The WH is designating May 23-27 “Extreme Heat Week.”
Here’s hoping for snow on those days.
The White House published areport Monday warning that “extreme heat can be expected to cause an increase in the number of premature deaths”–the same day the National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for April snowstorms.
“From children to the elderly, every American is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change, now and in the future,” the report warned.
It was released by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and John Holdren, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the same day the National Weather Service predicted“ another round of wintry precipitation” for the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region that could dump up to 10 inches of snow on upstate New York….
“As the climate continues to change, the risks to human health will grow, exacerbating existing health threats and creating new public health challenges, and impacting more people in more places,” according to the report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program….
The report predicts that climate change will increase the incidence of air pollution, allergens that cause asthma, vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and West Nile virus, water- and food-borne illnesses, and premature deaths in the U.S. in addition to “disrupting infrastructure, including power, water, transportation and communication systems that are essential to maintain access to health care and emergency response services and safeguarding human health.”
“Mental health consequences of climate change range from minimal stress and distress symptoms to clinical disorders, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicide thoughts and behaviors,” the White House warned.
Climate change will have a “disproportionate effect” on low-income and communities of color, immigrants with limited English proficiency, Native Americans, pregnant women and children, senior citizens, outdoor workers, U.S. military personnel, search and rescue workers, the disabled, and those with chronic medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and psychiatric problems, it added.
The administration also announced that May 23-27 would be designated as Extreme Heat Week….
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Snows of Killmoretomorrow. Save the African equatorial polar bears!