to say that pandemics may increase with climate change,

or will increase with climate change?

- I feel comfortable saying will increase

with climate change.

- Hello, I'm Auri Jackson,

connecting with you from my bedroom because of coronavirus.

This is actually not a desk, it's a $20 dresser from Ikea.

I live in Los Angeles, where myself and other Angelenos

are currently sheltering in place

and are working on our screenplays at home

rather than in cafes.

In this video, I'm gonna be explaining to you

why pandemics may increase in a warming world

and interview an expert about it.

I'm also going to be telling some mediocre jokes

because this (beeps)

is scary as (beeps), (heavy metal music)

and humor is my coping mechanism.

See, I know (upbeat music)

that your grandparents and parents have been talking to you

just so much about climate change

that I thought it might be refreshing

for you to hear a young person tackle the issue

and explore how it relates to COVID-19.

- Hi, I'm Alanna Shaikh and I specialize in global health

and particular in strengthening global health systems

and what happens to those systems

when they face a severe shock.

I think there's an interesting parallel

between our response to COVID-19

and our response to climate change.

I think in a lot of ways, the response to COVID-19

has been like climate change at high speed.

First you get the experts saying,

"There's a massive problem coming."

And governments and regular people saying,

"Don't be silly, you're overreacting.

"We're not understanding the data

"or choosing to ignore the data

"because it's too frightening."

And then you see it start affecting people

that are more distant to you.

And then suddenly it's in your backyard

and everything's on fire.

- In case you missed it, our world has warmed

by about one degree Celsius

or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit from preindustrial levels.

Since the industrial revolution,

we've been burning unprecedented amounts of fossil fuels

that release greenhouse gasses like CO2,

into our atmosphere and trap heat from the sun,

causing our average global temperature to rise.

So basically, (heavy metal music)

it's like we live in a house where none of the windows open

and we don't have A/C and we decided it was a good idea

to feed everyone beans and burn all our (beeps) furniture.

Now, a one degree difference (inquisitive music)

doesn't seem like a lot,

but even half a degree of warming

can mean more deadly heatwaves, increased water scarcity,

entire island nations disappearing,

more climate refugees trying to find homes,

more floods, droughts, fires, hurricanes, and diseases,

but it's fine, right?

(carefree music)

Let's just watch "Love Is Blind" on Netflix.

(record scratches)

Okay, so let's get into the reasons why pandemics

may increase in a warming world.

(inquisitive music)

There may be an increase in epidemics

when there is a loss of natural habitat

due to climate change,

which could cause humans

and animals to compete in closer proximity for resources,

potentially spreading disease.

This does sound like a bummer,

however, I would love to watch Gwyneth Paltrow wrestle

a green juice from the jaws of a mountain lion,

but that's an unlikely outcome

of climate change, unfortunately.

- So one of the big challenges around climate change

and infectious disease and zoonotic diseases in particular

is that extreme weather events

and other kinds of climate alterations

also change animals' lives and animals' habits.

On the one hand, we have people forcing themselves

into animal territory that they've never been in before

and on the other hand, they see animals being disrupted

by a confusing, incomprehensible climate

then start blundering back into human environments

that they were previously avoiding.

And those kinds of contacts between animals and humans

are what bring us zoonotic diseases

and what could well be part of our next pandemic.

- In the 2014 Ebola epidemic,

climate change contributed to the destruction

of natural habitats for animals like bats in West Africa,

forcing the bats into closer proximity to humans.

Some hypothesize that this

is how the Ebola outbreak began in Guinea.

(inquisitive music) (bubble popping)

- Part of the body's immune response

is our ability to kill off pathogens

like bacteria and viruses that cause disease

by becoming feverish and creating an environment

that is inhospitable for pathogens to survive.

Or that will make you wanna take off all your clothes,

as Nelly would say.

However, as the planet warms,

pathogens evolve to become more resistant

to high temperatures.

For example, on a very hot summer day,

many bacteria might die.

But those that do survive are the stronger

and more adaptable bacteria and go on to reproduce,

and pass on their heat resistant genetics.

Theoretically one day as external temperatures

continue to rise,

our bodies' ability to kill off bacteria

with the natural heat of a fever will become less effective,

just like our ability

to resist recreating embarrassing TikTok dances has.

Often times, disease is carried by animals

before it spreads to humans.

However, animals can have differing body temperatures

at which they can sustain or fight off pathogens,

which are not always equal to ours.

For example, it is believed that COVID-19

may have spread from humans to bats.

