The beauty, wonder and diversity of the ocean’s coral reefs are truly amazing! As a scuba diver for more than 20 years it is heartbreaking to watch them disappear.
On July 27, 2023, the Tampa Bay Times reported that a buoy stationed in the waters north of Key Largo, recorded an ocean temperature of 101.1 degrees! The federally operated Coral Reef Watch placed the Florida Keys under a bleaching alert meaning there is a likelihood of more than 90% of all the coral reefs in the Keys were bleaching at some point last summer.
After a year blighted by extreme heat, deadly wildfires, and smog, it’ll come as little surprise to many of us that 2023 is likely the hottest year on record globally. It’s clear we need to address the issue of climate change head-on.
Here in Ohio with more freeze-free days our pollen season is growing longer, and allergies are getting worse. Climate Central’s new report, “Seasonal Allergies: Pollen and Mold,” details its impacts on respiratory health. Allergies are more than just inconvenient—they are expensive to manage and can have significant health implications, such as triggering or worsening asthma.
A mounting body of evidence highlights the undeniable link between our reliance on fossil fuels and its insidious toll on public health. A recent study published by the American Heart Association on July 24, 2023, warns of a doubled risk of fatal heart attacks due to the combination of extreme heat and fine particulate pollution.
Increasingly, a changing climate acts as a threat multiplier for numerous public health concerns, often exacerbating pre-existing conditions, which can then become health emergencies. As communities along the coast confront escalated flooding threats, waterborne diseases like E. coli and cholera are on the rise. Many coastal hospitals are ill-prepared for the repeated damage caused by climate events, and hundreds of hospitals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are at risk of flooding from hurricanes.
Communities of color bear a disproportionate climate burden but also stand to gain the most as we transition to clean, healthy, renewable forms of energy. Rising temperatures and heat waves heighten the likelihood of heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable groups, including the mentally ill, unhoused people, and people with disabilities.
As a healthcare worker who has sworn to “do no harm,” it’s my duty to speak up about the need to transition to cleaner energy sources that reduce air pollution, save lives, and ensure better outcomes.
Just as preventative healthcare measures guard against dire health outcomes, we possess “preventative” solutions to avoid the worst of climate change. We simply need Congress to take action.
Take H.R. 5744 The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act which was reintroduced in 2023 and would deploy the most powerful tool we have to drive down America’s carbon pollution. The legislation puts a fee on carbon pollution, and the money collected from fossil fuel companies goes to Americans via a monthly ‘carbon cash back’ payment so everyone can afford the transition. Critically, it will help improve health and save millions of American lives over the next 50 years by reducing the pollution Americans breathe. Poor air quality from burning fossil fuels is responsible for as many as 1 in 10 American deaths today and sickens thousands more.
Please urge U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) and Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) and Ohio’s U.S. Republican Sen. J.D. Vance (R.) and Democrat Sherrod Brown (D.) for action in supporting this bill.
In healthcare, we often say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this timeless wisdom needs to be applied to our changing climate.
Will we continue burning fossil fuels, perpetuating a growing healthcare burden and an estimated annual U.S. healthcare cost of $77 billion? Or will we take action now to prevent the worst and save countless lives, not to mention healthcare dollars, in the future? (healthcare cost published by Environmental Research: Health on May 8, 2023)
Daniel Burgard
Perrysburg
