Presentation for Women's Clubs about Climate and Maternal/Child Health

Health Effects of Climate Change

THE CLIMATE

AND

YOUR HEALTH

Carbon is the building block of life

CHOCOLATE CHOLESTEROL

ALCOHOLSTARCH

EVERYTHING THAT WAS EVER ALIVE HAS CARBON IN IT

Burning releases carbon into the air as carbon

dioxide (CO2).

Earth can only absorb half. The rest is building up in our atmosphere

where it blankets our planet, trapping heat from the sun.

Bakersfield, CA

AIR

WILDFIREYARNELL HILL, AZ JULY 2013

WILDFIRE SMOKETRIGGERS ASTHMA ATTACKS AND INCREASES ER VISITS

INHALED BY PREGNANT WOMEN: LOWERS BIRTH WEIGHTS

SMOKE TRAVELS FAR

FIRE IN NEW MEXICO SMOKE IN DENVER, CO MEMORIAL DAY 2012

OZONE

IRRITATES THE LUNGS

CAUSES ASTHMA IN ACTIVE KIDS

POLLENMORE FOR LONGER

MOLD CAUSES ASTHMA AND TRIGGERS ATTACKS

ALLERGY AND ASTHMA HAVE TRIPLED

von Hertzen L, Hanski I, Haahtela T. Natural Immunity. EMBO Reports 12:1089–1093, 2011

HOT DRY WEATHER INCREASES CHILDREN’S BLOOD LEAD

Laidlaw. Environ Health Perspect.  2005 June;  113(6): 793–800.

HALF A MILLION US KIDS HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE FROM

LEAD

NOBLESVILLE, IN

WATER

BLUE BABY FROM NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW

PITTSBURGH, PAALLEGHENY RIVER

LEPTOSPIROSIS passes from wild animals and livestock to humans and pets when urine

washes into puddles and flood waters

BLUE GREEN ALGAE BLOOMS

BLUE GREEN ALGAE TOXINS CAUSE HEPATITIS AND LIVER CANCER

CAN KILL DOGS AND SMALL CHILDREN

AMOEBIC MENINGITIS2010 2012

Lilly Lake, Stillwater MN

FOOD

AFLATOXIN

CROP MYCOTOXIN MAP 10/12

MERCURY AND PCBS

If we don't cut our emissions in half by 2030, global temperature will rise 8 degrees by 2100

and stay that way for 1,000 years.

A HEALTHY PRESCRIPTION

For Climate Action

20,000 HEART ATTACKS PREVENTED23,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR

10,000 COLON CANCERS

215,000 HEART ATTACKS PREVENTED570,000 NEW DIABETES CASES EACH YEAR

300,000 HEART ATTACKS/STROKES PREVENTED260,000 NEW DIABETES CASES EACH YEAR144,000 CANCER DEATHS

CLIMATE911.ORG

Healthy People = Healthy Planet