From ocean health to mental health, the University of California Center for Climate, Health and Equity (CCHE) recently convened a series of discussions with UC and other experts for a far-ranging examination of new evidence and tools for addressing the climate-health crisis. The webinar discussions were aimed at equipping health scientists, professionals, leaders and learners for the impacts on patients of global warming, as climate change and its effects are accelerating.
In the four-part series, physicians, researchers and climate leaders discussed the intersection of oceans and human health; climate, food and health equity; climate change and mental health; and ways to talk with patients about climate and their health.
“An increasing body of evidence shows that climate change affects people’s health in tangible ways that will only increase in the future. As physicians, health educators and researchers, we have a duty to highlight the connection between climate change and human health for health professionals, patients and policy makers,” said Sheri Weiser, M.D., MPH, founding co-director of CCHE.
“Both the current and the next generation of health care professionals must be prepared to adjust their work with patients to address the very real effects of climate change,” Weiser added.
Sessions on ocean health and food systems revealed new connections to human health, as well as the effectiveness of popular solutions to emissions reduction. Participants gained greater understanding of the mechanisms of climate trauma and mental health and also learned new techniques to apply and communicate evidence-based medicine to patients experiencing climate-driven health issues.
“Awareness among health professionals is growing for the impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme weather on human health, and it’s imperative that we anticipate the future with ambitious action,” said Arianne Teherani, Ph.D., founding co-director of CCHE. “These discussions explored aspects of climate change that are less familiar – but no less urgent – for health professionals and the patients and communities they serve in California.”
Oceans: Better understanding the link with human health
Three experts addressed overlooked implications of ocean health for human health. Julio Garcia, executive director at Rise South City, a South San Francisco-based effort to build climate-resilient communities, offered perspectives on local impact of ocean health. He stressed that without community involvement, climate policy is likely to make little difference for Californians most affected by climate change.
He concluded, “We can research, we can talk, we can plan, but the last word is community members,” who need to understand how climate issues affect them and the concrete, local action they can take.
Tegan Hoffmann, Ph.D., advocated for resilience: not only for community recovery, but for improvement following climate events. Hoffman, executive director at Coastal Quest, also underscored the interdependency of food security and ocean health, such as when climate-driven algal blooms and disease can impact farmed and wild species of seafood.
Kiya Bibby, M.E.S.M., senior science officer at Ocean Science Trust, noted the “void” in quantitative research on the distribution of social harm and benefits,” as well as research that takes into consideration
political, economic and social factors in environmental issues, as well as cultural factors – particularly for indigenous coastal communities.
Food systems: Pesticides damage soil’s capacity for carbon sequestration
The health benefits of organic food for consumers and farmworkers are recognized by many. But, organic production also has climate benefits that directly relate to food security and holds the key to keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.
Kendra Klein, Ph.D., deputy director of Science at Friends of the Earth, cited research finding that pesticides damage the microbial content necessary to capture emissions in soil and to hold more carbon, more deeply.
Klein sketched the chain of events that comes from unchecked carbon emissions. These conditions could continue to trigger extreme drought and flooding that undermine production, reshape the range of pests, weaken crop resilience and perpetuate pesticide dependence.
Food system ecologist David A. Cleveland, Ph.D., a research professor at UC Santa Barbara, showed how human consumption drives overproduction and waste and has a causal role in the climate consequences that Klein described. Cleveland defined “superfluous” consumption, such as the protein-heavy standard American diet, as having diminishing returns of well-being. Underscoring the interdependence of climate and health, Cleveland observed that diet is the leading cause of non-communicable disease conditions worldwide.
Mental health: Recognizing the need to address “climate trauma”
From her studies of the intersection of climate and mental health, Elizabeth Pinsky, M.D., commented, “Our goal is not to not feel anxious anymore or to get rid of feeling anxious, but to feel less alone with it … and then to foster agency and engagement.”
Pinsky, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate director of advocacy at the Massachusetts General Center for Environment and Health, expanded on the physiological, mental and behavioral elements of climate trauma from her own practice. She proposed integrating climate education into curricula and training for psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists.
Context further distinguishes climate trauma from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression. Jyoti Mishra, Ph.D., associate director of the Climate Change and Mental Health Council for the UC Center for Climate Health and Equity explained that the term “climate trauma” identifies humans as victims and perpetrators, and “not separate from the earth or its ecosystems or climate.”
By way of example, Mishra examined the longer-term effects of wildfires in rural communities that are resource-poor. Residents directly or indirectly affected by the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County and living in a constant mental state of hyperarousal showed lower cognitive scores than people who were not exposed to the fire’s devastation. Noting that physical, socioeconomic and medical conditions can exacerbate physical and mental comorbidities, Mishra called for better mental health science to inform public policy.
Evidence-based communication: “We only change at the speed of trust”
While the evidence of climate’s impact on human health is becoming more clear, patient education is complicated by individual attitudes and understanding. Trity Pourbahrami, M.S.W., and Ellen Peters, Ph.D., observed that health professionals have an advantage in that they often are regarded as a trusted source of information.
Pourbahrami, communications officer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, advised that first and foremost, health care professionals must define the purpose for communicating about science. She described techniques for communicating with individuals and outlined steps for persuading groups to action.
Contrary to industry convention for describing risks and side effects, “Health professionals should lead with evidence,” said Peters. Peters, director of the Center for Science Communication Research at the University of Oregon, made the case that data can be a far more effective tool than qualitative statements that are subject to interpretation. Especially with respect to climate and health, Peters shared techniques for presenting data to support patient decisions.