Healthy climate solutions are already out there
The UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions, or C-Solutions, is launched and ready to act.
Dangerous heat waves. Devastating fires. Violence and protests. An on-going pandemic. While we’re excited to tell you all about our new center, we need to first talk about what’s happened this summer. We also need to acknowledge those things that help us get by. Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing more than ever the value of access to nature. For people who have been able to do so safely, visiting parks and seashores, camping, and even gardening have provided opportunities to regain their connection to nature over the past several months. Parks are being used at record rates. Outdoor camping was the major vacation for many this summer. Studies have shown that contact with nature boosts immune systems, improves mental health, promotes social interaction, and increases resilience to stress. Parks and green spaces also help to cool cities, providing respite from this summer’s record-breaking heat waves, especially in places where people do not have air conditioning.
But these valuable resources are experiencing the effects of a changing climate. As we write this, some of the largest wildfires in California’s history are burning, a consequence of hotter, drier temperatures stemming from climate change. Just as people are finding a new appreciation for the outdoors, many have been forced to stay inside for days to avoid breathing in the harmful smoke.
Our commitment to identifying solutions to address the health effects of climate change remains steadfast. We hope you will join us to increase awareness and take action to protect our environment and the quality of human life.
Let’s look at the facts. Climate change is wreaking havoc on weather patterns and causing average global temperatures to rise. The past decade has been the hottest ever recorded by NASA. As we enter the month of October, typically the peak of California's wildfire season, wildfires have already burned more than 3.6 million acres in the state, making 2020 the largest wildfire season ever recorded here. Hurricane Laura, which battered communities around the Gulf of Mexico in August, was the most recent of several hurricanes that rapidly intensified as a result of warming ocean temperatures.
These and other effects of climate change are causing serious damage to people's health. Some people are affected more than others. While systemic racial injustice was front and center in the news this summer, underserved communities continue to struggle from chronic conditions related to toxic exposures. Black, indigenous, and other people of color experience worse health outcomes on average than white people—a symptom of systemic power imbalances and a history of racist policies. These groups experience more exposure to climate stressors and are less able to prepare for and cope with the effects of climate change, both in the short- and long-term. Our work is informed by a strong commitment to protecting those who are especially vulnerable.
Now for some good news. This month, we celebrated World Ozone Day on September 16th, which reminds us of the hardwon progress that’s been made. Evidence of ozone recovery is happening now. The recovering ozone layer shows that ambitious climate action can happen at a global level. Policymakers are engaged. Stakeholders want to learn and do more to protect our environment and communities. Leaders are paying more attention to groundwater and air pollution. Programs are underway to encourage non-motorized forms of transportation to reduce methane emissions. While still much work needs to be done to ensure that we don’t reverse the positive impacts that have been made, we recognize that increased awareness is the first step toward developing sustainable solutions.
Here’s where we come in. At UCLA C-Solutions, we focus on protecting people and communities from the harmful effects of climate change. We use our research to develop actionable solutions in partnership with community stakeholders so we can build healthier and more resilient communities. We identify and help implement solutions that provide immediate or near-term impact while also building long-term infrastructure. For us, the most promising solutions are those that create health, economic, and environmental benefits and prioritize people who are most at risk.
With this monthly newsletter, we’ll help you navigate key issues with articles and emerging research that we believe are vital to staying informed about climate change and its impacts. We'll also give you updates on our research, partners, and leadership. Most importantly, we'll provide you with actions you can take to start protecting your health, your community, and the environment from climate change.
Meet our team. Led by internationally recognized Co-Directors Dr. Jonathan Fielding and Professor Michael Jerrett, along with Deputy Director Dr. David Eisenman, we are working to address climate change as an escalating public health emergency. Using our direct experience in the field, the relationships we’ve developed through our work in the public sector, and our extensive environmental and clinical research, C-Solutions is creating a pathway for positive change that is informed, comprehensive, and responsive to community needs.
Take Action. Click on the links below to read more about what we are doing today to build a healthier future for everyone. For more information about our projects click here. To find out more about our team, click here. Read our blog posts and announcements here. You can also partner with us or donate to our work.
Visit our website at https://healthyclimatesolutions.org. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to this newsletter to stay informed.
CENTER NEWS
UCLA C-Solutions highlighted by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
“Los Angeles is a city that tackles our toughest challenges by tapping into the innovation and creativity in our own backyard, and this UCLA center will help us build a safer, cleaner and more equitable city and world,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Garcetti is chair of the C40 Cities, a global organization of almost 100 cities committed to action against climate change. Click here to read the full press release.
New Projects
In collaboration with Dr. Ying-Ying Meng of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Dr. Michael Jerrett and postdoctoral researcher Yu Yu are investigating the impact of wildfire smoke exposure on work days lost in California. Our research relies on the population-representative California Health Interview Survey and on novel spatiotemporal exposure models. The health impacts of wildfires are becoming more widespread because of longer, more intense wildfire seasons due to climate change, increased land use development at the wildland-urban interface, and many years of underinvestment in forest management. Understanding the impacts of wildfires on economic productivity can galvanize employers, business leaders, and other stakeholders to engage in efforts to counter these effects.
Much of our current work is focused on public health solutions that address the immediate dangers of excessive heat and wildfires. We are collaborating with county, state, national, and international stakeholders on an array of multidisciplinary projects. Click here for more details on our current projects.
FROM THE BLOG
“I Can’t Breathe”: A Rallying Cry for Both #BlackLivesMatter and Environmental Justice
Black Lives Matter in the midst of the climate crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown some of the ways that Black communities face the harshest consequences of our public health failures. We need to work together to implement climate adaptive policies that protect Black lives and close the gap. Read more >>
COVID-19 in a Changing Climate
The COVID-19 pandemic makes addressing climate change even more urgent.
Though COVID-19 is the challenge in front of us right now, we cannot afford to put aside the work of addressing climate change for another time. The adverse effects of climate change are only getting worse. Our communities are now experiencing the impacts from both COVID-19 and climate change simultaneously. Read more >>
TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Diane Garcia-Gonzales is an air quality and climate change scientist interested in the intersection between the environment and human health. Currently, her research is focused on quantifying the impacts of climate change on California’s natural working lands to better understand the policies and programs that are likely to yield the highest human health benefits throughout the state. Click here to watch Diane's video statement.
WHAT WE'RE READING
Climate change and healthcare: we must set the example by facing our gray rhinos - The BMJ Opinion
Some Cities Are Plotting a ‘Green Recovery’ After Covid-19 - Wired
There’s actually a word for the climate change-induced despair you’ve been feeling - Los Angeles Times
Climate Disruption Is Now Locked In. The Next Moves Will Be Crucial. - New York Times
Advocacy Toolkit for Park Equity, Life Expectancy, and Power Building - Prevention Institute