On April 4, the Obama Administration released Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment. The report was developed over three years by climate change and public health experts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

According to a White House fact sheet, the assessment:

“… reinforces that climate change is a significant threat to the health of the American people not just in the future but right now. As the climate continues to change, the risks to human health will grow, exacerbating existing health threats and creating new public health challenges, and impacting more people in more places. From children to the elderly, every American is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate changes, now and in the future.”

Those impacts are predicted to include 11,000 more heat-related deaths in American cities during the summer of 2030, an increased risk of water-related illnesses and pathogens in food, earlier onset of exposure seasons for insect-borne diseases, and worsening allergy and asthma conditions.

The report states that climate change will have the largest health impact on vulnerable populations, including those with low incomes, children, pregnant women, older adults, persons with disabilities, and those with medical conditions.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said at a press briefing:

“This isn’t just about glaciers and polar bears. This is about the health of our family and our kids. To protect ourselves and future generations, we need to understand the health impact of climate changes that is already happening and those we expect to see down the road.”

One of the Administration’s major initiatives to reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming is the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which would require States to devise plans to reduce existing power plants’ emissions by 2022, with a target of collectively reducing their output by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

That regulation is under a court-ordered stay until a lawsuit brought by opponents of the plan, representing 24 States attorney generals, as well as business interests, works its way through the system.

For more background on this topic, see the February 2016 issue of Congressional Digest on “Combating Climate Change.”