Climate Corner
Climate change and our health
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This series has already discussed the changes in Montana’s climate, the science behind those changes, and some of the impacts on Montana’s agriculture industry. When it comes to our own health, or the health of our families, things get more personal.
Even discussing the health impacts of climate change is difficult. It’s not due to a lack of connections between climate change and health impacts – there is ample scientific evidence of those connections – but because there are so many negative and overwhelming health impacts. However, even as we focus on all the bad things that can happen to us, remember that most actions to address climate change also have positive health impacts.
Central to climate change are increased temperatures. In other words, heat. Whether in the form of more frequent and intense heat waves, warmer nighttime temperatures, or just slight increases in temperatures without reaching extreme levels, there are detrimental impacts on people’s health.
Extreme heat leads to increased deaths from heatstroke and dehydration. It has been associated with more heart attacks, strokes, and worsening of heart failure and lung conditions, and can even lead to kidney failure over many years.
Equally impactful is decreased productivity, especially for outdoor workers. Though not a direct health impact, decreased productivity can have widespread effects, with less take-home pay, fewer consumer products, and increased risk of job-related injuries.
Wildfires are burning more frequently, intensely, and cover more acres. This not only puts lives and property in the immediate area at risk, including those who respond to the fires, but wildfire smoke also affects people distant from the fires. Smoke events have been associated with more deaths, more emergency department visits, hospitalizations related to lung, heart, and other chronic conditions, long-term worsening of lung conditions, and an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes for pregnant women.
Every climate change-related event, such as heat, more intense storms, drought, and flooding, has been associated with worsening mental health. Domestic violence, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation are more common with even modest increased temperatures. Similar patterns are seen after extreme weather events, with the addition of more post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Those impacts are more profound given that mental health services are unable to meet the demand even in the best of times.
Some of the most significant and least recognized health effects are those on pregnant women and their fetuses and the impacts on mental health. Babies are at risk even before they are born. If a pregnant woman breathes polluted air, for example, from wildfires or car exhaust, her baby is more likely to suffer from developmental abnormalities ranging from autism to learning disabilities. If the mother is exposed to even mildly elevated temperatures toward the end of pregnancy, stillbirth and premature birth are more likely.
Despite this depressing information, there is hope. Actions we take now, especially together, can result in rapid improvements to health. Changes that result in cleaner air translate into better health for everyone. Acknowledging the contributions fossil fuels have made to our lives and economy, we now know that they also harm our health and our world. We ignore that at our own peril. Switching to clean energy sources will have beneficial impacts on our health.
Technology already exists to let us stop burning polluting fossil fuels and move to energy sources that are affordable and healthier.
Put your, your children’s, and your grandchildren’s health first. Find out how you can support less polluting energy sources. Learn more at https://www.montanahphc.org/, or contact us directly through the website.
Robert and Lori Byron are physicians and on the board of Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate.
