Health risks linked to climate change are getting worse

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The New York Times or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A comprehensive report by an international team of 114 researchers, published in The Lancet, reveals the escalating health and mortality risks worldwide due to climate change
• The report highlights a significant increase in heat-related deaths among people over 65, rising by 85% since the 1990s

🔭 The context: The report, which has been produced for nine years, tracks public health indicators and their decline over time
• It includes modeling that accounts for changing temperatures and demographics, emphasizing the vulnerability of older individuals and infants to heat-related health risks

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The findings show a disturbing trend of increased heat exposure, resulting in income losses estimated at $863 billion in 2022 and an additional 127 million people facing food insecurity due to heat waves and droughts

⏭️ What's next: The report includes projections for the future, warning of a 370% increase in heat-related deaths by mid-century if global temperatures rise by 2°C
• It calls for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt healthcare systems to the current level of global warming

💬 One quote: “We’ve lost very precious years of climate action and that has come at an enormous health cost (...) The loss of life, the impact that people experience, is irreversible” (Marina Romanello, researcher)

📈 One stat: The report found that deaths from air pollution related to fossil fuels have decreased by 15% since 2005, mainly due to reduced coal-related pollution

Click for more news covering the latest on climate change and its impact on global health.