Climate Change – an umbrella term that refers to rising global temperatures and shifts in average weather conditions – threatens the livability of cities and communities around the world.
The Grey-Bruce region is already experiencing shifts in usual weather patterns. Locally, it’s expected that the region will experience more frequent and intense precipitation, more frequent and severe storms, and an increase in the average annual temperature. These changes will threaten the health and well-being of everyone.
Learn more by exploring the health hazards and impacts below.
Though climate change will affect everyone, it can also intensify existing health inequities. This means some people will be at greater risk of experiencing the negative impacts of the changing climate than others.
People are more likely to experience health impacts from climate change when:
More research is needed to better understand exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity within certain populations like LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, Amish, Old Order, and Mennonite communities.
Recognizing Other Ways of Knowing
Risk assessment frameworks typically prioritize human-centered, Western perspectives and economic risks without the inclusion of diverse experiences and worldviews.
The value of Two-Eyed Seeing (or multi-eyed seeing) in climate action is described in the Yellowhead Institute’s report, From Risk to Resilience: Indigenous Alternatives to Climate Risk Assessment in Canada.
Climate change reports, assessments, and strategies that include local and traditional knowledge strengthen our understanding of climate risks and our ability to address them. Indigenous communities share a more holistic approach to life and risk. This approach is informed by generations of knowledge and observations stemming from close connections to the land.
It acknowledges the interconnectedness of all living beings and, therefore, risk includes the experiences of plants, animals, and whole ecosystems as well as humans in that same space. This is known as a social-ecological system way of thinking. The inclusion of this way of thinking is necessary to ensure a holistic approach to climate risk assessment and climate change actions. If this inclusion is not considered, it becomes yet another form of discrimination, this time by omission, to add to colonization and intergenerational trauma that is already present in Indigenous Communities. Through inclusion of these important perspectives, we have a chance to rebalance our relationship with the land and one another, and to tell the full story through dynamic risk narratives.
Increasing average temperatures and more frequent very hot days heighten risks to both people and the environment. Exposure to extended and/or high heat is associated with higher risks for heat stroke, dehydration, cardiovascular failure, respiratory illness, diabetes- and kidney-related complications, and death.
High temperatures can also cause people to limit health-promoting behaviours by discouraging physical activity or social interactions. The isolation that results means that social networks may be less effective at helping one another cope with hazards. High temperatures increase stress and instances of aggressive behaviour, as reflected in increased crime.
Warmer temperatures will reduce the length of the cold season across Canada and the intensity and frequency of extreme cold events with mixed impacts on human health. Warmer winters may promote physical activity and social connections through greater time spent outdoors. This outdoor time may also reduce risks of spreading infectious diseases, but could increase exposure to air pollutants, which can occur at higher levels in the winter. Additionally, more precipitation and more frequent near-freezing temperatures may increase the risk of injuries like fractures. Studies suggest the increase in heat-related mortality is expected to outpace the reduction in cold-related mortality in Canada.
Within our environment, rising temperatures will likely increase the risks for algal blooms, food-borne pathogens, and poor air pollutants.
Chapter 3 of Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate: Advancing Our Knowledge for Action describes groups who may be affected including:
Understanding which groups are most affected by higher average temperatures and heat events helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
For more information, see the following resources:
Climate change causes more frequent and more extreme weather hazards that pose direct and indirect health risks. Examples of natural hazards, whose frequency and intensity are influenced by climate change, are:
SEVERE STORMS
FLOODS AND DROUGHTS
WILDFIRES
ERRATIC OR CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS
These hazards can cause trauma, loss of life, injury, health problems, damage to property, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation. Being prepared and knowing how to reduce your risk can help. See tips on our Emergency Preparedness webpage for how to prepare for different extreme weather events.
Understanding which groups are most affected by different severe weather events helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate: Natural Hazards
Climate changes affect air quality in Canada and several air pollutants contribute to climate change. Hot and dry weather can increase exposure to air pollutants, including wildfire smoke and ozone. Worsening air quality is associated with asthma, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Climate change is also associated with more airborne allergens, leading to higher risks for asthma and respiratory disease.
Groups most affected by the air quality risks of climate change are described in Chapter 5 of Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate: Air Quality and include:
Understanding which groups are most affected by changes to air quality helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Air pollution is a leading environmental cause of death. For more information, see the following resources:
Chapter 6 of Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate explores the impacts of climate change on infectious diseases. The geographic range of vectors, like mosquitos and ticks, is changing as temperatures increase and precipitation patterns change. Longer summers and milder winters create an environment where larger populations and different species of these vectors can thrive, increasing the heightened risks of contracting a vector-borne disease, such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, or Hantavirus.
The Canada Communicable Disease Reports on Ticks and Mosquitos and reports by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health share information on the individuals most at risk of severe health impacts:
Understanding which groups are most affected by specific vector-borne diseases helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Temperature changes and storms contribute to poorer water quality, which can cause illness from bacteria (e.g., campylobacter), toxicity from algal blooms, and drought. Chapter 7 — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate is focused on Water Quality, Quantity, and Security.
Changes in temperature and precipitation (e.g., rain, sleet, snow) levels caused by climate change will impact water quality and amount.
For example:
The impacts of climate change on water security and safety may affect all residents, although certain populations face greater health impacts. Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate describes risks to groups including:
Understanding which groups are most affected by specific water quality and security impacts helps decision makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Chapter 8 — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate is focused on Food Safety and Security.
