This summer feels different. Very different. This is not about politics or a doomsday-type feeling. This article will discuss a topic that has been proven scientifically over and over again. Yet, it is considered controversial by politicians and this entire year has broken several records. The beginning of the year started off significantly hotter and wetter globally and Weather.com predicts that summer 2024 will be the hottest summer ever recorded in the U.S.
But what does this really mean? Even if it still snows in New York during the winter, how is climate change affecting us?
The World Economic Forum summarized some of these effects very well, and I recommend you take a look at their article on all of the listed effects. You might be surprised how seemingly unrelated aspects of your life are being affected.
First on their list is health. This article will focus on a few aspects of heat and its effects on health - ranging from the disconnect in death certificate forms to socioeconomic status - and might even help you save a life in the future.
In 2023, Americans have had to face a significant number of “heat domes” or “heat islands”. This is a new term coined by the Environmental Protection Agency to describe the increasing prolonged heat waves that tend to remain stationary. This means, that even in areas accustomed to particularly high heat, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and heat-related death become commonplace. And our healthcare system is NOT prepared.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that from 2018 to 2020, 3,000 Americans died from heat-related causes. In fact, in the US, more fatalities occur due to heat than any other natural disasters. In comparison, in 2004, just shy of 300 Americans passed away from excessive heat. Yet, all of these numbers are estimated to be significantly underestimated for a few reasons:
Paperwork: Death records have not yet caught up with the drastically increasing trend of heat-related deaths. In other words, if a coroner writes the cause of death as a heart attack, it might overlook the impact of a very hot day on an elderly person's cardiovascular system, potentially causing it to go into overdrive and leading to a heart attack.
Delay: Heat-related deaths are not always easy to spot. For example, by the time emergency personnel get to a person who has died of heat, the person will have cooled down enough so the team would assume a more obvious cause of death, such as a stroke or cardiovascular accident.
Access: Even though scientists have been warning us for decades about the dangers of our ever-heating planet, rural and underserved healthcare systems (in the US and globally) are facing a significant disconnect between adopting heat-specific management strategies and the logistics of bringing these strategies to the field.
Overall, the healthcare systems across the US are not being adequately prepared for climate change. Every year, the increasing severity of winter storms prevents essential medical services from functioning and has too often disrupted health systems. Aging hospital buildings were never meant to withstand floods or natural disasters that are increasing in rate due to climate change. According to climateforhealth.org, "These previously 'once in a lifetime events' are now annual occurrences, increasing in severity, frequency and affecting the health and well-being of millions as well as impeding our ability to deliver care."
But let's get back to heat:
Individuals with heat exhaustion usually present with excessive sweating, cool/pale/clammy-looking skin, and a rapid or weak pulse. They often report feeling weak or dizzy and in some cases, they report nausea, vomiting, and muscle cramps.
Knowing these symptoms helps us to identify the issue quicker, and also helps us take the correct next steps. One of the easiest ways to help someone with heat exhaustion is, well, to remove them from the heat. If there is an air-conditioned place nearby, help them get there safely. If there is even just a cooler spot nearby, bring them there. If none of these options are immediately available, giving them water to drink or providing a cold compress will help alleviate their symptoms until they can get to an air-conditioned place.
However, the longer individuals stay outside, the more likely heat exhaustion will turn into heat stroke. Some of the symptoms will completely reverse: they will stop sweating, their skin will turn red, hot, and dry. Often, they develop a throbbing headache, and likely also develop nausea and vomiting. If a thermometer is on hand, their body temperature will be above 103 F, because their bodies can no longer regulate heat through the process of sweating. They may eventually even lose consciousness.
If you encounter someone with heat stroke, little actions such as providing water to drink or cold compresses as soon as possible will save lives. More intensive measures are called for in these situations, so the first step is always to call 911 and then try some minor actions, including moving them to a cooler location nearby, if possible.
According to usafacts.org, 45-74 year-olds face the highest number of heat-related deaths. The most obvious reason for this is simply, that the older a person becomes, the more difficult and taxing it becomes for one's body to regulate temperature. The second reason I can think of, which accounts for the significant drop in deaths between those aged 75-84 years and 85+ years, is that these individuals tend to spend less time outdoors in the heat.
Heat affects individuals of lower socioeconomic status more than the more affluent. This is due to the lack of resources, education on heat-prevention measures, and money. Not to mention that the living situations of poor individuals and their families often are related to higher mortality rates, unsafe food and water access, lack of electricity, and heat-trapping infrastructure. Looking at this from a climate change lens, even government response to the increasing threat of heat domes and personal access to health and home insurance can largely affect an individual's ability to stay safe during episodes of long-lasting severe heat.
So what can we do to help our communities, friends, and families as we more frequently face the challenges and threats of climate change?
On an immediate level, it is important to make sure you stay safe and prepare for the needs you might have during natural disasters common to your location. Then you can help your family and neighbors.
On a more preventative and community scale, if you find the time and you are able, find out what is hurting your town currently and look for programs currently designed to address these needs. You could volunteer or find work opportunities within these programs. You could even start a community project. Ask friends and neighbors to support your mission. Be open to recommendations on cultural situations as well, that might restrict the goals of your project and find alternatives to support the health and wellbeing of your community! Healthy communities make happy individuals.
Lastly, you can always reach out to your local town leader, or state governor. Tell them your concerns and your town's needs, and ask them to more strongly consider current legislation proposals that support these issues. You can even share this article and reference evidence supporting your goals.
The question of whether or not climate change is real is no longer real. The true question is - what can we do to stay safe amidst the effects of climate change?
Σχόλια