Bats run a lot hotter than humans.

Their body temperature is commonly

as hot as 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

So they can carry pathogens that don't hurt them,

but that can be hugely detrimental to humans.

Theoretically as a the planet warms,

bats and Joe Exotic will still be protected

by their high body temperatures

but we will be far more vulnerable.

Just kidding about Joe Exotic,

but I don't know about the Carole Baskin.

(inquisitive music) (bubble popping)

As the world warms, we could see the spread

of tropical diseases like Yellow and Dengue Fever

in places that they haven't historically been,

like in North America.

To be clear, COVID-19 is not a tropical disease

or a thing to mock, by touching a bunch of microphones.

- A warming planet expands the range

that certain pathogens are comfortable in.

Right now there's a category of diseases

called Tropical Diseases.

And as more of the world falls into a tropical zone,

those Tropical Diseases will spread.

There are places in the world right now

that you don't get malaria

and we'll start seeing malaria there.

- According to Maria Di Aguasar

at the Yale School of Public Health,

global warming caused by humans

is likely to increase infection rates

of mosquito borne diseases like malaria,

Dengue Fever, and West Nile Virus,

this would occur because a warmer planet

could create more mosquito friendly habitats,

increasing the chances of humans getting bit

by mosquitoes carrying diseases.

And unfortunately, it won't be

just the party-loving spring breakers

who refuse to social distance who get bit.

(inquisitive music) (bubble popping)

Global drought could also lead to massive loss of homes,

force migration into urban areas

and increase vulnerability to sickness

due to overcrowding and lack of resources.

In Syria, a drought from 2006 to 2010

killed off 80% of the country's livestock,

forcing over 1.5 million Syrians

into already crowded urban centers

and further stressing the resources

of a nation on the verge of social uprising,

war, and a humanitarian crisis.

- I believe the way we treat climate refugees

is going to lead to disease outbreaks.

Because when people start moving around

and then instead of putting them in decent conditions,

we pack 'em into things like refugee camps,

with limited access to water

and limited access to decent toilet facilities.

You're going to get disease outbreaks

and those are going to spread.

(inquisitive music) (bubble popping)

- Another fun thing for us to worry about,

is the Arctic permafrost melting

at increasing rates due to our earth getting hotter,

which may unleash ancient viruses and bacteria

that haven't been seen in centuries.

Like The Dougie, I miss that dance.

Frozen permafrost is the perfect environment

for microbes, bacteria, and viruses

to remain alive for thousands of years.

Maybe even up to a million years

because it is cold, dark, and lacks oxygen.

Like all the comment sections on YouTube.

Some viruses that may emerge could even predate human life

and be viral diseases experienced

by now extinct species like Neanderthals.

But your friend who's D.N.A. test came back

with 1% Neanderthal will be fine.

Or they won't, I don't know.

In 2005, N.A.S.A. scientists were able

to revive bacteria that had been frozen

in an Alaskan pond for 32 thousand years.

The microbes they released had been frozen

since wooly mammoths were alive.

And once thawed from the ice,

the microbes began just swimming around,

seemingly unaffected.

The same scientists tried to revive Vine,

but were unsuccessful.

(inquisitive music) (bubble popping)

Wow, what a bevy of exciting,

new ways for the human species to perish

that we have to look forward to.

Unfortunately the climate crisis isn't a far off reality,

like One Direction getting back together,

but something that we're already experiencing

and will sadly continue to experience in our lifetimes

like forgetting to cancel a free trial of something

when you only really wanted to watch that one show.

In case this video really stressed you out, I'm sorry.

But there are things you can do.

Without a doubt, governments

and corporations should be the ones

that are doing the big moves to address the climate crisis.

But individuals can act to.

This crisis is so big and crazy

like all the drama in Joe Exotic's life,

that we need everyone doing everything they can

on every level, big and small.

I literally can't stop talking about Joe Exotic, I'm sorry.

During this time at home

when a lot of us are online shopping,

a small thing you can do right away

is to consider consolidating your orders together.

Instead of ordering rolls of toilet paper separately,

order them together and opt for slower shipping times

to help cut down on emissions.

Maybe you really need a vagina candle in two days,

who am I to tell you you don't, but think about it.

And next time you're on the toilet,

look and see if your favorite brand

has a sustainability plan.

And if it's a B.S. green washing one,

consider supporting a sustainable brand instead.

Yes, there's more you can do. (record scratching)

But I'm pleading with you to start somewhere, anywhere,

to help this blue marble we call home.