Survival Of The Anthropocene Summary

Survival of the Richest: The Health Effects of the Anthropocene It is undeniable that the Earth has entered a new epoch, called the Anthropocene, where humans are the dominating geological force on the planet. In “The Changing Nature of Nature,” environmental politics scholar Paul Wapner redefines the relationship between humans and nature as a hybrid, rather than a dichotomy. This idea of the intertwining of humans and nature is paramount as it reflects the influence that humans have on nature, and that nature has on humans. Wapner describes the Earth as “indelibly inflected with a human signature or overlaid so thickly with human interpretation” (37). Like Wapner, many of the scholarly studies on the Anthropocene focus on the effects that

As I argue that the Anthropocene has severe effects on the health of humans, specifically those in impoverished regions. Firstly, I talk about the health consequences due to direct exposure to climatic events, examining weather-related injuries and deaths. Next, I talk about health consequences that have resulted due to transformations in the ecosystem, discussing the effects of changes in food and water security. Lastly, I talk about the emergence and transmission of diseases, discussing the shift in factors such as seasonality and geological range of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. In shedding light on the most severe health effects of the Anthropocene experienced by those in impoverished regions, I advocate for a movement towards sustainable living. I agree with epidemiology scholar Anthony McMichael, who states that reducing humanity’s impact on the planet will “confer direct health benefits to the local population – benefits in addition to the

The results of natural disasters were described by the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters as “[for every] 10 people [who] were killed; 100 people were affected” (McMichael et al. 92). Changes in climatic conditions have an indirect effect on the health of human populations, as they influence food and water security (McMichael “Global Environmental,” 2). The quality and availability of these two resources are of the utmost importance as they are necessary for human survival. Agricultural systems are heavily impacted by shifts in environmental conditions, such as deviations in temperature, amount of rainfall, and chemical composition. Rising temperatures generally have a negative outcome on crops, decreasing their nutritional value and the quantity produced. Similarly, increases in the amount and occurrence of precipitation have negative effects on areas with already high levels of precipitation. Crops have specific conditions in which they grow and thrive, thus changes in these conditions result in a decline in their viability. Furthermore, elevated carbon dioxide levels decrease the quality of agricultural crops by diminishing their nutritional value. This is due to an elevated amount of carbon dioxide, which reduces the flow of water in the plant, ultimately reducing the absorption of minerals from the soil