UNDER THE WEATHER

THE FACTORS THAT CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE ALSO MAKE US SICK.FIGHTING IT CAN SAVE MILLIONS OF LIVES

- DAMIEN MARTIN

The best healthcare is not getting sick in the first place. We’ve all heard the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When it comes to climate change, we’ve seen the damage done by wildfire made worse by longer dry seasons, and by devastating hurricanes made more powerful by warmer water temperatures. It’s more abstract for those of us who don’t live in the areas most affected, but we’re seeing the far-reaching effects of polar ice loss and sea level rise. It takes another level of big-picture thinking to connect the dots on how combatting climate change can stave off certain cancers, boost public health, and fight poverty. Trying to quantify that line of thinking, the Lancet Planetary Health journal estimated that by meeting Paris Climate Accord pledges by 2040, nine populous industrial nations could save nearly 10 million lives. Those nations—Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and the US—account for about half the world’s population and around 70% of its emissions. The ways that could happen might surprise you.

EAT BETTER, LIVE BETTER