This summer, the health ramifications of extreme heat prompted a lively conversation across social media platforms, with more individuals recognizing that climate change is not just an environmental issue but a pressing health crisis as well.
At the “2024 Tsinghua University Global Climate Communication Forum” held on September 14, experts and scholars delved into the intricate relationship between climate change and public health. During a sub-forum titled “How Low-Carbon Transition and Climate Communication Reflect Human-Centered Approaches,” Professor Cai Wenjia, director of the Countdown Asia Center at The Lancet and a professor in the Earth System Science Department at Tsinghua University, highlighted the troubling surge in heat-related events driven by climate change in recent years. She stressed that these statistics go beyond mere numbers; they serve as a critical alarm regarding human health. As climate change intensifies, she cautioned that the health risks linked to high temperatures could soon rival or even exceed those associated with air pollution.
Dr. Lu Hui, a physician from a public hospital in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, shared his perspective, stating, “With climate change, some of our past experiences in everyday life and work are no longer applicable in light of current climatic shifts.”
Dr. Lu’s hospital primarily caters to grassroots patients with common ailments and also functions as a 120 emergency center, dedicating about a quarter of its efforts to addressing various patient needs in the community. He recounted an incident from July 2022, when an outdoor worker at a timber plantation was struck by heatstroke. Despite his decades of outdoor work and attempts to avoid the hottest parts of the day, he was caught off guard.
In the past, Dr. Lu might have considered this case a routine medical occurrence, but through his engagement with climate change discussions, he now views it as indicative of the broader impacts of shifting climate conditions.
He elaborated that in the medical field, diseases significantly influenced by climate change are categorized as climate-sensitive diseases. This includes both infectious diseases like dengue fever and influenza and non-infectious ailments such as asthma, heatstroke, and mental health challenges. Vulnerable populations—such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, those with preexisting conditions, and outdoor workers—are particularly susceptible.
How can scientific research be effectively translated into policy decisions and public action?
In response to the complexities of scientific data, Professor Cai’s team has implemented a range of innovative strategies to make the connection between climate change and health more comprehensible. They developed mobile apps enabling citizens to monitor climate change and its health impacts in their cities. Additionally, they created engaging educational comics and multimedia content to share compelling narratives that tie climate change to health outcomes. They also focused on establishing guidelines for outdoor activities during extreme heat to offer scientific guidance to the public.
In her discussions with policymakers, Cai emphasized the necessity of not only shining a light on the crisis at hand but also proposing actionable solutions. She cited a successful example from Tianjin, where a heat and cold stroke warning system effectively reduced incidence rates, underscoring the economic and social benefits of climate adaptation strategies.
Dr. Lu further emphasized that effective public education is essential for enhancing society’s ability to cope with climate-related challenges. He noted that proactive educational initiatives and preventive measures to mitigate the health impacts of climate change are often more cost-effective than reactive treatment solutions. He highlighted the need for grassroots medical institutions and healthcare professionals to be more aware of the direct health effects associated with climate change and to prepare accordingly.
The “2024 Tsinghua University Global Climate Communication Forum,” organized by the Climate Communication and Risk Governance Research Center at Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication and supported by the Energy Foundation, aimed this year to explore “Climate Action and Communication Strategies from a Global Perspective.” The event brought together experts from government, academia, business, social organizations, and media to discuss new dynamics, methodologies, opportunities, and challenges in climate communication.