Grey-Bruce is part of a global food system. The area will experience the effects of climate change directly in our local food system and from the widespread impacts within the global food system. These climate change impacts touch all parts of food systems, including food production, processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption. Without adaptation, climate change will harm global food systems. Increasing temperatures, changes in precipitation (e.g., rain, snow, sleet) patterns, and changes in growing seasons may impact the types of crops that can be grown locally and create more favourable conditions for pests, invasive species, and plant diseases. More frequent and extreme weather conditions may affect the production and distribution of food and increase risks for chemical and bacterial contamination of food.
Though climate change is anticipated to result in warmer weather and longer growing seasons, Ontario’s Climate Change Impact Assessment predicts a net decrease in agricultural productivity in Ontario, with the Southwest region identified among the most at-risk regions.
Certain groups are likely to experience greater health impacts when food safety, food affordability, and/or food production and related industries are affected by climate change. The Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate and Ontario’s Climate Change Impact Assessment provide further details on risks to:
Understanding which groups are most affected by specific food quality and security impacts helps decision makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Climate change may impact the level and intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is reaching the surface of the earth as effects on ozone layer thickness, type of cloud cover, and snow reflection occur.
Climate change may lead to less cloud cover, higher temperatures, and people spending more time outdoors, wearing clothing with little sun protection. These impacts would mean more UV exposure for many people. Some UV radiation is currently being blocked by certain air pollutants and aerosols. Given the impacts of air pollutants on health, efforts are underway to decrease their concentration, but this may contribute to a higher intensity of UV rays.
Overexposure to UV radiation is the leading cause of skin cancer and can contribute to a weakened immune system. Studies have shown that UV exposure and the incidence of skin cancers are worsening as temperatures increase. Additionally, UV radiation can lead to premature aging of the eye and the development of cataracts and cancers in and around the eye.
According to Chapter 3 of Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate, populations at risk of overexposure to UV radiation include:
Understanding which groups are most at risk from heightened UV exposure helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Climate change is affecting the way we experience the world. New, or more extreme, stressors can impact our mental health. According to Chapter 4 — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate, climate change can worsen existing mental illness, lead to the onset of new mental illness, create mental health stressors, and lead to a sense of grief or loss for the places and ways of life we once knew. Over time, unaddressed stress and eco-anxiety can lead to more severe health outcomes.
We must be prepared to respond quickly and protect mental health following climate emergencies. In the aftermath of extreme weather events, mental health problems can outnumber physical injuries by 40 to one (CAMH).
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are events and experiences of adversity that cause stress and trauma. Without support, ACEs increase the likelihood of future substance use, mental health disorders, chronic disease, and early death throughout life and across generations. ACEs can result from occurrences in the household, community, or environment. Risks of childhood exposure to stress from extreme heat, natural disasters, violence and substance misuse, poor air quality, and displacement are heightened by climate change. Healthy relationships and community connectedness are critical in protecting against and healing from ACEs.
The impact of climate change on the mental well-being of men and women is discussed in The Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate. Women may be more likely to experience anxiety, worry, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to a changing climate. Men may be more prone to mental health risks when their ability to provide food for family and community is threatened, impacting their sense of place and identity. Health outcomes improve when individuals are encouraged to engage in help-seeking behaviours and have access to mental health services.
Other populations at higher risk identified in the report include:
Mental health risks can be compounded when individuals fit into several population groups of higher concern and experience multiple health inequities. Improved understanding of the impacts experienced by specific populations helps decision-makers target responses to meet the greatest needs.
Climate change is likely to impact employment conditions or status and household finances for many community members (Ontario Climate Change Impact Assessment). Income, income disparity, employment status, and conditions are important social determinants of health with far-reaching impacts on health. As the impacts of climate change grow, there will be economic opportunities and stresses in many sectors.
Agriculture, outdoor recreation, and energy generation are important industries in Grey-Bruce with significant impacts on local economies and households. Though climate change will likely present new economic opportunities in industries, such as electrical power generation and distribution, those engaged in agriculture and outdoor recreation may be more likely to face economic hardship (Ontario Climate Change Impact Assessment).
As climate impacts grow, households may see increased expenses, like new medication costs, higher food and utility costs, unexpected repairs or relocation along with more precarious or insecure employment. This amplifies social inequities and will worsen the physical and mental health of those affected (Chapter 9 — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate).
The Canadian Climate Institute has investigated the economic costs of climate change. There are often concerns about the costs of mitigation and adaptation initiatives. However, there are significant costs associated with inaction, to better understand this more data is needed to estimate the monetary value of the health benefits of proposed measures, including avoided healthcare costs.
Federal and Provincial reports have highlighted the economic and financial risks of climate change for:
Damage Control: Reducing Climate Impacts | Canadian Climate Institute
The Costs of Climate Change | Canadian Climate Institute
Ontario Climate Change Impact Assessment
The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force
Climate Change and Health Linkages — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate
Climate Change and Health Equity — Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate
Public Health monitors, assesses, and responds to environmental health hazards and shares information to help everyone better understand the health risks of climate change. Grey Bruce Public Health is engaging with local municipalities and other partners to better prepare for and respond to climate emergencies and create public policies that are good for our health and our environment.
Learn how you can join Grey Bruce Public Health’s efforts to prepare for and act in response to climate change by visiting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.
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