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Welcome To CCL Training!

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    • Today’s slides: http://cclusa.org/health-impacts

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www.citizensclimatelobby.org

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Health Impacts �of Climate Change and Burning �Fossil Fuels

Presentation Slides:�http://cclusa.org/health-impacts

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April 15, 2021

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Housekeeping

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Three Learning Goals

Highlight the many health benefits of addressing climate change

Make the connection how a price on carbon is key to driving change.

Review the health impacts of climate change

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About Our Speakers

Lori Byron, MD, MS

Co-Chair, CCL Health Team

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Robert Byron, MD, MPH

Co-Chair, CCL Health Team

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Our Agenda

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Fetal & Maternal Impacts

Nutrition

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Health Benefits/Air Quality

& Climate Change

Q&A Discussion

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Health Impacts Overview

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Tonight’s Main Message

Carbon pricing save lives.

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An effective, equitable carbon price is an important, even critical, part of a climate package.

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Climate Change Health Impacts

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Climate Change Impacts

Increased Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Emissions Leads To:

  • Climate Pressures
  • Exposure Pathways
  • Health Outcomes

(Figure created for Lancet Countdown US Brief by M.Lee, Climate Nexus.)

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Extreme Heat Impacts

Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the U.S.1

  • Direct: heat exhaustion/heat stroke, dehydration
  • Indirect: heart attacks2, stroke2, suicides3, respiratory illnesses4, cognition5, increased diabetes6
  • Killer Heat in the U.S. - Union of Concerned Scientists7

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pixabay.com/users/loredan-386607/

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Fetal & Maternal Impacts

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Infertility Linked To Air Pollution

Traffic-related air pollution has been linked to lower fertility rates in three different studies�

  • 2016 study: 1 degree and 2 degree infertility increased w/ proximity to traffic
  • 2018 study: Fertility rates in California increased after oil & coal-fired power plants closed

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www.pexels.com/�@william-fortunato

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Increased (Air) Temp During Pregnancy

Linked to:

  • Prematurity
  • IUGR (Intrauterine growth restriction)
  • Stillbirths
  • Birth Defects

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Babies & Particulate Matter

  • SUIDs

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  • IUGR

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  • Premature Birth

unsplash.com/photos/74-7j5t4sG0

unsplash.com/photos/I74mkR_3OP0

unsplash.com/photos/9jErXqFwAYs

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Adverse Neurodevelopment

  • Learning Disabilities
  • Lowered IQ
  • Autism
  • Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Linked to exposure to PM2.5, polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dixoid (NOx), black carbon as fetus1

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  • Schizophrenia, Autism

Links to prenatal and early childhood PM2

www.pexels.com/@emma-bauso-1183828

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Nutritional Impacts

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Malnutrition & Food Insecurity

  • Over 3 million children a year die from hunger - ⅓ of pediatric deaths (WHO)
  • 1 in 8 people lack adequate food to lead a healthy lifestyle (UN-FAO, 2014-2016)
  • Including 10.5% of Americans who are food insecure (USDA, 2019)�(over 40% since COVID began)
  • Food insecurity has been associated with: a greater risk of asthma and other chronic health conditions, low birth weight, decreased learning, depression, anxiety, misconduct1

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pixabay.com/users/fifaliana-joy-3257067/

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Heat, Drought, & Salt-Water Intrustion

Warmth:

  • Crop pest and pathogens are migrating toward the poles, they live longer, are less likely to winter kill, and propagate more1
  • Grain productivity decreases for every warm day of the season (over 84 F)2

CO2:

  • Crops grow well but are less nutritious3
  • 100s of studies show less protein and micronutrients (e.g. Zn, Fe) in the grains and soybeans

Salt-water intrusion: coastal lands and aquifers

Drought: late summer decreases in precipitation

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https://www.pexels.com/@curiosophotography

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Ocean Food Supply Impacts

  • For 25% of the world, the primary source of food is the ocean.1

Warmth:

  • Oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat added to our atmosphere. Coral reefs worldwide have declined over 50% in 30 years - which affects fish larvae habitat.2

CO2:

  • Ocean acidification - the ocean has absorbed 25% of the excess CO2 - is harming shelled animals, including the zooplankton

https://pixabay.com/users/joakant-313743/

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Air Quality

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Air Pollution: Climate vs Health

Climate Impacts

  • Greenhouse Gases: �CO2, N2O, CH3�CHC, HFC, Ozone

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Health Impacts

  • Particulate Matter
  • Ground-level Ozone

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Air Pollution & Health

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Source: Dr. Cecilia Sorensen, University of Colorado

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Vascular Disease �Accelerated �atherosclerosis

www.citizensclimatelobby.org

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Comparison of Growth Areas & Declining Emissions

Air Pollution emissions have dropped steadily since 1970 thanks to the Clean Air Act.

  • Source U.S. EPA, Air Trends: Air Quality National Summary, 2019
  • State of the Air, 2020. American Lung Association�www.stateoftheair.org

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Air Pollution Damages Our Health

  • 68,000 - 250,000 premature deaths each year in the United States
  • ~1 in 5 premature deaths globally linked to burning fossil fuels

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Health Benefits

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Over 50 years, policies to meet 2℃ prevent:

  • 4.5 million premature deaths, or 90,000 premature deaths/year
  • 3.5 million hospitalizations/ED visits
  • 50,000 fewer pediatric asthma admissions

Shindell, D. Testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Hearing on “The Devastating Impacts of Climate Change on Health” Aug 5, 2020

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Improved Air Quality Impacts

  • 1.4 million fewer deaths in next 20 years
  • 40% reduction in air pollution mortality within a decade

Shindell, D. Testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Hearing on “The Devastating Impacts of Climate Change on Health” Aug 5, 2020

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Everything done to lower emissions and decrease air pollution improves human health!

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  • Sustainable agriculture – healthier for people and the planet
  • Transition to renewable energy
  • Improvement in public /shared transportation, increased walkability and bikeability
  • Planting trees – removes air pollution, stores carbon, improves our mental and physical health

pricetags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/healthy-communities.jpg

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Economic Benefits

  • 300 million fewer lost workdays in the US
  • $700 billion/year avoided health costs
    • avoided deaths = $37 trillion
    • reduced hospitalizations/ED visits� = $37 billion
    • increased labor productivity �= $75 billion

Shindell, D. Testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Hearing on “The Devastating Impacts of Climate Change on Health” Aug 5, 2020

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Health & Carbon Pricing Actions

Health Professional: sign Climate & Carbon Price Declaration- Individual

Keep your conversations going!

Ask your Health Provider/System to sign Climate & Carbon Price Declaration- Organization

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Economic Benefits Training

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Time For Questions

Click Participants & Raise Hand Or *9 If On The Phone

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community.citizensclimate.org/topics#recent-trainings

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Thank You!

Dr. Rob & Dr. Lori Byron’s email:�rgbyron@gmail.com & lori.byron@gmail.com

Questions? Ask on CCL’s Health Action Team: https://community.citizensclimate.org/groups/home/961

www.citizensclimatelobby.org