The medical journal The Lancet released its annual report on climate change yesterday. It found:
- Climate change will affect the lifelong health of children living now.
- Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of climate, including heat, disasters, infectious disease, and malnutrition from crop losses.
- The number of seniors exposed to heatwaves was 200 million more in 2018 compared to 2000. Seniors are especially vulnerable to heatwaves because they often have chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, or respiratory illnesses.
- Humans exposed to wildfires have doubled since 2000.
- Dengue is the most rapidly expanding infection in the world.
- 2018 was the second most intense year for the spread of cholera.
- Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is costing trillions of dollars worldwide.
“This year the accelerating impacts of climate change have become clearer than ever. The highest recorded temperatures in western Europe, and wildfires in Siberia, Queensland, and California triggered asthma, respiratory infections and heatstroke.” Professor Hugh Montgomery of University College London, co-chair of the Lancet Countdown.
Recommendations of what we need to do, immediately:
- Phase out coal plants worldwide.
- Shift travel to public transit and cycling.
- Cut agricultural emissions by eating seasonal, plant-based diets.
- We had the resources to tackle climate change. Based on just health grounds, the economics are in favor of taking action. The decisions we make now will affect us, our children, and future generations.
This will require individual actions and policy actions. We should not get bogged down in which is better, it is “all of the above” – everything we can do now, we should do as soon as possible.
Here is a link to a news story about the Lancet Countdown 2019:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/13/climate-crisis-will-affect-lifelong-health-of-young-warn-doctors
Here is a link to the Lancet Countdown 2019:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32596-6/fulltext
