Transcript Climate Change in Georgia - Georgia Climate Change Summit 2008

Climate Change in Georgia:
Public Health Threats and Response
Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH
National Center for Environmental Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Exposures & Effects
Climate
change
effects:
•Temperature
•Sea level
•Precipitation
Heat
Morbidity/mortality
Storms, coastal
flooding
Morbidity/mortality/
displacement
Vector biology
Infectious diseases
Air pollutants
Respiratory diseases
Food supply
Malnutrition
Civil conflict
Morbidity/mortality/
displacement
Climate Change Hotspots
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Cities
Coastal regions and low-lying areas
Islands
Vector-borne disease border regions
Drought-prone regions
Desert Southwest
The Arctic
Our Hotspots
Increased Temperatures
Urban Heat
Heat Waves
UK
2,091
Italy
3,134
France
14,802
Portugal
1,854
Spain
4,151
Switzerland
975
Netherlands
1,400-2,200
Germany
TOTAL
1,410
29,817-30,617
Respiratory Disease
Drought and Fires
Vector-borne Diseases
Complex Ecology
International
commerce
and travel
Land use and
deforestation
Climate
change and
variability
Human
behavior and
prevention
strategies
Vector-borne
diseases
Water storage
and irrigation
Human
population
growth
Poverty
Sea Level Rise
Extreme Precipitation
Floods, Displacement
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Exacerbations
chronic disease
Depression
Suicidality
Disempowerment
Disengagement
Community paralysis
Waterborne Diseases
How to Respond?
Limits of Our Thinking
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Highly technical and complex
Beyond anyone’s experience or imagination
Terrifying to contemplate
Resistance to necessary changes
Misinformation actively disseminated
Limited knowledge climate-health associations
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Nevertheless, public health provides a useful lens . . .
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Essential Services
Study and predict links
between climate change and
health
Public health
workforce
prepared to
respond
Heat wave and
severe storm
response plans
Track diseases and
trends related to
climate change
Investigate
infectious water-,
food-, and vectorborne disease
outbreaks
Credible resource
on health
consequences of
climate change
Partnerships with
private sector, civic
groups, NGOs, faith
community, etc.
Vulnerability Mapping
Synergies and Co-benefits
Heat wave plans, “buddy systems”
↑ Social capital
↓ Vehicular travel
↓ Car crashes, ↓ air pollution
↑ Fuel efficiency
↓ Air pollution, ↓ respiratory disease
Locally grown food
↓ Pesticide loading
Energy-efficient buildings
↓ Operating costs
Alternative energy sources
Business opportunities
Conclusions
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The future ain’t what it used to be
Place is a key exposure variable for the
climate change’s health effects
Place is also fundamental to the response
The opportunity costs of inaction are high
Co-benefits of proactive response are
significant
Public health is poised to assist
Thank you!