The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Policy brief for the United States of America 2021
This year’s Brief explores three interrelated hazards — extreme heat, droughts, and wildfires — to highlight the complexities and nuances of the impacts of climate change on health, including how health risks vary, can be unexpectedly broad, and have far- reaching consequences. It concludes by demonstrating how deepening this understanding is essential for evidence-informed policy recommendations. This fifth annual Policy Brief is supported by a diverse group of health experts from over 70 institutions, organizations, and centers who recognize that climate change is first and foremost a health crisis. It uses indicator data for the United States (U.S.) from the 2021 global Lancet Countdown report1 and recent scientific studies to expose the inequitable health risks of climate change and highlights opportunities to improve health through swift action. The U.S. must rapidly implement an all- encompassing, evidence-informed response to climate change that prioritizes and optimizes health and equity.
Specifically, this brief calls for policymakers to:
- Make urgent investments in research and interventions that protect health and prioritize equity,
- Account for the health costs of fossil fuel burning in decision-making, and
- Rapidly cut GHG emissions, particularly in areas suffering most from fossil fuel-related air pollution.
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