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It is July. To most people in the northern hemisphere, summer means vacations, extra hours of light in the evening, swimming and other outdoor joys.
Unfortunately, summer also brings mosquitoes. Rising global temperatures, due to greenhouse gas emissions and wetter conditions, allow mosquitoes to multiply and to spread diseases faster than ever into new environments. Mosquito-borne diseases include malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Taking precautions is the key to prevention. Read all about mosquitoes and learn how to avoid them by clicking on to WiRED International’s Mosquito webpage.
Extreme weather is another unwelcome feature of summer. A recent study warns that Earth is entering a new climate era of extreme heat waves — all caused by human-induced climate change. All of the hottest or most disaster-filled years on record happened in the past decade. Heat events affect the health of humans and animals and threaten world agricultural production and food supply. Climate change also increases flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, sea level rise and shrinking glaciers and polar ice caps.
This summer WiRED invites you to give some thought to protecting your health and the health of our planet, because, as science tells us, the health of people, animals and the planet are wholly interconnected.
10 Tips for a Safe and Healthy Summer
- Travel abroad wisely. Check out CDC’s Travel Health Notices and WHO’s Disease Outbreak News. Interestingly, injuries cause more traveler deaths than infectious diseases.
- Stay up to date on your vaccines. Summer is a good time to make sure you and your children are safe from preventable diseases like measles.
- Protect yourself against insects. Keep bugs from biting you. Go to WiRED’s Mosquito Page and click on the Prevention tab.
- Guard against sun exposure. Wear sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and follow the guidelines from CDC to avoid skin cancer and sun damage.
- Hydrate. CDC explains here why getting enough water is important to your health.
- Wash your hands often. Keeping your hands germ-free is a healthy habit to practice during summer and in any season. Read WiRED's Handwashing Module to learn more.
- Quit tobacco. Summer holds many distractions to help you quit tobacco. Go to the National Cancer Institute’s smokefree website for tobacco cessation tips, plans, apps and 24/7 LiveHelp for all ages.
- Eat light meals and limit your alcohol intake. Summer is the time for enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables, cold soups like gazpacho and refreshing non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade and iced tea.
- Exercise. Start a new exercise or take a walk with a friend, family member or dog.
- Remember the animals. Higher temperatures dehydrate our pets and farm animals quickly. Provide plenty of clean water and always be sure animals have shade from the blistering sun.
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