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Climate Change �A Human Health Perspective�A Student Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States��

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Learning Objectives

- Describe the impacts of a changing climate on human health

- Discuss vulnerable populations

- Apply systems thinking to create a visual model of health implications

- Consider benefits of climate mitigation on human health

- Evaluate adaption strategies that are protective of human health

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Engagement Activity (15-20 minutes)

Exploring Prior Knowledge

Share examples of climate change and effects on human health

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Examples

List the Impact(s) of a Warming Climate on Human Health.

Image credit: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/widespread-impacts

The colors on the map show temperature changes over the past 22 years (1991-2012) compared to the 1901-1960 average for the contiguous U.S., and to the 1951-1980 average for Alaska and Hawai'i. The bars on the graph show the average temperature changes by decade for 1901-2012 (relative to the 1901-1960 average). The far right bar (2000s decade) includes 2011 and 2012. The period from 2001 to 2012 was warmer than any previous decade in every region. (Figure source: NOAA NCDC / CICS-NC).

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Examples

List the Impact(s) of a Wetter Climate on Human Health and of a Drier Climate on Human Health

The colors on the map show annual total precipitation changes for 1991-2012 compared to the 1901-1960 average, and show wetter conditions in most areas.

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Engagement Activity-continued

Partner Activity

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Discuss with a partner specific impacts of..

A warming climate on human health

A wetter climate on human health

A drier climate on human health

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Engagement Part 2

Creating a Visual Model of Cause and Effect

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Questions

Flooding and Human Health

What is the specific climate change, also known as the climate driver, referenced by this data visual?
What is/are the environmental conditions that arise in response to this specific change? (create or exacerbate an environmental hazard)
What is the environmental hazard being examined? environmental hazard 🡪 negative health outcomes
What is are/ the health effects that might arise from exposure to the environmental hazard?

Health outcomes- impacts of the hazard on human health

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Some individuals and groups may be more vulnerable to water-borne infection as a result of floodwaters.

Flooding and Human Health

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Exploration (20-30 minutes)

Constructing a More Complex Visual Model

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After reading, complete one or more rows of the graphic organizer

ID underlying environmental conditions that create the hazard, then climate drivers responsible for producing environmental conditions

Each group- ID one student to present model aloud to the class while group members contribute to the model by writing or placing their model components on the board

Read your assigned impact section

Group 1: Temperature-related impacts Group 5: Water-related impacts

Group 2: Air quality impacts Group 6: Impacts to food

Group 3: Impacts from extreme events Group 7: Impacts to mental health

Group 4: Vector-borne disease impacts

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Combine models to create a larger visual model to show the complexity of the climate and healthcare system
Each group- describe visual model and for each health outcome, mention vulnerable populations
What are some overlapping themes from the placement of cards/arrows?

Explanation (20-30 minutes)

Present

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Students should write in their own words on the board or place sticky notes/cards in the appropriate location and connect words using a marker, tape, or chalk

Students note where one environmental condition like flooding influences other health outcomes by adding arrows

If a change in climate/ environment condition is already represented, students should use term already there and connect to new information.

Prompt students to consider terms that have already been placed on the board and make new connections using markers. Ex- drought will not only cause an increase in wildfires but also lead to crop failures resulting in shortage of food, higher food prices and increase in malnutrition.

Check if climate driver🡪 environmental condition🡪 environmental hazard🡪 health outcome sequence is logical and depicted before the next group goes.

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Extreme weather events

Changes in cloud cover, humidity, winds

Climate Driver

Increased AIR temperatures

Increased precipitation

Increased WATER temperatures

Changing Precipitation

Changing weather patterns

Decreased precipitation

Changing Temperature

Decreased AIR temperatures

Decreased WATER temperatures

Exposure pathway

Environmental Condition

Hazard

Health Outcomes

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Questions about systems

Systems Introduction

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Is the climate change-human health system depicted here a simple or complex system?

Is the climate change and human health system a physical system? Chemical system? Biological system?

Are there any smaller sub systems within the climate-health system?

What is the value of a systems approach to understanding the impact of climate on human health (ex- how does knowing about the bigger system help with the study of a smaller system)?

1^st question- complex system- one environmental condition leads to multiple hazards and health outcomes; multiple climate drivers interact to produce an environmental condition

2^nd question- earth’s processes and its living inhabitants are systems within systems. The climate change and huan health system is composed of physical, chemical and biological systems that interact with each other and influence human health.

3^rd question- yes the hydrosphere represents a system, the atmosphere represets a system, biosphere represents a system. All together systems make up the larger climate and health system. Human body is also a system and susceptibility can be influenced by factors like age, genetic make-up and socio-economic status.

4^th question- helps id potential variables/influences on the system, if not aware of larger system, might reach erroneous conclusions or encounter unintended consequences

Can identify how communities like schools and the public health system will need to adapt to protect public health in response to changing changing climate.

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Extreme weather events

Changes in cloud cover, humidity, winds

Climate Driver

Increased AIR temperatures

Increased precipitation

Increased WATER temperatures

Changing Precipitation

Changing weather patterns

Decreased precipitation

Changing Temperature

Decreased AIR temperatures

Decreased WATER temperatures

Exposure pathway

Environmental Condition

Hazard

Health Outcomes

Flooding

Increased mold

High waters

Increase in nutrient runoff

Disruptions to infrastructure

Contaminated water

Asthma & Allergies

Water-related infection

Drowning & Injury

Food-related infection

Stress-related disorders

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Why do you think scientists study one part of a bigger system (ex- incidence of malaria in areas of drought)?
What are the challenges for a scientist trying to study a smaller part of a bigger system? Consider parts of a system and its boundaries.

