially children in the world’s urban areas.