in Portland, Oregon. “T ere’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- ing glaciers and the penguins,” she says. “People today still think it will aff ect ‘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 benefi ts of taking action against it, people are a lot more interested in doing something,” says Sarfaty. For instance, shiſt ing to clean energy


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


tOuGh oN tErMiTeS eAsY oN tHe eNvIrOnMeNt.


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