Climate change has a significant effect on basic needs such as clean air, shelter, food, freshwater, and security that are needed to sustain life and health. Some of the effects that are likely to be caused by climate change include heavy precipitation events, drought, air pollution, flooding, and sea-level rise. Each of the above changes negatively affects the health as well as the survival of communities. This paper seeks to explore extreme heat and its effect on the population. It will further provide suggestions for addressing the issue, steps needed to initiate policy change and its consequences on the health care delivery system.
Extreme Heat
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017), extreme heat is referred to as temperatures in the summertime that are extremely hot and humid than average temperatures. Climate change has worsened and heightened extreme heat exposures which cause health impacts to people. Extreme heat causes illness and death through chronic disease exacerbation, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Exposure to this kind of heat can also trigger various physiological mechanisms that damages the brain, pancreas, lungs, intestines,heart, and liver. As opined by Gronlund et al (2016), stress and dehydration caused by the heat can worsen renal diseases that are associated with the current chronic kidney disease epidemics. Additionally, exposure to extreme heat significantly affects mental health by increasing incidences of violence, aggression, disease, death, and a rise in admission rates for people that suffer from psychiatric conditions. Extreme heat can also lower the effectiveness of heat-sensitive medications when they are exposed to heat. Furthermore, extreme heat causes food insecurity, livestock and crop losses.
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Affected Population
Young children, individuals aged 65 and older, people with certain disabilities, and the homeless are at higher risk of health issues related to heat than others in the population. People that reside in urban heat islands that are densely populated with high energy use, more buildings, few trees, and little green spaces are also affected by extreme heat. The above-mentioned characteristics create the urban heat islands where temperature rises as high as 22 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Such vulnerabilities are mostly found in historical residential segregations. Rudolph et al (2013) indicate that African American has a 52 percent likelihood of living in areas that are vulnerable to heat as compared other racial groups. Extreme heat is a countrywide health issue in the US. In 2017, extreme heat periods broke almost all state records with each state recording a higher annual average temperature than usual. Temperatures at night have dramatically risen and it is projected to rise by three to five degrees Fahrenheit by 2030.
Problem Statement
As a result of the tremendous increase in temperatures, people, as well as communities, need policies and infrastructure that will take into account the increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of heat. In most parts of the United States and the world, extreme heat has exceeded normal records. The path created by the current Biden administration is promising for the efforts of decreasing extreme heat. The current climate policies, which are based on science and global warming reduction, will play a significant role in reducing carbon pollution emissions. Since taking office, the Biden administration has done a tremendous job of reducing carbon pollution emissions. His administration stopped the Keystone XL Pipeline construction and oil and gas leases on lands, immediately after taking office ( Winkler & Rouleau, 2020 ). More so, the administration has created a National Climate Task Force that will deal with climate-related issues.
In his infrastructure bill, he also proposed to spend on climate change. He has proposed to spend approximately 174 billion dollars on electric cars as well as about 35 million dollars for research and development in climate-focused technology (Tong, Ebi, & Olsen, 2017). In the United States, cities, states, as well as regional organizations are achieving the goal of real emissions decrease and they are getting important policy experiences to take climate change actions. Some of the actions taken by cities and states include selling agricultural carbon sequestration credits, working collaboratively to examine the changes in climate, and increase renewable energy production. Biden’s policies of climate change will increase the achievement of low emission cases.
How to address the issue?
As much as Biden’s administration has tried to implement policies on climate change, it has to enact new and stringent policies on climate change to help the country tackle and cope with extreme heat. The policies enacted should give special considerations to the vulnerable groups such as the outdoor workers, children, low-income groups, athletes, minority and the elderly. They should also ensure the safety of these groups and expand awareness and access to cooling facilities for the public.
Steps Needed to Initiate Policy Change
Various steps need to be followed to initiate the policy change. The initial step involves researching to understand the issue, know allies and competitors. The second step that should be followed is strategic planning which involves engaging in the strategic planning process. Thirdly, a person should create and maintain contact with those that can make or influence the policy such as local appointed and elected officials. The other stakeholders that can be implemented in this process include funding and regulatory agencies that will fund, enforce and speed up applications.
Health Care Delivery System Impacts
The policy change will have some impact on the health care delivery system. Firstly, it will have an improved adaptive capacity to climate change health impacts. It will also strengthen the capacity of health facilities and health providers. Finally, the policy will equip health staff with the necessary tools for preparing and responding to climate change health impacts.
References
CDC, “Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, 2017). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/climatechangeandextremeheatevents.pdf
Gronlund, C. J., Zanobetti, A., Wellenius, G. A., Schwartz, J. D., & O’Neill, M. S. (2016). Vulnerability to renal, heat and respiratory hospitalizations during extreme heat among US elderly. Climatic change, 136(3-4), 631-645.
Rudolph, L., Harrison, C., Buckley, L. & North, S. (2018). Climate Change, Health, and Equity: A Guide for Local Health Departments. Oakland, CA and Washington D.C., Public Health Institute and American Public Health Association
Tong, S., Ebi, K., & Olsen, J. (2017). Exiting the Paris climate accord: Trump administration misses the rising tide. The Lancet Planetary Health, 1(8), e304-e305.
Winkler, R. L., & Rouleau, M. D. (2020). Amenities or disamenities? Estimating the impacts of extreme heat and wildfire on domestic US migration. Population and Environment , 1-27.
