Climate Change: A Health Threat for Humanity

The Princeton Pulse Podcast

The World Health Organization is not mincing words when it comes to climate change, calling it one of the greatest health threats for humanity.

On this episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast, we discuss the increasingly dire health impacts of global warming – from air pollution to water contamination, higher disease burdens, and a host of other outcomes that directly or indirectly endanger human health and wellbeing. Scientists warn that these consequences will only worsen over time if we don’t take immediate action, and that lower-income countries and communities that are least equipped to adapt will suffer the most.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, confronts the challenges of climate change from a public health perspective with two distinguished guests: climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton professor and director of the university’s Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment; and Dr. Jeremy Hess, a professor and director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at University of Washington.

The panel takes a candid look at the mechanisms by which climate change affects human health and the urgent need for mitigation. They talk about the increasing scale, frequency and intensity of extreme weather; heat-related illness; human migration; food supply threats; equity concerns; and the policy issues and implications in light of a changing administration. At the same time, they offer hope for the path forward, noting a worldwide energy revolution that will continue to drive progress, even if it’s at a slower pace.

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Watch a recent episode of RNZ’s “30 with Guyon Espiner” podcast series, where Oppenheimer discusses many aspects of global climate change.

Oppenheimer participated in a UN Climate Week symposium moderated by David Wallace-Wells, an opinion writer and columnist for The New York Times Magazine. Tipping points in the climate system was the central issue.

The panel discussed research on mortality caused by tropical cyclones in the United States. Read the paper published in Nature.

The Center for Health and the Global Environment at University of Washington developed an interactive decision tool that links heat-health risk assessment with evidence-based guidance on how to protect public health under changing climate-related environmental conditions.

This article, co-authored by Heather Howard and published by Health Affairs, examines how state health programs

The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.