Cities, children, and health: YCCCH at Climate Week NYC
During this year’s Climate Week NYC, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health (YCCCH) engaged in three impactful events with partners including the Resilient Cities Network, UNICEF, and The New York Academy of Medicine. These events contributed critical insights to the global conversation at the nexus of health and climate change. Each event highlighted the urgent need to address challenges including mitigation and resilience in the health care sector, climate change’s impact on global children’s health, and promoting urban health in the face of rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns.
Read the full article to discover more about these events, their key takeaways, and how they advance the conversation.
CHEN Lab members publish three new studies addressing health risks of increased ozone exposure and wildfire smoke
“Acute coronary syndrome onset related to short-term ozone exposure will be exacerbated by climate change and aging in China”
Dr. Jie Ban, a visiting research scientist and inaugural Li Foundation Climate Change Fellow, recently published a paper in One Earth that examines the future impact of ozone exposure and population aging on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) cases in China. ACS, a heart condition linked to coronary artery disease, is expected to increase due to climate change and demographic shifts. Using numerical modeling, the study
projects significant public health challenges posed by these factors, emphasizing the need for stronger ozone pollution controls and improved health services to protect China’s aging population. The authors also note that coordinated efforts between pollution policies and prevention strategies are critical to reduce the growing burden of ACS as climate change accelerates.
“Long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM2.5 and mortality in the contiguous United States”
Dr. Yiqun Ma, a PhD graduate from the Yale School of Public Health, published a paper in PNAS revealing that wildfire smoke contributes to approximately 11,000 annual deaths in the United States due to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). While short-term exposure to wildfire smoke has been linked to respiratory issues, this study
highlights long-term risks, including increased mortality from cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and mental health conditions, particularly in older adults. With wildfires becoming more frequent due to climate change, Dr. Ma stresses the urgent need for effective public health actions and communications to protect vulnerable populations from both the immediate and prolonged health risks of wildfire smoke exposure.
“Landscape fire air pollution as a mediator in drought and childhood stunting pathway in low- and middle-income countries”
Jiajianghui Li, a Li Foundation Climate Change Fellow, published a paper in Environmental Science & Technology.This research examines the impact of the drought-wildfire pathway on childhood stunting in 44 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by analyzing geocoded data. Using mixed-effect regressions, the study explores the relationships between standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, fire-sourced PM2.5, and stunting. The findings indicate that fire-sourced PM2.5 acts as a mediator in the drought-stunting pathway in LMICs, highlighting the urgent need for interventions targeting wildfire pollution to safeguard children’s health as drought conditions intensify.
Dr. Daniel Carrión urges LIHEAP reforms to address climate change and energy insecurity
As climate change intensifies and economic challenges grow, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) must evolve to meet the needs of vulnerable households facing extreme heat and energy insecurity. Dr. Daniel Carrión, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health Sciences) and YCCCH’s Director of Education, and collaborator, Dr. Diana Hernández, Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, published their most recent findings in The Electricity Journal. The paper
highlights the significant gaps between LIHEAP eligibility and enrollment, which leaves many families without vital assistance until a crisis hits. The authors also state that LIHEAP funding primarily benefits cold-weather states, despite southern states facing greater heat stress, higher cooling degree days, and increased energy insecurity, emphasizing the need to reform LIHEAP to ensure its effectiveness in mitigating energy insecurity and protecting residents from the impacts of extreme heat.
Dr. Jodi Sherman highlights key opportunities for sustainability in the health care sector
“Measuring environmentally sustainable health care: a scoping review”
Efforts to reduce environmental pollution within the health care system face significant challenges due to a lack of consensus on the definition of environmentally sustainable health care and appropriate metrics to assess it. This recent scoping review published in The Lancet Planetary Health
aims to address this gap by analyzing the definitions and measurements used in current literature on sustainable health care. The review found considerable variability in how sustainability is defined, measured, and calculated, highlighting inconsistency that complicates efforts to implement effective sustainability practices. The authors emphasize the critical need for standardized definitions and measurement methods to facilitate initiatives aimed at reducing environmental pollution in health care systems.
“Improving sustainability and mitigating the environmental impact of anaesthesia and surgery through the perioperative journey: a narrative review”
The health care sector is responsible for 4.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with perioperative services being particularly resource-intensive and polluting. This narrative review published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia
describes current opportunities to reduce pollution across the perioperative care continuum and emphasizes the role of clinicians in advocating for policies that address surgical illness determinants, engaging in shared decision-making, and managing health care resources. To drive meaningful change, the authors note that innovation and collaboration are essential in redesigning clinical care pathways and processes, optimizing logistical systems, and addressing facility emissions.
“Lessons from patient safety as antidotes to healthcare greenwashing”
Despite representing only 4% of the global population, the United States health care sector is responsible for one-fifth of global health care greenhouse gas emissions. However, many decarbonization initiatives lack the data transparency and measurement needed to track progress effectively and ensure that they are meeting science-based targets. In this paper published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine
, the authors emphasize the need for greater accountability, data verification, public reporting to drive meaningful environmental sustainability in the health care sector. Additionally, by adopting established sustainability practices and standards from other industries, health care organizations can implement more effective, evidence-based environmental initiatives.
