On World Health Day in 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared climate change as “the biggest global health threat of the 21st century”.
The effects of climate change exacerbate existing health issues by negatively impacting our immediate environments while unequivocally creating new areas of challenge.
Both mental health and food insecurity, two subjects that we recently covered in our health series, are examples for which climate change is an antagonizer. Climate change will place an undue strain on both the quality and quantity of food produced and distributed. And potential risks abound in regards to climate-related disasters; some of which we have already begun to experience with extreme weather patterns and wildfires. Events we witness as well as anticipate can have a profound impact on how we live and anticipate risk. Beyond heatwaves, floods, storms, and wildfires is the risk of continually deteriorating air quality, population migration, conflict, and most certainly infectious diseases.
COVID-19 revealed a twofold impact: the positive reduction of reliance on fossil fuel consumption and emissions so great that the effects may be seen from space. Many see this as an extraordinary opportunity for meaningful and long-lasting change. But COVID has also underscored inequalities baked in to our current systems. This article examines "the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for health inequalities" and the authors argue that "for the most disadvantaged communities, COVID-19 is experienced as a syndemic—a co-occurring, synergistic pandemic that interacts with and exacerbates their ... social conditions.” And not only are these inequalities not new, they are bound to continue as well as increase in severity if we are not more proactive on decisions that range from the personal to the universal.
So what can you do to make a difference?
Educate yourself: I hope I don’t have to convince anyone that climate change is a real threat. If so, you’ve probably not read this far. The bottom line is that understanding is crucial to informed action. Information abounds, to be sure, but may we continue to be discerning in what we read and from where the information is sourced. Check out NASA’s site on global climate changeand Earth’s current vital signs.
Improve your health: Recognizing that I am in good company where our collective health is concerned, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind us all that our practices don’t end on our mat. The US Department of Health and Human Services posted late last year that "Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.” We could not only continue to improve our own health but that of the planet by incorporating ‘active travel’ when possible, or using means such as walking or cycling for short commutes. This CDC website has an interactive table that provides summary health statistics from 2015-2018 covering multiple different topics. Who doesn’t love a good interactive table?
Reduce your consumption: Right away: Stop the use of single use plastics. If you select just one article out of all the the links to read, please let it be this one.
Reevaluate your diets: If we reduce our reliance on commercially raised meat and dairy, we can begin to mitigate the effects of agricultural emissions. Increasing the amount of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes reduce our reliance on old staples and reduce the burden on our planet. In another interactive article (see what I'm saying about interactive websites?) explore how emissions from meat and dairy-based diets compare to others and how production and transportation changes within these industries can impact climate science.
Use your vote: It’s not reserved for an election every 4 years. Policy matters. How can we encourage companies, through voting or spending means, to reduce their role in climate change? Here is just one example of what that might look like.
Forewarned is forearmed, or so the proverb goes. The truth is that we can no longer afford the luxury of setting ourselves outside the problem, we must instead resolve ourselves to the task of leaving this home better than when we arrived.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for the ways in which you are a part of the solution. May we continue, individually and collectively, to rise to meet one of our greatest challenges. For if not now, when?