Health
-
The incredibly high temperatures found in Texas over the last couple of weeks were caused by a strong high pressure center that trapped heat near the surface, leading to extreme impacts on energy production and human and animal health. Many people were hospitalized by the torrid conditions, and at least 9 people died from the…
-
The North Carolina State Climate Office posted a report on the recent occurrence of skies filled with smoke from the Canadian wildfires and the problems it caused for air quality in their region. You can read it at Rapid Reaction: Smoky Skies Create Unhealthy Air Quality – North Carolina State Climate Office (ncsu.edu).
-
The Urban Heat Island of cities is well-known and is attributed to the high percentage of pavement and lack of trees. However, a new study by experts at the Yale School examined the urban heat effect and how it is affected by humidity. The study determined that some efforts to reduce the heat, either through trees or vegetation,…
-
Farm Progress posted an interesting story this week about how increases in temperature and humidity in the Midwestern Corn Belt in recent years are increasing the levels of aflatoxin in corn. This has been a more common problem in the Southeast where we already have to deal with high temperature and humidity, but as temperatures…
-
Earlier this week, Scientific American published a story that highlights the Southeast’s outsized vulnerability to climate change, according to a new index created by the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University that analyzes climate impacts and neighborhood conditions such as poverty and health. It’s not necessarily that the climate changes are going to be…
-
Here’s a new website that provides monthly updates on climate and health based on drought and wildfire potential likelihood plus the amount of pollen expected. The Health and Human Services Department publishes a link to the latest newsletter at https://www.hhs.gov/climate-change-health-equity-environmental-justice/climate-change-health-equity/climate-health-outlook/index.html. The newsletter also provides information about the demographics of those who are most affected by…
-
While a lot of the hype on social media this week (at least among meteorologists) has been the potential for snow somewhere in the Southeast or on the East Coast, the bigger story for most of us is going to be the coming cold weather, according to James Spann, well-known Birmingham meteorologist. The conditions he…