February 18, 2023

Source: Eco’Ri News

The Ocean State is on the front lines of the climate crisis, the tentacles of which reach into almost every social determinant of health — clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food, and secure shelter.

But the many effects climate change is having and will have on public health, from the serious to the modest, are often lost among conversations about sea-level rise, melting glaciers, drought, and extreme weather.

A policy brief published in October in The Lancet highlighted the impacts climate change is having on public health, noting the burning of fossil fuels has “created an accelerating health crisis. The health impacts in the U.S. are far-reaching and predicted to increase in the coming years.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that between 2030 and 2050, the climate crisis is expected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths worldwide annually, and not all of those lives will be lost in hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and flooding. Many of those lives will be lost to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress.

Read more: Climate Crisis Slams Headfirst Into Public Health