Results: 2030 Heat Wave

Extreme temperatures linked to climate change could cause an additional 11,000 heat-related deaths in the United States in the summer of 2030, according to a report released today. The report involved the work of more than 100 government scientists at eight federal agencies, and comes almost a year after President Obama convened the deans of 30 medical and public health schools in an effort to draw attention to the health impacts of climate change. Some populations — children, the elderly, the poor and the mentally ill — will bear an increased health burden from climate change, the report said. Do you believe in global warming?

Officials said the study was extensively peer-reviewed, and even looked at whether some of the effects of climate change would be offset. "Because of the science we have in this report and the modeling that was done, we can say that the increase in heat-related deaths far exceeds the decrease in cold related deaths. And we know that because of science," said U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Do you believe in scientific based facts?

That's just the most obvious of many health effects of climate change outlined in the report. Ragweed pollen season is now as many as 27 days longer than it was in 1995, leading to more asthma episodes in children, and wildfires and increasing ozone levels could also lead to respiratory problems. Incidents of mosquito- and tick-borne diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease are now moving north. And more violent rainfalls will lead to more flooding, more runoff and more contaminated drinking water. "This isn't just about glaciers and polar bears, it's about the health of our families and our kids," said Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Have you noticed in yourself, or in your family, any health changes that you believe could be related to the environment changes?