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AAMCNews: Climate change and health

Climate change poses extraordinary risks to human health, including increased risk of heat-related illness, worsening air quality due to wildfires, more vector-borne diseases like Lyme and dengue fever, and contaminated water due to flooding. At the same time, the health care sector is a big source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 8.5% of carbon pollution in the United States.

In the last few years, AAMCNews has published a series of articles on the impact of climate change on health as well as efforts by academic health systems to mitigate their own carbon footprints. 

Have an idea for this collection? Please reach out to Editorial Director Gabrielle Redford at gredford@aamc.org.

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Viewpoints
The growing toll of climate anxiety

Guilt, sadness, fear, worry over bringing children into the world. Eco-anxiety is growing. Here’s what doctors and medical educators can—and must—do to help.

  • Dec. 3, 2024
Portrait of a young teenage girl activist holding a sign protesting against climate change and global warming. She is standing outdoors on a city street and is holding signs with various messages, such as 'go green' and 'save our planet'. She is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. Focus on the girl and her sign, with city street defocused beyond. Room for copy space.
AAMCNews
Why older adults are especially vulnerable to climate change

When hurricanes, heat waves, floods, and wildfires strike, older adults are often the majority of victims, due to medical conditions and dependency on...

  • Oct. 31, 2024
Lonely senior man looking out of window at winter
Viewpoints
Achieving health justice through environmental justice

All communities, particularly those that have been historically marginalized, deserve equitable access to healthy environments, the authors argue.

  • Oct. 25, 2024
A group of young adult people are resting after a climate change demonstration in the city. They are sitting in circle with some cardboard signs against global warming.
AAMCNews
Ozone: An unseen health threat makes a comeback with climate change

Laws have reduced ground-level ozone since the 1970s, but scientists warn that rising temperatures will fuel more of the gas and stall pollution reduction.

  • Aug. 6, 2024
Steam and smoke billows from smokestack at massive thermal power plant on a clear blue sky background
AAMCNews
Microplastics are inside us all. What does that mean for our health?

Tiny plastic particles have been found throughout the human body, but researchers say they’re just starting to understand the impact.

  • June 27, 2024
Microplastics research, conceptual image
AAMCNews
Climate change hurts women more

Extreme weather is linked to pregnancy complications, increased violence, and inescapable exposure to pollution and heat.

  • June 6, 2024
Pregnant woman in bed with a fan because of the heat wave
AAMCNews
More bugs are coming, spreading more disease. Are doctors ready to respond?

As the climate changes, vector-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, and Lyme are expanding into more areas. That challenges physicians to recognize the symptoms.

  • May 1, 2024
A mosquito, that is silhouetted against the moon, bites a human arm
AAMCNews
Do seasonal allergies seem to be getting worse? Blame climate change

How warmer temperatures and ‘botanical sexism’ are exacerbating seasonal allergies and what allergists recommend to minimize the health effects.

  • April 9, 2024
A woman holding a tissue near her face while standing outside near some trees
AAMCNews
Drugs used in hospitals leave giant carbon footprint

The production and use of pharmaceuticals creates significant greenhouse gases. Hospitals are trying to reduce their own impact but face challenges.

  • Feb. 29, 2024
Covid-19 vaccine production line
AAMCNews
Those wildfires this past summer? They’re still wreaking havoc on your health

A growing body of research shows how air pollution from wildfires is impacting the lungs, heart, brain, and other organs. Climate change is making it worse.

  • Jan. 23, 2024
Smoke from wildfires in California covers the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge and buildings on the San Francisco skyline.