Latest news with #healthimpact
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Climate
- Fast Company
Why 4 billion people faced an extra month of extreme heat over the last year
Scientists say 4 billion people, about half the world's population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat because of human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025. The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and health care systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross. 'Although floods and cyclones often dominate headlines, heat is arguably the deadliest extreme event,' the report said. Many heat-related deaths are unreported or are mislabeled by other conditions like heart disease or kidney failure. The scientists used peer-reviewed methods to study how much climate change boosted temperatures in an extreme heat event and calculated how much more likely its occurrence was because of climate change. In almost all countries in the world, the number of extreme heat days has at least doubled compared with a world without climate change. Caribbean islands were among the hardest hit by additional extreme heat days. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, endured 161 days of extreme heat. Without climate change, only 48 would have occurred. 'It makes it feel impossible to be outside,' said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, chief director for Puerto Rico at Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit focused on social and environmental issues in Latino communities, who lives in the San Juan area and was not involved in the report. 'Even something as simple as trying to have a day outdoors with family, we weren't able to do it because the heat was too high,' she said, reporting feeling dizzy and sick last summer. When the power goes out, which happens frequently in Puerto Rico in part because of decades of neglected grid maintenance and damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017, Navarro said it is difficult to sleep. 'If you are someone relatively healthy, that is uncomfortable, it's hard to sleep . . . but if you are someone who has a health condition, now your life is at risk,' Gossett Navarro said. Heat waves are silent killers, said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. 'People don't fall dead on the street in a heat wave . . . people either die in hospitals or in poorly insulated homes and therefore are just not seen,' he said. Low-income communities and vulnerable populations, such as older adults and people with medical conditions, suffer the most from extreme heat. The high temperatures recorded in the extreme heat events that occurred in Central Asia in March, South Sudan in February and in the Mediterranean last July would have not been possible without climate change, according to the report. At least 21 people died in Morocco after temperatures hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) last July. People are noticing temperatures are getting hotter but don't always know it is being driven by climate change, said Roop Singh, head of urban and attribution at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, in a World Weather Attribution statement. 'We need to quickly scale our responses to heat through better early warning systems, heat action plans, and long-term planning for heat in urban areas to meet the rising challenge,' Singh said. City-led initiatives to tackle extreme heat are becoming popular in parts of South Asia, North America, Europe and Australia to coordinate resources across governments and other agencies. One example is a tree-planting initiative launched in Marseille, France, to create more shaded areas. The report says strategies to prepare for heat waves include monitoring and reporting systems for extreme temperatures, providing emergency health services, cooling shelters, updated building codes, enforcing heat safety rules at work, and designing cities to be more heat-resilient. But without phasing out fossil fuels, heat waves will continue becoming more severe and frequent and protective measures against the heat will lose their effectiveness, the scientists said.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Half of world's population endured extra month of extreme heat due to climate change, experts say
Scientists say 4 billion people, about half the world's population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat because of human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025. The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and health care systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
How will U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel partnership affect economy, air quality in Gary, Indiana?
