Background on the Health Harms of Climate Change
- While climate change threatens the health of every American, some people are more vulnerable and are most likely to be harmed, including: infants and children; pregnant women; older adults; people with disabilities; people with pre-existing or chronic medical conditions, including mental illnesses; people with limited means; and minorities.
- More than 80% of the current health burden resulting from the changing climate occurs in children younger than five years old, according to the World Health Organization.
- Air pollution has a demonstrated negative impact on the development of children’sbrain and lungs.
- According to an MIT study, 200,000 people die in the U.S. every year due to air pollution.
- While many sources of air pollution should be addressed, coal accounts for 79% of the total carbon pollution from the energy sector and harm health in several ways:
- Pollutants are known to cause damage to human lungs.
- The toxic particles formed from burning coal fall into waterways and contaminate fish that are subsequently eaten by people who fish in those waters.
- The coal ash residue that is left after the coal is burned also contains toxic heavy metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic that seep into groundwater and enter sources of drinking water, including residential wells.
About the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health
Members of the Medical Society Consortium include: American College of Physicians (ACP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAI), American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), American Geriatrics Society (AGS), Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM), American Association of Community Psychiatrists (AACP), National Medical Association (NMA), Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), American Telemedicine Association (ATA), Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), the California Chapter of American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP-CA), American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI), American Medical Association (AMA), American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM).