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Show Notes

We know that climate change has serious implications for human health, including the spread of vector-borne disease and the global increase of malnutrition. What we don’t yet know is how expansive these health issues could become or how these problems will impact social stability. On episode 12 of Not Cool, Ariel is joined by Kris Ebi, professor at the University of Washington and founding director of its Center for Health and the Global Environment. Kris explains how increased CO2 affects crop quality, why malnutrition might alter patterns of human migration, and what we can do to reduce our vulnerability to these impacts. She also discusses changing weather patterns, the expanding geographic range of disease-carrying insects, and more.

Topics discussed include:

• Human health and social stability
• Climate related malnutrition
• Knowns and unknowns
• Extreme events and changing weather patterns
• Vulnerability and exposure
• Steps to reduce vulnerability
• Vector-borne disease
• Endemic vs. epidemic malaria
• Effects of increased CO2 on crop quality
• Actions individuals can take

References discussed include:

• Climate Change, Human Health, and Social Stability: Addressing Interlinkages
• IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C
• UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

At the core vulnerability just means the possibility of being harmed. It is an issue with climate change, because of course we're all exposed. We don't have some group that's not going to be exposed to climate change.

~ Kris Ebi