Wildfires Killing 40,000 Americans a Year | Climate Impact Digest
Wildfires are already contributing to the deaths of 40,000 Americans a year, and the death toll will rise in future, explains NPR News. Climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires, and their resultant smoke exacerbates conditions like asthma, COPD, and heart disease.
Climate change led to the deaths of over 16,000 people in Europe this summer via heat waves, reports Euronews. The countries hardest hit included Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus.
Rivers in the United States are experiencing unexpectedly intense warming, according to NBC News. The climate-driven temperature increase impairs oxygenation levels and harms wildlife that evolved to thrive in colder waters.
Oyster farmers in Ghana are struggling as climate change destroys mangrove forests, laments AP News. Mangroves serve as habitats for the oysters, which in their absence migrate out to deeper, less-accessible waters.
Most Caribbean coral reefs will stop growing and start eroding away by 2040, relays Mongabay. Coral reefs provide vital habitats for marine life and protect shorelines from storms, but their health is gravely threatened by warming waters.
Cities around the world will be threatened with freshwater shortages due to climate change, claims RFI. Urban populations in the Mediterranean will be most at risk, along with rural areas in Asia and Africa.