Dr. Kai Chen delivers plenary lecture on climate change epidemiology at World Congress
Dr. Kai Chen, Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health Sciences) and YCCCH’s Co-Faculty Director, delivered a plenary lecture at the World Congress of Epidemiology. Held in late September in Cape Town, South Africa, the World Congress is a leading international conference in the field, bringing together experts to discuss current research and pressing public health issues. Dr. Chen’s talk introduced the current research directions in climate epidemiology that address the three challenges that the late pioneer of climate change epidemiology, Dr. Tony McMichael, outlined in 2001—associations, attributions, and projections—with research examples primarily from the Climate, Health & Environment Nexus (CHEN) Lab at YCCCH. Dr. Chen further discussed the challenges and opportunities in climate epidemiology and how epidemiologists can get started in studying climate and health.
Health professionals urge for clean energy transition in new video
Health professionals are seeing firsthand the impacts of the climate crisis and fossil fuel pollution on patients—rising temperatures, worsening air quality, and increased disease. The urgency for change is clear: transitioning to clean energy can protect human health and the environment, offering cleaner air and safer water. Fossil fuel companies spend millions to obscure their pollution, but it is health professionals' duty to advocate for a healthier future. This new video from The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health emphasizes that the time for action is now.
Participate in climate change and health research priority setting survey in India
The George Institute for Global Health, India is conducting a research priority setting exercise to find priority research questions on climate change and health in India.
Read more and complete the survey by October 31, 2024.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is seeking to fill multiple roles in their New York City and Washington, DC offices. A full listing of positions and their descriptions can be found here.
Events in Climate Change and Health
Yale Events:
Yale Clean Energy Conference
October 10-11, 2024
Yale School of Management, 165 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT 06511
Join the hundreds of attendees from countless sectors, organizations, schools, and industries coming to New Haven, Connecticut, for this flagship clean energy event. Get your ticket to the Conference and experience the keynotes, content speakers, workshops, poster presentations, network building activities, and lively discussions for yourself.
Climate Change and Health Seminar with Dr. Tony G. Reames, "Interconnected Futures: Exploring the Nexus of Climate Change, Health, and Energy Justice"
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 12:00 – 12:50 p.m. ET
LEPH 115, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510 or Virtual
Dr. Tony G. Reames is the Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice and an associate professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability where he founded the Urban Energy Justice Lab and the Energy Equity Project. He is Director of the Detroit Sustainability Clinic providing sustainability and climate action technical assistance for local communities and governments. His research investigates the fair and equitable access to affordable, reliable, clean energy, and explores the production and persistence of energy disparities across race, class, and place. Reames was a Presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration from 2021 to 2023 at the US Department of Energy. He was Deputy Director for Energy Justice, establishing the Department of Energy’s first-ever Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis, and the Principal Deputy Director for the State and Community Energy Programs. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in
Public Administration from the University of Kansas, a Master of Engineering Management from Kansas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
Registration is required. Yale affiliates are welcome to join us in person in the Winslow Auditorium, 60 College Street. All others may stream the event via Zoom.
Environmental Joy: Roadmaps for Resistance, Resilience, and Thriving
November 8-9, 2024
Yale School of the Environment, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511
The Yale Center on Climate Change and Health is pleased to co-sponsor the 2024 Environmental Joy Conference organized by the Yale Center for Environmental Justice. With a theme of “Roadmaps for Resistance, Resilience, and Thriving,” the conference will be a dynamic, multidisciplinary, and multicultural exploration of how joy can inspire creative solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges.
Learn more and register for the conference here. The conference is largely in-person, though there are hybrid components.
Other Events:
The 6th Nordic Conference on Sustainable Healthcare
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Best Western Malmö Arena Hotel, Hyllie Boulevard 12, 215 32 Malmö
The 6th Nordic Conference on Sustainable Healthcare on October 15th is a one-day conference of cross-sectoral dialogue taking us through the most topical themes in sustainable healthcare: Extreme resilience in times of crises, green hospital design, decarbonization, circularity, digitalization, engaging stakeholders, financing greener healthcare initiatives, and creating cross-sectoral partnerships. This is the place to be for making connections, finding inspiration, exchanging knowledge, and fueling action for healthcare sustainability.
Get ready for four days packed with healthcare sustainability! Side events will take place on Monday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 16. Separate registration applies to the side events.
Conversations in Planetary Health: Identifying resilience solutions at the intersection of climate, health, and equity
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. SGT*
Duke-NUS Medical School and Virtual
Yale University and the Resilient Cities Network launched the Urban Pulse initiative to place health and equity at the center of climate action, and to drive policymakers and community stakeholders to work together to address these critical issues, particularly in cities in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Jeannette Ickovics will present findings from their mixed-methods study of nearly 200 city leaders from 118 cities in 52 countries.
