An article published by Courier Newsroom’s publication, The Copper Courier, sheds light on the harmful impact of climate change on the health of people across the world. The article reported that climate change is likely to cause a massive increase in annual climate change-related deaths from 2030 to 2050.
Scientists around the world are raising the alarm about the potentially deleterious effects of climate change on human health. “Climate injustice is a very complex and widespread issue, and how it affects mental health is overlooked,” Saiarchana Darira told Courier Newsroom’s publication.
Darira recently graduated from Arizona State University and is currently working at Turn It Around as a youth engagement leader. Her project focuses on educating people about the threat posed by climate change. As a climate change activist, Darira is concerned about the potential impact climate change will have on the mental health of people around the world. “The lack of being able to go outside due to the heat, the increase in feelings of isolation, ecological grief—they all play a role in mental health,” she told Copper Courier, a Courier Newsroom publication.
Her concerns are also shared by the American Medical Association, which declared climate change a public health crisis in June 2022. AMA is also actively working with physicians to develop sustainable practices in the health industry. Working closely with patients, the AMA is already seeing the harmful impact of climate change on the health of Americans. This includes heat-related injuries, worsening allergies caused by air pollution and seasonal changes, and other storm-related injuries, Ilse Levin, a board member at AMA informed Copper Courier, a Courier Newsroom publication.
Though it is no longer possible to reverse the damage already caused by climate change, immediate action can still prevent further damage. According to estimates by the World Health Organization, there will be additional 250,000 deaths every year, between 2030 and 2050, due to malnutrition, heat, and malaria caused by changes in the climate. Other illnesses caused by climate change include adverse mental health outcomes, cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity, pregnancy complications, dermatological malignancies, and tropical infections, stated an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Individuals most at risk of these diseases include at-risk individuals such as older people, children, people with underlying health conditions, and people of color.
Arizona’s Department of Health Services also shared damning statistics which show a direct correlation between rising temperatures and heat-associated deaths annually. In 2021, there is 339 heat-associated deaths, which represents a 70% increase since 2019.
Courier Newsroom’s outlet, the Copper Courier reached out to the director of Arizona’s Office of Heat Response & Mitigation, David Hondula, who said, “We’ve certainly seen significant trends in temperature here in Arizona, especially nighttime temperatures, as a consequence of urbanization and global scale climate change. Those increases, particularly in our summer months, can have adverse impacts on public health.”
The rising temperatures will also constrain the already limited supply of water warned Hondula. Given the great health hazard posed by climate change, medical professionals around the world are actively participating in driving climate change-related reform.
Climate change is a global catastrophe and requires a coordinated effort. Activists like Darira are concerned that there is not enough urgent action by world leaders. Last year, during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, Darira presented flashcards designed by youth across the world, in the hope that world leaders would be compelled to act. Each flashcard includes an illustration on one side and a short essay on the harmful effects of climate change.
Moving forward, the article reported, we must stop investing in fossil fuels while increasing investment in renewable sources of energy, and ensure that the transition towards a green economy works for everyone.
