Collaborative on Health and the Environment

Climate Change News

8 Sep Selling the blue sky. The market for greenhouse gas emissions is a bazaar - dependent entirely on government regulation - selling various types of pollution. But can it reduce emissions? The answer so far: Not yet. Second of three parts. Daily Climate.

8 Sep Disaster plan: cities need to adapt for climate change. Playing out simulations of disaster-movie scenarios such as terrorist attacks, earthquakes and hurricanes is something many governments do periodically to test the capabilities of their emergency response teams. In the past few years, the list of possible disasters has been expanded to include a new one: climate change. London Financial Times.

8 Sep Disasters drive mass migration to Dhaka. Bangladesh sits on one of the largest river deltas on earth, where cyclones and rising sea levels drive people from coastal hamlets every year. As global temperatures inch upward, the frequency of cyclones, the intensity of seasonal flooding and the salinity of Bangladesh?s coastal river mouths are all on the rise. GlobalPost.

8 Sep Green vision: The search for the ideal eco-city. If we want to be ?greener?, we should live in cities. This statement may seem counterintuitive. But in developed countries, and increasingly in emerging markets, city dwellers are able to be more environmentally friendly than those in the countryside. London Financial Times.

8 Sep Global warming bill a lose-lose issue for GOP candidates. A November ballot measure that would rescind California's landmark global warming bill until unemployment drops significantly has become an albatross for the Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. Los Angeles Times.

8 Sep Australia's Greens: 'We don't want to be just a coal mine for China.' Australia's new minority government must balance the economic benefits of a booming coal industry with an electorate calling for climate action. London Guardian.

8 Sep Can 'cap and trade' ever be the issue 'Obamacare' is? Conservative Republicans around the country are using cap and trade ? a way to limit global-warming pollution ? as a political weapon to attack GOP moderates as well as Democrats. McClatchy Newspapers.

8 Sep Once-lowly charcoal emerges as 'major tool' for curbing carbon. Charcoal is taking root on the farm. Scientists are probing the limits of how high-grade charcoal, dubbed biochar, can be formed from plant and animal waste to squirrel away the atmosphere's carbon for centuries, or even millennia. Greenwire.

8 Sep China trumps US in race for renewable energy investors. China has surged ahead of the United States in the race to become the most attractive place for renewable energy investment, according to a report today from Ernst & Young. London Business Green.

8 Sep Tiny 'flying saucers' could save earth from global warming. Using a trick of sunlight itself, tiny metallic disks could be levitated to the stratosphere where they would shade Earth's surface and counteract the effects of global warming, a new paper proposes. Science.

Why are children more vulnerable to environmental changes?

Children’s bodies and brains are still developing, so lifelong structural or functional changes in their bodies are more likely than in adults.

Young children’s immune systems, including the blood-brain barrier, are not fully developed, making them less able to fight and control the effects of biological and chemical assault on their bodies.

Because children generally have many more years ahead of them than adults, their risks from cumulative exposures are also greater. Diseases and conditions that are slow to develop are more likely to result from childhood exposures or exposures that are repeated over many years.

Children are often more sensitive to food issues including availability, costs, nutritional quality and increased chemical exposures.

Children are more sensitive than adults to chemicals such as pesticides, water pollutants, air pollutants, medications and food preservatives. Pollutants can lead to more asthma attacks, allergies, related infections and hospitalizations

Children breathe faster and spend more time on the ground than adults, increasing their exposures to chemicals in the air and on yards and playgrounds.

Children often spend more time outdoors than adults and are exposed to insect-borne diseases.

Children are generally less aware than adults of the symptoms of environmental stressors, such as coughing, watering eyes, headache, itching or digestive upset. They may not communicate symptoms to caregivers until they are advanced. Being dependent on others, children are less likely to take corrective action when confronted by a stressor such as fumes, insects or contaminated food.

Children – and especially infants – cannot regulate body temperatures as well as adults. Children sweat less and respond to changes in temperature more slowly, making them more likely to suffer heat exhaustion and other ill effects during heat waves.

How does climate change affect health?

While no exact predictions are possible at this time, climate change has already begun and will increasingly impact health both directly and indirectly. Information here is from the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the American Academy of Pediatrics and others as noted.

