Insights from the World Economic Forum on the effects of climate change on eye health indicate that the worsening of poverty has resulted in eye health disparities.
Bommestudio dotcom reports "Our eyes are unique organs in that they are exposed directly to the environment and are thus more susceptible to developing diseases caused by environmental factors. Approximately 20% of cataract cases are the direct result of UV radiation overexposure, which has worsened as climate change conditions threaten our daily lives. Research has also increased the likelihood of developing trachoma infection due to high temperatures and low rainfall — both due to climate change."
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has spent almost $40,000 on sunglasses. The sunglasses were purchased for the Australian Antarctic Division. They were said to be designed for 'extreme climate'. If the Earth is too hot, what if we just block some of the sun hitting it? That's the basic idea behind a solar geoengineering project at Harvard that is progressing toward an important trial. Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program. That team is working on stratospheric aerosol injection "meaning you would put very tiny, reflective particles in the stratosphere and they would kind of work like sunglasses for the Earth," explains Colleen Golja PhD Student, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
You would think that one of the few positives of a cloudy, overcast day is that there’s no need to wear sunglasses. After all, there’s no visible sun, no direct sunlight in your eyes, no glare. Unfortunately, as we all know, this isn’t true. We can feel the effects of the sun even when we cannot see it. It’s there, behind the clouds, and they cast off a filtered haze that still bothers our eyes. The UV light projected by the sun is also present, and is just as damaging to our eyes on a cloudy day as it is on a bright, sunny one. Climate changed increased UV radiation is present even at night.
Combinations of particular concern are high UV-B irradiance and drought or temperature, as climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves and droughts, and these events frequently coincide with high UV radiation, particularly at mid to low latitudes. Decreased stratospheric ozone allows more harmful UVB (a higher-frequency, more damaging type of UV) to reach the Earth's surface and cause DNA damage. On December 29, 2003, a world-record ground-level UV index of 43.3 was detected at Bolivia's Licancabur volcano, though other scientists dispute readings higher than 26. In 2005, Australia and the United States launched the UV index Alert present on all cell phones.
Differences between 2020 and prior years are also assessed with total ozone column and UVR data from satellites. Erythemal (sunburning) UVR is quantified with the UV Index (UVI) derived from these measurements. UVI data show unprecedently large anomalies, occurring mostly between early March and mid-April 2020. For several days, UVIs observed in 2020 exceeded measurements of previous years by up to 140%. Historical means were surpassed by more than six standard deviations at several locations in the Arctic. In northern Canada, the average UVI for March was about 75% larger than usual. UVIs in April 2020 were elevated on average by about 25% at all sites. (23/9/2023 Germar H. Bernhard, Vitali E. Fioletov, Jens-Uwe Groob, Iolanda Ialongo, Bjørn Johnsen, Kaisa Lakkala, Gloria L. Manney, Rolf Müller, Tove Svendby)
The Global Ultraviolet (UV) index has started to increase and surprisingly, it can be higher in May than in August. When UV radiation levels are high we are more at risk of sun burn, developing skin cancer, infertility and eye damage. The 2023 Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum size at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers) on September 21, 2023. UV radiation can cause serious skin and eye diseases, especially cancers. UV-related skin cancer incidences have been increasing for decades. The determining factor for this development is the individual UV exposure. Climate change-induced changes in atmospheric factors can influence individual UV exposure. UV exposure is very likely a causal factor associated with diminished fertility in men!
A new study projects that global fertility rates, which have been declining in all western countries since 1950, will continue to plummet through the end of the century, resulting in a profound demographic shift. The fertility rate is the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime. Globally, that number has gone from 4.84 in 1950 to 2.23 in 2021 and will continue to drop to 1.59 by 2150. Currently European nations average 1.55 and Australia averages is currently 1.8. Africa is the only continent seeing a significant rise in birthrates. Infant mortality rates in African countries were once very high, but they have been steadily declining, even though they continue to be substantially higher than many regions of the world. These declines in infant mortality rates have contributed to the rapid growth of Africa's population.
Billionaires Bill Gates and Melinda gates are funding initiatives to try to convince African nations to embrace abortions to stop the rise of global black populations. In the meanwhile Elon Musk is trying to convince Europeans and American citizens not to use birth control. Elon Musk shifted his focus from rockets to women's health recently when he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression & triples risk of suicide.”
Scientific evidence shows that acute, large-dose exposure to UV radiation can cause serious ocular complications such as photokeratitis and photo conjunctivitis. Further, exposure to small doses of UV, specifically UVB, has been reported as a risk factor in developing several ocular diseases including cataract, pinguecula, pterygium, and squamous cell carcinoma of the cornea and the conjunctiva. Unprotected exposure to UV rays can possibly cause significant ocular damage in young children compared to adults, due to the relatively large pupil size and the more transparent ocular media in children. Hence, it is suggested that up to 80% of a person’s lifetime exposure to UV radiation is reached before the age of 18. Thus, it is necessary to provide eye protection from UV radiation at a young age.
(Awareness and Knowledge of the Effect of Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation on the Eyes and the Relevant Protective Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study from Jordan
Mohammad A. Alebrahim,,* May M. Bakkar, Abdulla Al Darayseh, Aya Msameh, Dana Jarrar, Saja Aljabari, and Walla Khater)
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