Virtual exchange 3 (15/04/2021)
We faced two setbacks before we can successfully arrange the third meeting. First, a GSU student said they need to have a meeting with all three groups before April 10th. By the time he said it is already the 7th of April. We try to arrange the meeting in a hurry, but not all of us have the time to read the message and reply, so we had to cancel the meeting. The second time, we do not know that they will move forwards the clock for 1 hour because of the daylight-saving time. That meeting was cancelled too. Lucky, we can finally did it today.
First, we discuss the effects of climate change on the health  of people and the environment in Hong Kong, Atlanta and Xian separately. We concluded few points below.
1. Extreme heat
Because there will be warmer average temperatures which lead to hotter days and more frequent and longer heat waves.
When people expose to extreme heat and humidity without adequate water intake may lead to heatstroke.
It may even result in various types of heat-related illness, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, etc.
In some cases, it may also lead to long term cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Our recommendation:
Never underrate summer or any other hot days.
Try to stay inside with the air conditioning.
If you had to go out remember to bring some drink with you.
2. Natural disasters and rainfall patterns
Climate change could increase the number and severity of extreme weather events such as storms, floods, droughts, etc.
May later develop to related landslides and wildfires
It will definitely destroy our environment.
Such events could result in destruction of homes and cause injuries and deaths directly.
Affect the environment, then affect the health  of people.
3. Air pollution
In the last two meetings we already discuss the cause of climate change which is greenhouse gases. The increase amount of carbon dioxide not only causing climate change, but also air pollution.
As climate change has modified the weather patterns and weather elements such as temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation and extreme weather events, it may affect air pollutant emission, chemistry, deposition and transport to affect the environment.
People will asthma or other respiratory diseases will suffer from the air pollution.
Usually, the air quality in summer is better than winter.
4. The transmission of illness
Due to the extended period of summer and hot days, mosquitos can live longer.
Mosquitos may carry disease everywhere.
The longer mosquito lives, the more people may get sick and died because of that.
5. Long pollen season
Climate change affects the temperature, weather, as well as season.
It is much harder to differentiate different season based on the temperature. For example, it can be 25-degree Celsius at noon and 21-degree Celsius at night on the same day.
The unstableness of temperature affects the growth of plants. Some plants are only for winter but we can still see them blossom now in April.
The extended pollen season makes people uncomfortable especially people with asthma or other allergies.

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