Obama to Present Climate Change as Public-Health Hazard
US President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House. Mr. Obama will highlight the link between climate change and public health during a round-table discussion Tuesday afternoon at Howard University.
President Barack Obama will make the case that climate change is hazardous to public health as the White House launches an initiative aimed at addressing its effects on communities.
The president will highlight the link between climate change and public health during a round-table discussion Tuesday afternoon at Howard University. The event and the White House’s rollout of several other actions are intended to convey the urgent need to prepare for and reduce the consequences of climate change, administration officials said.
“This is not just a future threat — this is a present threat,” said Brian Deese, a senior adviser to the president.
While climate change is often associated with calamitous events like hurricanes and wildfires, Mr. Deese said the impacts on people’s health go beyond injuries from extreme weather. A changing climate will lead to more asthma attacks, more heat-related deaths and more allergens in the air, he said.
This week’s announcements are part of a broader administration effort to show the public that inaction on climate change will affect people where they live. Polls show public skepticism about the need to act now.
In a Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll conducted earlier this year, 34% of respondents said addressing the issue of climate change should be an absolute priority this year. More people—some 37%—said the issue could be delayed until next year, and 27% said addressing climate change shouldn’t be pursued.
Mr. Obama has said that no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. Administration officials hope to underscore that point by expanding their Climate Data Initiative and releasing health-relevant data sets.
The White House is announcing a Climate Change and Health Summit to be held later this spring. And the administration is securing commitments from deans of medical, nursing and public-health schools to train health professionals to effectively address the impacts of climate change.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
Obama to Present Climate Change as Public-Health Hazard - WSJ
US President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House. Mr. Obama will highlight the link between climate change and public health during a round-table discussion Tuesday afternoon at Howard University.
President Barack Obama will make the case that climate change is hazardous to public health as the White House launches an initiative aimed at addressing its effects on communities.
The president will highlight the link between climate change and public health during a round-table discussion Tuesday afternoon at Howard University. The event and the White House’s rollout of several other actions are intended to convey the urgent need to prepare for and reduce the consequences of climate change, administration officials said.
“This is not just a future threat — this is a present threat,” said Brian Deese, a senior adviser to the president.
While climate change is often associated with calamitous events like hurricanes and wildfires, Mr. Deese said the impacts on people’s health go beyond injuries from extreme weather. A changing climate will lead to more asthma attacks, more heat-related deaths and more allergens in the air, he said.
This week’s announcements are part of a broader administration effort to show the public that inaction on climate change will affect people where they live. Polls show public skepticism about the need to act now.
In a Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll conducted earlier this year, 34% of respondents said addressing the issue of climate change should be an absolute priority this year. More people—some 37%—said the issue could be delayed until next year, and 27% said addressing climate change shouldn’t be pursued.
Mr. Obama has said that no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. Administration officials hope to underscore that point by expanding their Climate Data Initiative and releasing health-relevant data sets.
The White House is announcing a Climate Change and Health Summit to be held later this spring. And the administration is securing commitments from deans of medical, nursing and public-health schools to train health professionals to effectively address the impacts of climate change.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
Obama to Present Climate Change as Public-Health Hazard - WSJ
