Climate Change Impacts Health: Six Things You Should Know

The warming climate doesn’t only melt ice caps and bleach coral reefs but also puts your health at risk. Climate change is no longer a far-removed issue, able to be cast off as a problem “of tomorrow.” Climate change alters health both through long-term stressors, such as air pollution¹ and vector-borne diseases², and through acute events, such as heat waves³ and hurricanes.⁴ These long and short term elements collectively influence public health around the world.  Climate change has health consequences from the scale of entire populations all the way down to the level of your cells.⁵ Here are six things that are sometimes forgotten regarding climate and health: 

Climate change is associated with infectious disease spread

As temperatures rise, disease vectors like mosquitoes and ticks move northward into newly habitable terrain.^2,6,7 This means that diseases that were previously only endemic to the tropics are expanding to new areas. The spread of Legionella in New York^8–10 and the northward movement of Valley fever in California^11–13 are examples of how the landscape of infectious disease spread is changing.^7,14

Climate change results in poorer air quality

With drier and hotter summers, wildfires are increasing in prevalence and intensity.^15–17 Due to the extensive amount of smoke produced, the impact of wildfires reaches beyond the areas destroyed by flames.¹⁸ The smoke becomes even more polluting when wildfires consume our built environment in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). WUI fire smoke causes acute air pollution events in places far removed from the actual fires, such as the June 2023 orange haze in New York, as well as long periods of bad air quality elsewhere, such as California during recent summers. Wildfire air pollution has been linked not only to respiratory issues but also to cardiovascular, psychiatric, gastrointestinal, and skin disorders.^19–27The specific components of smoke, including particulates and toxic gasses, contribute to both immediate and sustained health challenges.

Climate change worsens heat-related diseases

Heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense.^3,28 Thus, experts indicate that climate change will increase the number of fatalities due to heat-related incidents.^29–31 In addition to the heightened death toll, heat waves pose neurological, pulmonary, metabolic, and renal risks.^32,33  With stressed electrical systems during high-temperature days, the stability of cooling systems decreases which leads to more power outages and further exacerbates vulnerabilities to heat.³⁴  

Climate change disrupts healthcare delivery

Climate change intensifies hurricanes, which, in turn, stress health systems.⁴ Storms of this nature cause injuries directly through trauma from water and wind, and indirectly by overwhelming hospitals with patient surges.^4,35,36 In extreme weather situations that cause power outages or the need to evacuate, those that require electricity-powered medical devices must seek care outside of the home. The influx of patients often results in overextended health systems and delays in care.^37–39

Climate change hurts mental health

Climate factors, both physical and psychological, take a toll on mental health. Climate-related exposures, such as to wildfire, drought, floods, humidity, and heat, are associated with psychological distress, increased mortality among those with pre-existing mental health conditions, higher rates of psychiatric hospitalizations, and increased suicide rates.⁴⁰Climate change also exacerbates psychological stressors by contributing to job insecurity, forced displacement, resource insecurity, and decreased community identity, among other social vulnerabilities.^40,41 A majority of U.S. adults (68%) have reported feeling at least some climate-related anxiety.⁴²

Climate change threatens proper nutrition

Elevated CO₂ concentrations reduce the nutritional content of some essential foods like grains and legumes, which show lower levels of zinc and iron.^43–45 Additionally, unstable weather conditions decrease food security, making nutritious food more expensive and less accessible. ^44,46,47 These factors contribute to malnutrition, including both obesity and undernutrition, as well as diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.⁴³

Taking Action:

While these health impacts may seem discouraging, it’s possible to mitigate and prepare for the damages through actionable steps. Start by educating yourself about the risks specific to your locality and taking preventative measures. Reduce your carbon footprint and support policies that address climate change. Engage with local climate initiatives or educational programs to foster a community that is aware of and resilient to these changes. Climate change connects all of us and it will take our collective action to address its consequences.