User:Anonymous13012/sandbox

Peer Edits:
Peer edits can be seen on David Lang's Sandbox. We mostly worked on a google document because we both were having trouble figuring out the formatting and structuring of Wiki.

= Exercise: Starting Draft of Wiki Page Edits =

Public Health Aspect of Climate Change:

Implications on Climate Change on Human Health

Climate change has been shown to cause changes to weather patterns, affecting the temperature, wind patterns, precipitation, etc. These changes in weather affects human health outcome by increasing the rate of incidences of major natural disasters, physical trauma, and infections, especially impacting vulnerable, lower income communities (2,3). According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, climate change has already caused 150,000 deaths and lost 5.5 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs), a measure of years of life affected by disability rather than death (2). It has been estimated that by 2020, an increase in the numbers climate change related deaths would be seen due to the higher rates of deaths caused by heat wave induced cardiovascular disease, floods, and vector borne diseases, like malaria (2). By 2030, it was estimated that health outcomes would double due to climate change (4).

Heat Waves:

The rise in temperatures due to climate change, estimated to be around 1.4 to 5.88 degrees Celcius, have been stated to increase the chances and severity of heat waves (2,4,5). Heat waves are associated with higher mortality rates, especially in vulnerable populations (2). The elderly population are more likely to be impacted by the higher temperatures in a heatwave, often perishing from cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular causes of death (4). Other vulnerable populations, like immunocompromised individuals, mentally ill population, and children, are shown to have an increase rate of mortality during heat waves (5). Urban islands, pockets of land in urban areas where human changes to the landscape can exacerbate the effect of increasing temperatures, are also associated with higher mortality rates during heat waves (2,4). Heatwaves can also cause an increase in air pollution and humidity levels, thus increasing rates of mortality (2). Despite the increases in death rates during heat waves, adaptations for higher temperatures, like increase quality of healthcare and awareness of public health, are known to decrease the effect of climate change on the number of deaths due to heat waves (5).

Floods, Droughts, Storms:

Climate change can cause an increase in precipitation, which increase the likelihood of rapid rising floods. These floods raise mortality rate by increasing drowning related deaths (2). Mortality rates also increase due to infectious diseases and exposure of toxic pollutants after these floods (2). The increase in rainfall lead to pollutants entering the water system, often contaminating drinking water with sewage, animal feces, pathogens, etc. (3,5). Floods also lead to growth of fungal species and habituation of vectors of infectious diseases in previously unexposed areas, propagating the spread of vector borne diseases (2,5). Long term effects on human health are also known to be caused by flooding. Malnutrition and mental disorders, along with gastrointestinal and respiratory problems are known to increase after flooding (2,5). This most commonly occurs in less wealthy countries or areas that have more people residing in vulnerable areas and a lack of governmental aid for natural disasters and public health structures (2). It has been shown that the due to climate changes in precipitation, number of people at risk of a flood would increase from 75 million to 200 million (4). Overall, climate change increases the levels of precipitation, leading to an increase chance of floods that cause adverse health outcomes.

The changing weather patterns due to climate change cause more droughts, by decreasing levels of groundwater. The lack of groundwater causing a decrease in health of forest trees, leading to an increase risk of wildfires. Wildfires increase the risk of physical and respiratory damage to the human body (3). Changing weather patterns caused by climate change also can cause a malnutrition by damaging crops. New wind patterns can present crops with new pathogens and decrease defenses of crops by decreasing levels of pollinators (3). Habitats are often affected by these changes of weather. Changes in temperature and rainfall have damaged coral reef by introducing new pathogens and inducing physical trauma by storms. The damaged reefs increase the levels of salt that are taken up by tropical fishes eaten by locals, which lead to adverse health outcomes (3).

Extreme Weather:

Climate change also causes more extreme weather. It is stated that climate change increases the severity of tropical storms, like Hurricane Katrina (2). The severity of winter storms are stated to rise, for climate change increases in precipitation levels and strength of winds. Stronger storms lead to more problems with traveling and increase chances of physical trauma (3).

Infectious Diseases:

The transmission of infectious diseases are affected by changes in climate, by changing levels of humidity, precipitation, and temperature (2). Warmer temperatures cause land species to inhabit previously cold areas and invade areas closer to human dwellings, increasing the risk of transmission of vector borne diseases (3). Other factors like overcrowding and poverty levels can exponentiate the effect of climate change on outbreaks infectious diseases (5).