Temperature stress. Increases in average temperature may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer, leading to more cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, plus other conditions that are an indirect result of increased heat, such as kidney stones (from Harvard University). Stagnant weather conditions can trap warm air and air pollutants in urban areas, leading to smog episodes with significant health impacts as listed below. Warmer, drier conditions can also lead to more wildfires, greatly impacting air quality.

Toxics. The movement of persistent synthetic chemicals throughout the world is being altered by climate change. As permafrost and polar ice caps melt, toxic chemicals trapped in the ice are being released. Increased precipitation in some areas, and more extreme storms and hurricanes, increases erosion and the release of toxics from soil into air and water (from Grossman, Cloudy with a Chance of Toxics: How Climate Change Is Increasing Our Vulnerability to Chemical Pollution and The Toxicology of Climate Change: Environmental Contaminants in a Warming World).

Infectious disease. Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. The geographic ranges and disease-transmission seasons of malaria and Lyme disease are expected to increase, for example.

Smog. Warming may increase the frequency of smog (ground-level ozone) events and particulate matter (PM) air pollution. PM pollution is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases including asthma, COPD, and cardiac dysrhythmias, and is responsible for increased absences from school and work, emergency-department visits and hospital admissions. Climate change may indirectly affect the concentration of PM pollution in the air by increasing both natural sources such as wildfires and dust from dry soils and also man-made sources such as the use of coal-burning power plants needed for increased air conditioning and refrigeration.

Food and water. Agricultural production is especially susceptible to climate change: changes in temperature, water availability (droughts and floods) and severe weather events are expected to have major impacts on food production and transport. Warmer temperatures increase the risk of disease caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites in food and water and may contribute to greater use of pesticides and preservatives. Increased temperatures may also change the timing, intensity and duration of frosts and cold spells, which can impact crop success. Warming temperatures also contribute to increased ocean acidity, resulting in less productive fisheries. Changes in the availability of food and clean water will directly affect the growth, development and general health of billions of people.

Mental health. Through increases in severe weather events and the resulting destruction and disruption of services, climate change may contribute to increased mental health burdens.

Social disruption. Through impacts on water and food resources, climate change may indirectly lead to increased conflict, economic decline and displacement of people. Impoverished and displaced persons are at increased risk of inadequate nutrition and medical care, and infectious diseases often spread uncontrolled through refugee camps and shelters.

“The warming of the planet and the effects of extreme weather events can affect some of the most fundamental determinants of health: air, water, food, shelter, and freedom from disease.”

from WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan

What you can do – reponse to climate change for medical professionals

The Consortium on Climate Change and Population Health, which includes the Collaborative and Health and the Environment, has concluded that both a need and an audience exist for a succinct guide to climate science for health professionals. The consortium has taken on the charge to complete and disseminate Climate Literacy for Health Professionals – A Guide to Understanding and Action. Please look for this publication here when it is made available. Other publications linking climate change, human health, and public policy are also planned.

Guidebooks to help public health agencies deal with climate change. The University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials and public health organizations around the state, have issued two guidebooks aimed at helping health-related agencies and organizations cope with climate change.

What you can do – prevention for climate protection and health promotion

Actions that individuals and families can take:

Did you know: According to the New York Times, picking a vehicle that goes just two miles farther on a gallon of gasoline than your current model could cut emissions of global warming gases up to five times as much as replacing five 60-watt incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents.

Reduce fuel use wherever you can: fly less, drive less, use public transit more, bike more, use energy-efficient vehicles, and turn off your engine if you’ll be idling for more than a few seconds. Even if you can’t reduce your driving, you can support public transit for others in your community and region. If others drive less, you benefit.

Did you know: According to the BBC, unplugging applicances on standby can save up to 8% of your electricity use.

Save home energy: ensure your home lighting, appliances, heating and cooling systems are energy-efficient. Use less energy when you can – hang clothes to dry or switch to motion-detectors on outdoor lighting. Unplug appliances when not in use (coffeemakers, toasters, cell-phone chargers and such) and turn off lights, computer monitors and television sets when not needed.