Questions

How Scientists Study the Climate and Health System

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Important to study the system to understand how climate impacts human health
Scientists and policymakers also need to consider other systems connected to the system they’re interested in when advocating for strategies that protect human health

Conclusion

Climate and health system is complex

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Mitigation strategies: Actions we can take to reduce the severity of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Adaption strategies: Actions we can take to reduce our risk/vulnerability to climate impacts.

Elaboration

Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities drive the climate changes discussed

Consider health co-benefits

Implementing renewable energy technologies means fewer greenhouse gas emissions and also reduced emissions of particulate matter, thus improving air quality AND overall improved cardiopulmonary health.

Note: these health co-benefits may have an even bigger impact to already vulnerable populations (e.g. those with asthma).

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Identify personal (individual) and societal (collective) solutions that could be advanced to:

Prevent negative health outcomes from occurring in a changing climate
Promote preparedness/adaption so that the negative health outcomes are less severe or occur to a lesser extent than without intervention

Investigate local adaption strategies either being planned or implemented to address health outcomes
Evaluate pros and cons of implementation and share strategies

Task

How Climate Mitigation Will Impact Health Outcomes

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Write a paragraph for your assigned chapter of the 2016 Climate and Health Assessment that describes relevant health co-benefits of climate mitigation efforts and describes adaptation strategies that could be implemented to protect human health in light of climate change.

Activity- Evaluation

Evaluating an Adaptation Strategy: Option 1

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Thoroughly evaluate at least one adaptation strategy (solution) we identified during the elaboration activity from an economic, social (including vulnerable populations) and environmental perspective and present your analysis to the class (in writing or as in-class presentation that could include a poster, brochure, infographic, etc.)

Activity- Evaluation

Evaluating an Adaptation Strategy: Option 2

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This could evaluate a local solution to a health outcome in assigned chapter. Or students can write a letter to the editor of a local paper or policymaker highlighting how their community should prepare for human health outcomes related to their chapter.

Students could further extend their learning by either working to implement their resilience project in their school or community (if applicable) or by advocating for their adaptation strategy or resilience building project through civic engagement with relevant policymakers (students could partner with a U.S. Government/Civics class).

Another avenue is to deliberately connect what students learned about climate change and human health to environmental justice, racism, and the health disparities that marginalized communities in the state, community or school district face due to climate change.

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Design a solution to combat a specific health outcome that is relevant to your local community, state or region of the country.

(in writing or with a drawing/diagram or model)

Present to the class and state the specific problem you are trying to solve and clearly describe your solution.

Activity- Evaluation

Evaluating an Adaptation Strategy: Option 3

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Develop a resilience building project (climate adaptation plan) to address a specific climate threat (e.g. flooding) that is relevant to your school, community, state or region.

Activity- Evaluation

Evaluating an Adaptation Strategy: Option 4

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Vulnerable Populations

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Source: Fourth National Climate Assessment’s Figure 14.2 “Vulnerable Populations, 2018”

Optional extend slide: vulnerable populations

While climate change impacts all living things on the globe, some populations and communities are more climate-sensitive.

Children

Breathe more air and drink more water per body weight than adults
More susceptible to heat-related illness, dehydration ,or diarrheal illness

Older Adults

Low immunity
Pre-existing conditions
Limited mobility

Communities of Color

Structural racism
Language barriers

Low-Income Communities

Proximity to sources of air pollution
Food and water insecurity

Other groups that are particularly vulnerable to heat

Outdoor workers/indoor w/o ventilation or AC
Student athletes
Rural native or indigenous populations
Disabled people
People without access to AC
Those with pre-existing medical or health conditions
The homeless population

Unsurprisingly many of these same populations experience many other health inequities and have disparate health outcomes, and live in lower resourced communities.

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Extend

Equity and Justice

Source: Cultural Organizing

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Optional extend slide: Equity and Justice

First, let’s define health equity, which is that everyone has the opportunity to attain optimal levels of health. Advancing health equity recognizes the varying factors that influence health, such as housing, income, education and neighborhood. It requires that we value all people equally and that we optimize the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, learn and age.

Racial Equity, which is central to health equity, is what will be achieved when race and ethnicity does not influence how one fares in society.

So here’s a graphic that you’ve probably seen in some form.

Where equality means giving everyone the same thing, you can see that disparities still exist in who is able to see over the fence. Equity involves providing resources according to need,

Justice takes it a step further and includes the confrontation of power, the redistribution of resources, and the systemic transformation necessary for real change. Justice requires urgent fundamental changes that reposition communities of color in relation to power and resources, which includes being able to challenge and shape the many institutions that determine a community’s conditions.

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Optional extend slide: Environmental racism

People in low income communities and communities of color generally experience greater burdens from preexisting health conditions which increase susceptibility to climate-related health threats. These communities are often historically disenfranchised, lacking the political and economic power and voice to ensure that decision makers take their perspectives, needs, and ideas fully into account. This lack of power contributes to health inequalities and constrains the ability of low-income communities and communities of color from building climate resilience and to contributing fully to climate change solutions.

Systemic racism: Impacts of climate change aren’t equally distributed among people. R ace is the number one indicator for the placement of toxic facilities in this country. Making air pollution an issue where low- income communities and people of color receive disproportionate share of toxic air releases.

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Extend

Historical Background of Environmental Racism

Environmental racism covers areas like air pollution, food inequality, proximity to hazards, vulnerability to disasters, access to quality and affordable healthcare, access to drinking water
Warren County, NC- small, poor predominantly African American community. State government planned to dump 6,000 truckloads of soil laced with toxic PCBs, which could leak into their drinking water supply
Flint, Michigan- failed to properly treat its water system which led to a mass lead poisoning from 2014-2015 in mostly low-income communities of color.

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