Air pollution:

Climate change also affects air pollution. Due to the increase levels of temperature caused by climate change, ozone pollutants are formed faster. Increasing levels of ozone lead to a rise in mortality rate caused by these pollutants (1). Changing wind patterns and levels of precipitation affect distribution of air pollutants, causing more wildfires that increase the risk of physical and respiratory trauma (1). Climate change also increases rates of asthma by increasing temperatures and changing wind patterns. These changes increase the levels and distribution of plant based irritants, like pollen and fungi. Climate change also raises levels of carbon dioxide, which affects the growth cycle of fungi, causing higher levels fungi based allergens (3).

= Adding to a Wiki Page Exercise: = I wanted to add a new section in an existing page in Climate Change.

I wanted to add a section on effects of Climate Change Induced Extreme Weather on Human Health:

Climate change also causes more extreme weather. It is stated that climate change increases the severity of tropical storms, like Hurricane Katrina (2). The severity of winter storms are stated to rise, for climate change increases in precipitation levels and strength of winds. Stronger storms lead to more problems with traveling and increase chances of physical trauma (3).

I also wanted to add a section on effects of climate change on Vector Borne Diseases and Human Health:

The transmission of infectious diseases are affected by changes in climate, by changing levels of humidity, precipitation, and temperature (2). Warmer temperatures cause land species to inhabit previously cold areas and invade areas closer to human dwellings, increasing the risk of transmission of vector borne diseases (3). Other factors like overcrowding and poverty levels can exponentiate the effect of climate change on outbreaks infectious diseases (5).

= Article Evaluation: = Deepa Manda

Article Title: Climate change adaptation


 * Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
 * Most of the information in this article is relevant to the topic. The article gave a definition of the climate change adaption and stated why it would be significant in decreasing the effect of climate change, espically effecting those in lower income or less developed countries. It discussed the monetary calculations of methods used for mitigating the effect of climate change through cost analysis of the information and used IPCC information to state how adaption measures can differ by regions or countries.
 * It was strange though that despite stating, in the section Adaption Measures by Region, that the Netherlands, Phillipines, Japan, and Australia had actions or meetings discussing ways to minimize the effects of climate change, there was no information about the changes. It was also strange to see a section on insurance and the equity dilemas that occur with insurance. It seemed a little out of place for this section but I understood that they were stating that insurance would be needed more for a higher chance of extreme weather events with climate change. It was also interesting to see that in the See Also section that there was an link for the wikipedia page to the adaption to climate change in Jordan, which I thought was strange that there was a separate page for this region/country but not for the others.
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * The opposition data was only discussing information from 10-20 years ago and did not discuss opposition to these adaptions in more recent terms (past ten years). Most of the information about local adaption efforts were from 2011 and other information in the Methods of Adaption section were from sources that were over 5 years old. It would have been nicer to see how adaption processes might have changed in recent years or if they stayed the same throughout the times.
 * What else could be improved
 * I think it could have been improved by stating more current information about opposition to climate change. Most of that information was based on opposition that existed in the 1990s and 2000s. It would be interesting to see how opposition might have change in past ten years or so. It would also be nice to see more analysis of adaption processes for vector borne diseases and habituation of species in previously colder climates or human residenial areas.
 * Is the article neutral? Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position
 * It was more biased towards the adaption processes that were discussed in this page and against the opposition. Although it did have a section about the opposition of the adaption processes, it discussed fully why certain adaptions processes might or might not be more effective in decreasing the effects of climate change.
 * Are there viewpoints that are over-represented, or underrepresented
 * The opposition to adaption section was underrepresented in this article. Although there was a section for this in the article, the denial of climate change adaption had information about the methods that were used to stop adaption processes from being made in the 1990s and 2000s but it did not have more current information (the last 5-10 years) about denial processes. Also, the conflict sensitive adaption section was lacking in its cnotent for it stated why conflict sensitive adaptions might be necessary but did not provide any examples of these types of adaptions.
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article
 * Some of the links worked. I did find a couple that went to website stating that webpage was not found or that article is not available. A couple of times the links to the articles would only present the abstract also, because one would need to buy or have permission to view the articles. The links that did work were often supported claims of the article.
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * The references for the most part were from reliable resources like journal articles found through pubmed or governmental/organizational data sources like IPCC. There were a few news articles, like the New York Times, and the article did not discuss biases of these sources.
 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * It was interesting to see hoWikiProject Systems w someone did state some of the data was out of data and state the specific IPCC report assessment that discussed the new changes. They also discussed how the definition and title should be placed and clearly defined. These conversations showed how that these methods of adaptions to climate change are ever changing and not clearly defined, despite needing to be so.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * This article is rated a C-class and is part of 5 different types of wikiprojects, including ones on climate change, biology, and sociology.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * In class, we have always stated how climate change can cause adverse health outcomes, but this page looked at the cost effectiveness of methods to migate the effects of climate change. The adaptions to climate change were flushed out in details and analyzed by regions and methods. Opposition and various opinions to these methods were also looked at.