Joy Williams of the Environmental Health Coalition presents EHC work in partnership with La Maestra community clinics to inform clinicians, outreach workers and patients about the impact of climate change on health, and what they can do about it.

1. Creating a Climate For Health:
Local Level Work with Health Care
Providers
www.environmentalhealth.org

2. La Maestra Community Health Centers
Celebrating 24 years
of improving the health and wellbeing
of diverse communities in San Diego

3. Professor Ralph Keeling: world-renowned climate
scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s
CO2 Program
"When I travel with my kids, I tell them they're seeing things I don't
expect they'll see again in future because of the climate crisis."

4. 4
City Heights Climate Vulnerabilities
•Lack of Air-Conditioning/Cost of Air Conditioning
•Heat Island Effect
•Lack of Transportation
•High Unemployment &
Underemployment

5. Project Goals
• Provide Education
about climate
Change and health
to La Maestra staff
and patients
• Secure participation of La
Maestra staff and patients
in educating San Diego
government officials about
the importance of the
City’s Climate Action Plan
(CAP), and the Regional
Transportation Plan.

7. Changing Behavior: Deep Education
• Must be Community &
Culturally Specific
• Trusted community leaders
as messengers

8. Do Something/ Do Nothing
Haz Algo / No Hagas Nada

9. Reviewing the Energy Bill
9

10. Morbidity and Mortality from High Heat Events, data from July
2006 California Heat Wave
ED and Hospitalization Increases, Statistically significant:
• Heat-related illnesses
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Acute renal failure
• Nephritis/Nephrotic syndrome
ED and Hospitalization Increases, not statistically significant statewide:
• Acute MI
• Respiratory illnesses
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
Overall relative risk for heat-related ED visits in the coastal Southern California
region in July 2006 heat wave: 5.05. In our region, people had over 5 times the
usual risk of ending up in the ED for heat, compared to normal summer
weather.
Environ Health Perspect 117:61–67 (2009). doi:10.1289/ehp.11594 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 22 August 2008]

11. Air Quality: Ozone
More Heat = More Ozone
IPCC: At temps above 32oC (90oF) there is a strong positive relationship between
temperature and ground level ozone concentrations.
NO2 + O2 O3 + NOSunlight

12. • A powerful oxidant gas
• Irritates the respiratory system
• Reduces lung function
• Aggravates asthma
• Inflames and damage cells that line the
lungs
• Aggravates chronic lung diseases
• Can cause permanent lung damage
Health Effects of Ozone

13. Air Quality:
Particulate Matter
• Increases asthma attacks (Harvard Six Cities Studies)
• Aggravates bronchitis (McConnell et al 1999)
• Slows lung growth in children (Gauderman et al 2000,2002)
• Lower birth weight and increased number of
premature births (Ritz et al 2001,2002)
• Contributes to premature deaths (Pope et al 2002)

16. Clinical Responses
Assess Vulnerabilities: 2 new questions added
to patient intake forms
Provide Resources: brochures, posters

17. Policy Advocacy
• City of San Diego Climate Action Plan
• SANDAG: Regional Transportation Plan

18. 18
Solar: Almost
Zero In Our
Communities