On Sunday, the CBS News Chicago Investigators told you about the significant industrial pollution in Northwest Indiana and the health impact on the people living in Gary. Now, the federal government is working out a deal for a Japanese company to invest in U.S. Steel. Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said Nippon Steel plans to pump $1 billion in the Gary Works U.S. Steel facility — the largest steel plant in the country. But critics question whether this investment improve air quality, and whether the investment in the facility translate into an investment in Gary's economy. "I think we're still early in terms of specific commitments, or what they're willing to do," said Melton. The mayor said the details on what the investment by Nippon Steel would involve are not yet clear, but he knows what he wants for his community. "Hopefully, Nippon will make the investments to make the process cleaner; to reduce those emissions as much as they can," said Melton. The monthslong investigation CBS News Chicago aired on Sunday found the plant that would get the money released more pollutants than any other steel or iron mill tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency across the country. "The story was great. I think it covered a lot of legacy issues that people have been voicing on a local level. And it's starting to put it on a more regional and national level of the health concerns of our community." Beryl Fitzpatrick lives near the steel mill. She is a lifelong Gary resident whose doctor said is dealing with cancer likely tied to environmental pollution. The cancer has affected her speech. "I had to learn phonics," she said. "I had to learn words and sounds." Fitzpatrick is fighting for cleaner air in Gary. "There are technologies out there that allow a cleaner steelmaking process," said Mayor Melton. As mayor, another major concern for Melton is the city's economy and how it can benefit from the Nippon Steel investment. Right now, how the money would impact jobs is unclear. "We know that they're a major contributor in that way," Melton said. "But we also know that that level of investment — there should be a direct impact economically to the community as well." Meanwhile, there is something else Mayor Melton wants as Gary Works could get the massive influx of cash. He wants U.S. Steel to start paying its fair share of taxes. "A couple of decades ago, legislation was passed that allowed them to self-assess their real and personal property taxes," he said. The result of that legislation has been that for decades, U.S. Steel has had a special deal — basically choosing what it owes in taxes. "It has not paid its fair share," said Fitzpatrick. "The powers that be would have taken my house if I hadn't paid my fair share." CBS News Chicago brought questions to both U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel. There had been no response as of Thursday afternoon.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Experts Warn Climate Change Is A ‘Health Emergency' In Open Letter
More than 25 leading medical, public health, and environmental health organizations released an open letter highlighting the health impacts of climate change and the pollution driving it. The open letter warns climate change is a 'health emergency' and is already harming people's health, regardless of where they live. It adds 'extreme heat is killing people' and has also been linked with a wide range of short-term and long-term illnesses. The letter also urges leaders at all levels to take action against the pollution driving climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, vehicles and home appliances. 'The nation has strong measures currently on the books that are helping to drive down dangerous emissions,' the letter states. 'Leaders at every level should call for them to be kept in place, not rolled back or weakened.' The letter says these measures include tighter limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants, an updated national standard for particle pollution and investments in clean transportation. 'We are making progress and there are common sense opportunities for action at every level,' the letter states. Amongst the signatures are leaders from the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, and the Children's Environmental Health Network. The American Lung Association's director of nationwide clean air advocacy, Diana Van Vleet said the letter highlights how 'climate change is harming our health in a very real and immediate way' in an interview. She added beyond what policy at needed at federal level, it also calls on states and local government to step up and 'make sure that they're taking action to reduce climate pollutants and protect people' from the climate impacts already here. She said it also reflects how certain populations are more at risk from the health impacts of climate change, including children, older adults and communities who live near pollution sources. 'Climate change really is an unprecedented challenge, and we need all hands on deck,' she told me. 'Many federal rules are on the chopping block, but these are popular standards which save lives," she added. "We cannot afford to go backwards, and it is just so important that we defend these life-saving rules and the EPA, whose mission is to protect health by cleaning up pollutants.' Ear, nose and throat surgeon Dr. Neelima Tummala said global warming and climate change are impacting patients in a number of ways in an interview. Dr. Tummala added these impacts include worsening allergies as the pollen season is starting earlier in the spring and lasting longer into the fall. She said the last 10 years were the hottest 10 years on record and added extreme heat records pose a threat to people who work outdoors, who may struggle to keep hydrated. 'We are living in a new normal, and our bodies are not accustomed to this degree of heat,' she told me. 'If you are working outdoors for an extreme amount of time, you are at risk for not staying well hydrated, which increases kidney disease. There are also mental health impacts with worsening anxiety, stress, and depression in the hotter summer months. Dr. Tummala said the spread of certain infectious diseases, like Lyme disease in the United States, is also affected as temperatures rise. 'We are also highly concerned about older individuals with underlying health conditions, and how breathing in polluted air impacts them,' she said. 'Ground-level ozone, or smog, is another really significant respiratory concern. It has been shown to cause increased inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory systems and increases breathing complications.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Dieselgate pollution killed 16,000 people in UK, study estimates
