The climate is changing. Not only will climate change impact our environment, the land, air and sea, it will affect our health. In particular, we know that climate change will disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, people living in poverty and in particular climate change will affect the health of our children both in the United States and around the world. As Christians and Episcopalians, what is our role and responsibility in protecting the health of our neighbors? This week we continue our Lenten series, For the Beauty of the Earth by exploring the relationship of climate change and health.

What are the impacts?
We now understand and recognize that climate change will have significant impacts on the world around us. But how will climate change affect our health? Who will it hurt the most? Scientists and public health organizations have long discussed the relationship between chemicals and pollution on the quality of life of the world’s population. But the world health community are now beginning to become concerned that climate change will exacerbate existing threats to our health and particularly vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are beginning to study this important relationship.

According to the CDC, some of the effects of climate change are likely to include more variable weather, heat waves, heavy precipitation events, flooding, droughts, more intense storms such as hurricanes, sea level rise, and air pollution. Each of these changes has the potential to negatively affect health. While climate change is recognized as a global issue, the effects of climate change will vary across geographic regions and populations. Although scientific understanding of the effects of climate change is still emerging, there is a pressing need to prepare for potential

In a 2006 speech, Dr. Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr.P.H., Director of the National Center for Environmental Health said, "[w]e need to pursue justice. We know across the public health world, including in environmental public health, that not all of us are equally affected by public health problems. Some people are disproportionately exposed and disproportionately at risk. This has given rise to the transformative field of environmental justice. Poor communities and communities of color have taught us all that people at risk deserve special consideration. We need to devote our attention to those communities. We saw in Hurricane Katrina that not all of us are equally at risk from some of the kinds of severe weather events that we expect with climate change, and we need to keep that absolutely at the center of our attention."

Lenten Discipline: Raising Awareness
Learn More about Malaria Climate change could increase the prevalence of treatable but deadly diseases like malaria. Each year, nearly 500 million people contract malaria. Africa has one of the highest malaria infection rates in the world. Annually it is estimated that one million people die from malaria worldwide, with nearly 90% (900,000) of deaths occurring in Africa. It is the leading cause of death in children under five years old and kills one in 20 children on the continent. Pregnant women and their unborn babies are also vulnerable to malaria.
Episcopal Relief and Development is an implementing partner of the NetsforLifeSM malaria prevention program. NetsforLifeSM aims to distribute one million long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and educate three to four million people in 16 countries in sub Saharan Africa.