Did you know: Food miles is a measure of the distance food travels from farm to plate and is a simple way to gauge food’s impact on climate change. Produce in the US travels, on average, 1300 to 2000 miles from farm to consumer.

Eat for health: eat more plants and less meat. Choose organically-grown food when possible. Eat more foods grown in your region and follow the seasons. Buying food from thousands of miles away adds substantially to the carbon “footprint” of your diet.

Make it fun: If you have children, make saving energy at home a family activity – you may even put a coin in a piggy bank every time someone remembers to turn off an unused light or appliance (you will be saving money by using less electricity, after all!). When the coins add up, use the cash for something fun.

Use renewable and clean energy sources whenever possible: check if your electricity provider has a program for “green” energy. If not, request that it implement one. Check to see if home electricity production – usually solar or wind energy – or solar water heating makes sense for you.

Reduce/reuse/recycle: an old refrain, but hauling consumer goods and trash produces greenhouse gases. Trash often releases greenhouse gases and/or toxic chemicals as it burns or decomposes.

Conserve water, especially from water heaters that produced greenhouse gases. Shorter showers, low-flow shower heads, efficient washing machines and smart lawn watering can save both gallons and dollars.

Make it friendly: Join a community that shares information about steps you can take and how to make it easier. Online groups are available from the Environment Site, the Sierra Club, Green Options and others. Or see if there’s a local group in your community – or if you might help start one.

Convert part of your lawn to something that doesn’t need to be watered and/or mowed frequently. Search for xeriscaping online. Switch to a lower-emissions mower (or even a human-powered model) if you can.

Plant trees in your community: planting new trees remains one of the cheapest, most effective means of drawing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Ask you local elected officials if your community can enroll in the Tree City USA program or another similar one.

Did you know: A 2006 United Nations report found that the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.

Use an online carbon footprint calculator to help you measure your impact on climate change (search the Internet for “carbon footprint calculator”). Some are fairly quick but not very accurate, while others take longer to complete but give a more complete answer. Find one that suits you and then see what a difference you can make, for example, by cutting meat from your diet one day a week or cutting your electricity use by 10 percent.

Fun fact: Many of these climate-friendly actions also directly benefit you by improving your health and fitness and saving money. They may also reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals. What’s not to like?!

Implement as many of these ideas in your school and office as you can.

Ask your elected officials to take the actions in the list below.

Actions for community decision makers

from school board members and company CEOs to state and federal officials

Did you know: According to Treehugger.com, if just one in 10 Americans used public transportation daily, US reliance on foreign oil would decrease 40 percent.

Support lower-emission transportation systems, including making roadways safe and accessible for pedestrians and bikers. Build bike parking lots where needed, and survey neighborhoods to find ways to make public transit more convenient and safe.

Provide tax support for transit systems: everyone benefits with each car taken off the road and each parking lot that doesn’t need to be built and maintained.

Make it easy: Challenge your household or your business to reduce your carbon footprint by a few percentage points each year for the next five years. You don’t have to change your whole life all at once, but a few changes each year can make a big difference.

Provide incentives for energy-efficient transportation, buildings and appliances.

Promote telecommuting or reduced-commuting schedules where appropriate.

Encourage public facilities to use renewable energy.

Press for stronger air-pollution regulations and a cap on greenhouse-gas emissions.

Support and implement school curricula and youth programs that address climate change.

Did you know: The Rodale Institute estimates that if 10,000 medium-sized US farms converted to organic production they would store so much carbon in the soil that it would be the carbon-saving equivalent to taking one million cars off the road.

Support local food production and organic food programs, such as community supported agriculture, farmers markets, and farm-to-school and farm-to-hospital programs.

Look at land-use in your community and support decisions that discourage locating new jobs and schools away from where people live. Remove tax structures that support new development that increases dependence on cars.

Did you know: According to the Colorado Tree Coalition, one large tree not only sequesters up to 330 pounds of carbon from the atmosphere per year, but also absorbs 10 pounds of air pollutants, including four pounds of ozone and three pounds of particulates.

Support and fund programs that encourage farmers, homeowners and businesses to plant trees and reforest available land, especially in areas vulnerable to erosion and flooding.

Educate policymakers, teachers, health professionals and others about children’s unique vulnerabilities regarding climate change.