108 Time September 23, 2019
There can be no discussion about climate change without
a meaningful conversation about public health. As leading
health experts have affirmed, the climate crisis is a threat
multiplier, particularly for communities suffering from
environmental injustice. For example, the Fourth National
Climate Assessment, published in 2018 by a collaboration
among 13 U.S. scientific agencies, highlights how higher
temperatures, severe weather events and rising seas
can contribute to heat-related cardiopulmonary illness,
infectious disease and mental-health issues. Societal factors
such as poverty, discrimination, access to health care and
pre-existing health conditions
make some populations even
more vulnerable.
Thousands of communities
nationwide—often low-
income or with many residents
of color—that already face
environmental risks constantly
grapple with issues that others
seldom encounter with the
same intensity. These include
exposure to air pollutants
(like particulate matter and
soot produced from burning
fossil fuels) or soil and water
contamination (caused by
dumping coal ash or lead
in the water supply). These
same communities tend to be
systematically targeted when
corporations and regulators
decide where to build
hazardous-waste sites, power plants and waste incinerators.
It doesn’t help that these populations often lack access to
fresh produce, health insurance, affordable homes, public
transportation and economic opportunities.
climaTe change is a public-health issue. It has
been linked to chronic conditions, such as kidney
disease, depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, and can shove the body’s response to existing
environmental assaults into overdrive. For example,
people with asthma often experience more attacks
during extreme heat and cold weather. As climate change
continues to alter disease patterns and disrupt health
systems, its effect on human health
will become harder to ignore.
A recent report by the Union of
Concerned Scientists found that
climate change is poised to increase
extreme heat significantly in frequency
and severity, leading to more public-
health risks across the U.S. In the U.S.,
urban communities of color, often
also low-income areas, are especially
at risk, particularly those living in
counties in the Southeast, which have
the highest concentration of African
Americans. The situation is similar
for Latinx populations. In the U.S. and
globally, those least responsible for
climate change are already the first
to bear the brunt of its health effects.
Low-income communities often do
not have the resources to voluntarily
evacuate during extreme weather
events. In addition, economic and
mental-health consequences abound
when communities are displaced by
environmental disasters.
We need policy changes that drive
a just transition to a clean-energy
economy and protect vulnerable
communities from the impacts of
climate change. At-risk communities
should be given access to economical
renewable energy; programs for
affordable, climate-friendly heating or
cooling options; and strong resilience
measures to better cope with climate
impacts. This, coupled with an ongoing
honest dialogue and a principled
partnership between decisionmakers
and vulnerable populations, is
fundamental to move forward toward a
better, safer world as we work to tackle
the mounting climate crisis.Hollis, Ph.D., J.D., is the lead climate-
justice analyst at the Union of Concerned
ScientistsClimate change is the
global health emergency
of the 21st century