Climate change has become a major concern for millions of people worldwide. Recent events, such as Greta Thunberg winning the Nobel Prize had brought the issue even more into the forefront and into the public eye. Although the issue of climate change does have its detractors, many scientists and meteorologists have stated that it is real. When most people think of the consequences of climate change, their minds often turn to issues such as melting ice caps, stronger and more frequent hurricanes, and rising oceans. These are all, of course, serious concerns. However, Web MD reports that climate change may also eventually cause a rise in fatal injuries.
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A new study claims that if climate change continues without abating, the United States should prepare for an increase in deaths due to injuries.
The study took a look at data on injury deaths and temperature over the past 38 years. Researchers found a correlation between higher temperatures and increased rates of deaths. The deaths came from a number of causes, ranging from traffic accidents to drownings and from assaults to suicide.
The prediction is that in an abnormally warm year, just 2.7 degrees above average, there could be an additional 1,600 deaths from injuries in the United States. Males between the ages of 15 and 64 would account for the majority of those deaths.
Warm weather means that people tend to be out on the roads more traveling, they also tend to drink more and be less skilled at driving. Men are affected more than women because they tend to be more likely to be involved in assaults, car accidents, and drownings more than women.
The hope is that if authorities are aware that accidents tend to occur with more frequency during heat waves, they can take preventative measures.
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