| Organization: | Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health Division of Environmental Toxicology, Hazard Assessment and Prevention |
|---|---|
| Date published: | January 8, 2025 |
Introduction
These videos explore how climate change can affect the health of people and communities in Massachusetts. Extreme weather events - like storms, flooding, and intense heat waves - can cause injuries, deaths, and the loss of homes and result in stress and trauma. Air pollution brought on by wildfires can cause breathing problems. Heavier rains and warmer temperatures can result in increased mosquitoes and ticks – and the illnesses they can cause. Learn more about these topics and more in the following videos.
After watching these videos, you will understand how climate change affects people because of where they live, their access to official government information, availability of resources to prepare and respond, and whether they already have health problems. These people include:
- Children under 5 and people over 65
- People who are pregnant
- People of color due to structural racism
- People who speak little or no English who may not receive emergency messages in their native language
- People with disabilities
- People with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, asthma, lung diseases and respiratory allergies
- People that work or exercise outdoors
These educational videos use real scenarios to show the impact of climate change on health and how some communities are affected. At the end of each case study, you will see a list of interventions that can be used at the local health, clinician, community, and individual level to prepare and respond to climate threats