“Confronting the global climate crisis is the greatest human health opportunity of our lifetime and we can’t afford not to confront this challenge.”

– Dr. Jonathan Patz, Director of the Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison

INTRODUCTION

Historically, climate change has been framed by discussions solely focused around the planet’s rapidly warming temperatures, typically accompanied by images depicting polar bears on melting ice sheets.  While thought provoking, these pictures can lead people to view climate change as a distant problem that has little impact on daily life.

In his TedX talk titled, “Climate Change is Affecting Our Health. Is There a Cure?” Dr. Jonathan Patz moves past these traditional ways of thinking about climate change to a more nuanced approach which frames climate change as a public health threat. Dr. Patz examines the many ways climate change can impact human health, be it through heat waves, natural disasters, air pollution, or other avenues. He then highlights multiple opportunities for key industries to address CO₂ and fossil fuel outputs that could not only combat climate change but vastly improve human health. Dr. Patz concludes with simple goals we can all support regardless of our attitudes towards climate change.

In this blog post, we’ll explore:

• The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health
• Opportunities for Action and their Public Health Benefits
• Common Ground: What Can We All Agree on?

The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health

The climate is changing in every region of the world (IPCC, 2021). Rapid temperature increases are of specific concern (IPCC, 2021) and the eastern United States is expected to see three times as many days over 90^oF (32^oC) by 2060 (Patz, 2018). Increasing temperatures contribute to ocean warming which is correlated with strengthening hurricane winds (Patz, 2018). This has resulted in the number of severe storms increasing globally (Patz, 2018; WHO, 2018) while rising sea levels have impacted the hydrologic (water) cycle causing droughts, heavy rains, and floods (IPCC, 2021; Patz, 2018).

The effects of our changing climate impacts human health through multiple pathways (Patz, 2018) and is expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths between 2030 and 2050 (WHO, 2018). Some of these pathways through which climate change can impact health are outlined below.

• Rising temperatures…

… contribute to heat stress, cardiovascular events, and respiratory problems (Patz, 2018; WHO, 2018). In 2018, heat-related deaths claimed almost 300,000 lives in older adults (Watts et al., 2020). 

… expand the growing season of common allergens, which increases the burden of asthma and other respiratory problems on the health system (WHO, 2018).

… alter the geographic range of infectious disease vectors (WHO, 2018) such as the aedes aegypti mosquito (responsible for carrying dengue and yellow fever) which is now found in areas and altitudes where it had not been previously (Patz, 2018).

• Natural disasters and water cycle changes…

… contribute to extreme weather events. The number of floods, and fires have tripled in the last 60 years (WHO, 2018). Beyond the immediate impact of natural disasters on health (i.e., drowning and physical injuries), disasters can destroy important infrastructure and medical facilities, limiting the capacity of an area to meet health needs (WHO, 2018).

… impact rain water levels which can compromise access to safe water sources. Flooding can cause wastewater to bypass treatment facilities, leading to contamination and increases in water-borne diseases (Patz, 2018; WHO, 2018) while droughts stress clean water resources.

• Threatened food security…

… which is expected to double the number of people at risk of hunger by the mid-21^st century (Patz, 2018). Rising temperatures, disasters, and water cycle changes will impact staple food production and increase malnutrition, which is already responsible for more than 3 million deaths every year (WHO, 2018).  

• Forced migration …

… due to natural disasters, rising sea levels, and poor food availability can further exacerbate the existing global refugee crises (Patz, 2018). The resulting overcrowding increases the risk of communicable disease spread, mental health stressors, and conflict (Patz, 2018; WHO, 2018).

Opportunities for Action and their Health Benefits

Green energy sceptics often cite economic factors as a major barrier to transitioning from fossil fuels (Stone, 2019). However, when considering the potential savings from reduced public health burdens, promoting green solutions becomes cost effective (Patz, 2018).

As Dr. Patz points out, the energy sector contributes to 7 million deaths every year due to air pollution (Patz, 2018; Watts et al., 2020). This is almost twice as many deaths as are attributed to AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined (Patz, 2018). Transitioning to renewable energy sources that reduce C0₂ and greenhouse gas emissions will not only reduce the energy sector’s contribution to climate change, but also improve public health (Luderer et al., 2019). 

In the transportation sector, personal vehicle use not only adds to C0₂ emissions fueling climate change, but also contributes towards  5.3 million premature deaths every year from physical inactivity (Patz, 2018). Rethinking our movement between and around cities to a more sustainable model will not only combat climate change, but also improve public health by keeping the population active.

Current projections indicate investment in green energy and other environmentally sustainable technology would add USD 20 trillion to the global GDP by the end of the century (Nature, 2018) while adding millions of jobs (Ram et al., 2022). The long-term economic savings far outweigh the short-term investments (Patz, 2018).

Common Ground: What can we all agree on?

Climate change discussions can be divisive. The role of human activity on the planet’s rapid warming is hotly debated and misinformation campaigns undermine rigorous research, casting doubts on scientific conclusions (Patz, 2018).

Irrespective of individual views on climate change, Dr. Patz points out there are many positions we can all support including:

• safe routes to work and school
• physically fit children and adults that benefit from cities designed for people as opposed to cars
• clean air from low-carbon energy
• increases in jobs from the green-energy sector
• preserving the planet’s natural resources for a healthy future (Patz, 2018).

Reframing the climate change rhetoric by posing green solutions as methods of improving human health and livelihoods can help persuade individuals and policy makers to act. Improved air quality following reduced coal consumption has already saved tens of thousands of lives (Watts et al., 2020). Meanwhile urban planning initiatives have facilitated increased physical activity and their associated health benefits while reducing traffic congestion and accompanying CO₂ emissions (WHO Europe, 2017). Continuing to make direct links between health and activities that reduce climate change can help spark further action.

Key Takeaways

Previous discussions regarding climate change have cast the crisis as a distant threat with little direct impact on human health. Reframing climate change as a public health emergency can emphasize the need for immediate action. It is important to highlight that:

• rising heat, pollution, and natural disasters contribute to millions of premature deaths, poorer health, and take an economic toll on the global economy
• reforms in the energy, transportation, and other sectors are predicted to save lives, improve health, and grow the global economy while also reducing the impact of climate change
• promoting the public health and economic benefits of green solutions can help stimulate individual and political action.

Written by: Malissa Underwood, BSN, MPH