The excess pollution emitted as a result of the Dieselgate scandal has killed about 16,000 people in the UK and caused 30,000 cases of asthma in children, according to a new analysis. A further 6,000 premature deaths will occur in coming years without action, the researchers said. The Dieselgate scandal erupted in 2015 when diesel cars were found to be emitting far more toxic air pollution on the roads than when they passed regulatory tests, due to the use of illegal 'defeat devices'. Large fines and compulsory recalls of vehicles to remove or disable the defeat devices took place in the US. But experts say the UK and most EU countries have lagged far behind, leading to devastating impacts on health, and urge immediate action. Many millions of highly polluting diesel vehicles remain on the roads in the UK and EU. The analysis estimated the impact of only the excess pollution released due to the defeat devices, not the total emissions from the cars. In the UK, these excess emissions had led to 800,000 days of sick leave and a total economic burden due to deaths and poor health of £96bn by 2024. Across the UK and EU combined, the fallout from Dieselgate has included about 124,000 early deaths and economic damage of €760bn (£637bn), the study estimated. Without action, a further 81,000 premature deaths and €430bn are projected by 2040, by which time most Dieselgate vehicles will no longer be in use. 'Our calculations reveal the widespread and devastating health impacts of excessive diesel emissions – thousands of lives cut short, countless children developing asthma, and an immense burden of chronic illness,' said Dr Jamie Kelly, at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), which conducted the research for environmental law group ClientEarth. 'This is a crisis with a long and lingering legacy,' he said. 'Without action, these impacts will stretch far into the future, affecting generations to come. Governments have a responsibility to break this cycle.' ClientEarth lawyer Emily Kearsey said: 'The scale of the UK government's response has been completely disproportionate to the public health crisis that we're facing. Auto manufacturers have been trying to sweep the Dieselgate scandal under the carpet for too long. The UK government has the opportunity to finally stand up for people's health and hold polluters accountable.' Jemima Hartshorn, of campaign group Mums for Lungs, said: 'Millions of diesel cars on our roads are still emitting toxically high levels of pollution and it's costing our health, especially the health of our children.' Defeat devices have been illegal since before the Dieselgate scandal but in 2020 new UK law placed a duty on the government to investigate vehicles suspected of using defeat devices. New powers in 2021 enabled the government to create laws that could force manufacturers to recall vehicles on environmental grounds. These powers have yet to be used, although it is believed a consultation is planned. In 2023, ClientEarth sent a legal complaint to the government based on the strong evidence that many vehicles using defeat devices remained on the road. After this, the government said in 2024 that it was investigating 47 different car models under 20 brands by 11 manufacturers, and that more would follow. In the US, regulators fined Volkswagen £1.45bn and the company also had to pay $5bn into pollution mitigation funds for its role in Dieselgate. It was also forced to fix the cars or buy them back. In contrast, the UK has imposed no fines on any car company nor forced any recalls. 'In the UK, and the EU on the whole, there's just not been anywhere near the same level of accountability,' said Kearsey. Instead, individual consumers have been left to fight for financial compensation from manufacturers through the UK courts, leaving the excessively polluting vehicles on our roads. Almost 2 million consumer claims are now being pursued in the high court against 18 auto-manufacturers alleged to have used prohibited defeat devices. In 2022, Volkswagen agreed to pay £193m to 91,000 drivers in England and Wales. Some car manufacturers have undertaken voluntary recalls to fix the vehicles but public information on this is limited and only a small fraction of affected vehicles are likely to have been covered. The Crea report used data on car fleets and real-world emissions and modelling to estimate the impact of the excess emissions due to Dieselgate. The models have been widely used in scientific research and the relationships between nitrogen dioxide and small particle pollution and ill health and deaths were taken from published studies. The analysis considered emissions that were more than double the legal limit as excess and almost certainly due to the use of defeat devices. It covered such diesel vehicles approved from 2009. A stricter real-world emissions test was fully implemented in the EU in 2021. Prof Suzanne Bartington, at the University of Birmingham, UK, said it was clear that the toxic emissions led to early deaths and disease. She said a more conservative approach would not have added the premature deaths from NO2 and from small particles together, as it is unclear to what extent each contributes to mortality individually. 'We tend to use the higher of either estimate,' she said. That approach would give an estimate of 13,000 Dieselgate deaths in the UK by 2024, rather than the Crea central estimate of 16,000. On Monday, a regional court in Germany sentenced four former VW managers for fraud, with two sent to prison and two given suspended sentences. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'Defeat devices are illegal, misleading for drivers and can have negative health impacts on the public. We routinely and robustly check vehicles against emission standards and acted quickly to set up an investigation on this matter. We will work with industry to resolve any issues identified.'
