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The LatestCONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGEThursday, April 10, 2008 The connection between climate change and our health has not been highlighted in the lively media discussions of those issues, but it's time to recognize that climate change has and will continue to have direct consequences for the health of our families, our children and our communities. The scientific community has started to understand more about the negative impacts of climate change on our health. A recent story in The Washington Post put it succinctly: "Depending on where you are, this is going to be a hotter, wetter, drier, windier, calmer, dirtier, buggier or hungrier century than mankind has seen in a while. In some places, it may be deadlier, too." The list of health issues associated with climate variability is long: Heat stroke and hypothermia, asthma, cardiovascular and pulmonary illness and gastrointestinal illnesses associated with water contamination are just a few examples. Our most vulnerable community members are most affected by these health impacts: children, the elderly, the poor, those with chronic health conditions, those with disabilities and those without health insurance. It's essential that global, national and regional changes and strategies are enacted to affect climate change. Beyond those big changes, however, there are plenty of actions each of us can take. Our daily decisions can be powerful as we address climate change and our health. Understanding the connection between climate change and health can help us to make healthier choices for ourselves and our communities as well as the planet. There's another good reason to make healthier choices. According to "Keeping Oregonians Healthy," a statewide report by the Department of Human Services, nearly 60 percent of Washington County adults were considered overweight or obese. That represents a significant number of county residents who are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Let me offer a brief starter public health prescription to boost the health of the planet and ourselves: Park your car. Take the bus or MAX, walk, ride your bike. Get off the bus a stop or two earlier and walk the rest of the way to your destination. Let's burn our own fat, not fossil or bio-fuels. Eat locally grown foods. We are the national envy because of our great local farms and markets. Turn off your television and get outside. Plant your own garden and tend it. Teach your children the joy of planting seeds, puttering in the garden and picking dinner. Improve your health, improve our children's health and improve the planet's health. Kathleen O'Leary is community health division manager for the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services. |
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