Climate Change

• What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?

Personally, I find it troubling that there is clear scientific evidence to prove the negative impacts of climate change to our environment, yet there are still individuals who believe climate change is not significant or it doesn't exist. Unfortunately, many of these individuals and/or industries are the ones contributing most to the development of climate change via their extensive carbon footprint in our environment. Here again, we see another example of the lack of environmental justice. Big industry money is used to line the pockets of politicians who then oppose stricter regulations on these industries. As time progresses, we then begin to see how carbon emissions from these industries are shifting our environment, many times affecting the most vulnerable populations and promoting climate refugees. 

• As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?

In regards to climate change and public health, I think we need to focus on prioritizing policy and advocacy in the prevention of climate change. I view this approach as being an upstream solution that can help prevent future damage to our environment through stricter laws and regulations on big corporations. Via policy and advocacy we can also promote green chemistry solutions, allowing for the scientific community to find safer alternatives for these big corporations. 

• If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?

Climate change is the way in which carbon emissions are affecting the normal climate pattern in our environment. As a result of climate change we can see shifts in the in the environment, such as abnormal increase or decreased temperature patterns, droughts, fires, hurricanes, etc. These changes can negatively impact our world, with some examples including hurricanes, flooding, and fires that can displace individuals. The increase in climate refugees who may have lost their home due to  natural disasters. The rising of the sea level, impacting coastal regions, but also the local ecological life. There are only some of the few negative impacts of climate change.