How Climate Change Affects Your Health: Air Quality
Environmental effects: More intense wildfires, Increased pollution & GHG emissions
Secondary effects: Increased allergens
Health Effects: Aggravated cardiovascular illnesses, Aggravated respiratory illnesses, Mental health distress, Increased allergy-related illnesses
17% increase in U.S. emergency room visits for asthma during the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke episodes.1
In 2020, Black people were almost three times more likely to die from asthma related causes than non-Hispanic whites.2
2000+ deaths and 6000+ emergency room visits each year due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution exposure in NYC.3
Since 1995, the length of ragweed season has increased by:4
Minneapolis, MN: 18 days
Fargo, ND: 21 days
1. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7234a5.htm
2. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/asthma-and-african-americans
3. https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/beta/data-stories/aq2/
4. https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-ragweed-pollen-season
ClimateNexus
APHA
How Climate Change Affects Your Health: Extreme Weather
Environmental effects: Increased flooding & storms, More frequent droughts
Secondary effects: Water contamination, Property loss, Infrastructure damage, More intense wildfires
Health Effects: Waterborne illness, Mental health distress, Injury & death, Aggravated respiratory illnesses
Nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane María in 2017.1
In MA, there was a 13% increase in emergency room visits related to gastrointestinal illness following extreme precipitation events that resulted in sewer overflows.2
Severe storms and flooding have cost at least $643B in damage since 1980.3
Between 5,200 and 8,500 respiratory hospital admissions per year are caused by wildfire smoke in the U.S.4
1. https://publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs4586/files/2023-06/acertainment-ofthe-estimated-excess-mortality-from-hurricane-maria-in-puerto-rico.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4559956/
3. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/summary-stats
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6117838/
ClimateNexus
APHA
How Climate Change Affects Your Health: Rising Temperatures
Environmental effects: More frequent heatwaves
Secondary effects: Urban heat island effect
Health Effects: Dehydration, Heat stroke, Aggravated cardiovascular illnesses, Aggravated respiratory illnesses, Mental health distress
Summer of 2023 was Earth’s hottest since global records began in 1880.1
Urban neighborhoods can be up to 20 degrees hotter than outlying areas with more trees and less pavement. This is called the Urban Heat Island Effect.2
At least 425 people are estimated to have died from heat-related causes between May and October 2023 in Maricopa County, AZ.3
Some 9,000 high school athletes in the U.S. are treated for exertional heat illness (such as heat stroke and muscle cramps) each year.4
1. https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3282/nasa-announces-summer-2023-hottest-on-record/
2. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/urban-heat-islands
3. https://www.maricopa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5720
4. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5932a1.htm
ClimateNexus
APHA
How Climate Change Affects Your Health: Vector-Borne Diseases
Environmental effects: Increased flooding & storms, Changes in precipitation, Changes in temperature and duration of warm season
Secondary effects: Expanded geographical range, Changes in insect behaviors
Health Effects: Increased cases of vector-borne diseases
56,575 cases of West Nile Virus in the U.S. since 1999, of which more than 2,776 people have died.1
Four states reported locally-acquired cases of malaria in 2023, including the first in Texas in nearly 30 years and the first in Maryland in nearly 40 years.2
Without action, U.S. Valley Fever cases are projected to increase by 220% by the end of the century.3
Lyme disease incidence has doubled over the past two decades to 30,000 cases per year.4
1. https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsmaps/historic-data.html
2. https://www.lancetcountdownus.org/2023-lancet-countdown-u-s-brief/
3. https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/13/1/wcas-d-20-0036.1.xml
4. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2020-ticks
ClimateNexus
APHA
How Climate Change Affects Your Health
Rising Temperatures
Extreme Weather
Air Quality
Vector-Borne Diseases
Environmental effects: More frequent heatwaves, Increased flooding & storms, More frequent droughts, Increased pollution & GHG emissions, Changes in precipitation, Changes in temperature and duration of warm season
Secondary effects: Urban heat island effect, Property Loss, Infrastructure Damage, Water contamination, More intense wildfires, Increased allergens, Expanded geographical range, Changes in insect behaviors
Health Effects: Dehydration, Heat Stroke, Aggravated cardiovascular illnesses, Aggravated respiratory illnesses, Mental health distress, Waterborne illness, Injury & death, Increased allergy-related illnesses, Increased cases of vector-borne diseases
ClimateNexus
APHA