The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding asserting that climate change is a significant threat to public health, a notion discounted by President Donald Trump, who referred to it as 'a scam.' Nonetheless, extensive research has documented the adverse health impacts of a warming world, demonstrating that climate change leads to increasing disease rates and fatalities.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established this finding in 2009, under the Obama administration; it served as the foundation for many regulations aimed at combating global warming. Numerous recent studies continue to point to the growing dangers posed by climate change to human health, indicating that thousands in the United States have died or fallen ill due to its effects over recent decades.
One study published in the prestigious JAMA journal illustrates a stark trend: the number of heat-related deaths in the U.S. has skyrocketed from 1,069 in 1999 to a record high of 2,325 in 2023. This data reinforces the narrative that climate change is increasingly a critical threat to public health.
A recent study in Nature Climate Change highlighted that of 9,700 annual heat deaths globally attributed to human-induced climate change, a significant portion occurred in the U.S. Additionally, a new report identified heat as a factor in 2.2% of summer deaths in Texas between 2010 to 2023, correlating increased heat events with climate change.
Growing Research on Climate and Health
In over 15 years since identifying climate change as a public health hazard, there have been over 29,000 peer-reviewed studies on the intersection of climate and health, with the majority published in the last five years. Experts emphasize that the multitude of studies consistently points to the dangers climate change poses to human health.
Dr. Howard Frumkin, professor emeritus of public health at the University of Washington, asserted, Study after study documents that climate change endangers health, for one simple reason: It’s true. Conversely, during a White House event, Trump dismissed concerns about climate change's public health implications.
Beyond Heat-Related Deaths
The discourse surrounding climate change and health extends beyond heat mortality. Various studies reveal a range of health impacts, from deaths associated with extreme weather events to illnesses like cholera exacerbated by changing climatic conditions. While cold-related deaths are on the decline, they still outnumber heat-related deaths significantly in the U.S.
Moreover, comprehensive research has pointed to a looming health crisis owing to climate change, underscoring its extensive implications for the well-being of populations worldwide against a backdrop of increasing environmental challenges.
As the situation evolves, the government's stance versus the predominant scientific consensus marks a significant chapter in the fight against climate change and its consequences on public health.
