The Climate Crisis Is A Public Health Crisis
A paramedic with Falck Northwest ambulances treats a man experiencing heat exposure during a heat wave in Salem, Ore. Nathan Howard/AP hide caption
A recent study published in Nature found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths are due to climate change. Dr. Renee Salas is seeing this in the emergency room of Massachusetts General Hospital. She's treating more and more patients for heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and intensifying allergies. Today, she gives us a view into her work at the intersection of human health and climate change; plus, she envisions a new health care system that takes climate change into account.
Additional Reading:
- The Climate Crisis — Health and Care Delivery Interactive (published in the New England Journal of Medicine)
- 2018 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change Brief Dr. Salles referenced in the episode
- 2020 Lancet Countdown Brief on climate change, food insecurity, and resilience
- 2016 study about the link between some medications and increases in heat-related illnesses (Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics)
- Nature article about antibiotic resistance increasing with higher temperatures
Reach the show by emailing shortwave@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Viet Le and fact-checked by Indi Khera. Josh Newell was the audio engineer.