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the impacts of increasing temperatures and heat waves on kids,” she says. Climate change can also impact men-


tal health, according to a recent review by the American Psychological Association. Exposure to natural disasters can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Plus, accord- ing to research institutions including the University of California, San Diego, and Iowa State University, chronic heat, espe- cially at night, can interfere with sleep and even lead to aggressive behavior. Ten there’s the worry about what to


do about it, and whether it will be enough. “When you talk with people about what is affecting them, climate is definitely one of the things stressing them out,” says Tomas Doherty, Psy.D., a psychologist in Portland, Oregon. “Tere’s a sense of mystery and powerlessness around it that weighs on people.”


Fresh Perspective, New Hope Mona Sarfaty, a family physician who is now director of the Medical Society Con- sortium on Climate & Health, attests that 69 percent of Americans are aware that climate change is occurring, and more than half agree that human activities are at least partly to blame. Yet only a third believe it could ever harm them personally. “So much of the early focus was on the reced-


Five Steps to Take Today 1


Swap tailpipes for pedals: Bike or walk instead of driving, especially for distances of less than two miles,


which comprise 40 percent of all car trips. A study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that if everyone did this in just 11 cities in the Midwest, not only would carbon dioxide (CO2


)


emissions fall, but it would extend 1,300 lives and save $8 billion in healthcare costs due to better air quality and less sedentary lifestyles.


2 3


Eat less red meat: Producing red meat results in five times more climate-warming emissions per


calorie than chicken, pork, dairy or eggs, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It also creates 11 times more emissions than the production of potatoes, wheat or rice. Eating less red meat can also decrease an individual’s risk of certain cancers.


Encourage hospitals and doctors’ offices to go green: Te healthcare system is responsible


ing glaciers and the penguins,” she says. “People today still think it will affect ‘those other people over there,’ but not them.” She agrees with the recent focus on im-


minent health issues, and is encouraged that a growing number of healthcare profession- als feel it’s their duty to inform their patients about climate change to mobilize action. “When you talk about climate change not only in terms of the health impact it has on individuals and families, but also in terms of the real-time benefits of taking action against it, people are a lot more interested in doing something,” says Sarfaty. For instance, shiſting to clean energy


sources like wind and solar instead of coal can effect better air quality and easier breathing now. Cycling or walking to work rather than driving can reduce carbon emissions, boost feel-good brain chemi-


26 Greater Oklahoma/OKC Edition NatualAwakeningsOKC.com


for about 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut. Boston-area hospitals recently slashed their overall emissions by 29 percent in five years.


4 5


Plant more trees: As they grow, trees remove carbon dioxide from the air. Being around green space


has also been shown to boost mental and cognitive health.


Show compassion: Americans,


per capita, emit six times more CO2 than the global average, according


to research by Jonathan Patz, a medical doctor who directs the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. In a TED Talk, he observed that U.S. lower-income populations and those in developing countries are oſten hit hard- est by gaseous emissions. “Tose most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change are oſten the least responsible,” he says. “Doing something about this is a matter of compassion.”


cals and keep weight in check. Writing letters to editors or attending rallies to urge lawmakers to pass climate-friendly policies can not only fend off the anxiety and depression that comes with feeling helpless, but also effect real change. Ahdoot is taking these steps now. She


has solar panels on her roof, is assisting the local hospital to reduce its carbon foot- print, takes public transportation to work and encourages her kids to walk whenever possible. “I don’t feel powerless at all. I feel empowered and optimistic,” she says. “Te more we know, the more we are moved to act. We can all do something small every day to protect our climate.”


Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer in Boulder, CO. Connect at LisaAnnMarshall.com.


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