Human Impact on the Environment
Deer in New York state. Photo by Laura Jensen
Humans have a habit of positioning themselves as “Masters of their Domain.” For thousands of years, we have tilled the land and extracted precious natural resources from the Earth for our own benefit. Today, the results of deforestation and fossil fuel use are climbing temperatures and a rise in climate-sensitive insect-borne diseases nationally. In this section, Laura Jensen and Zach McGrath examine how human activities have influenced ecological factors and led to the rise and spread of Lyme disease.
What Does Climate Change Mean for Lyme Disease
in the 21st Century?
by Laura Jensen
The range of Lyme disease will continue to move northward in New York as the heat index increases as a result of climate change and as land-use patterns impact our relationships with wildlife.
Lyme Disease and Deforestation
by Zach McGrath
Deforestation has led to myriad issues in our everyday lives. Is it also responsible for the rise of Lyme disease in America?