Climate Change News and Research

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Survey: Most people unaware of cooling center locations despite increasing heat wave frequency

With NASA data showing that July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record and indications that July may have been the hottest month, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey conducted in mid-July found that most people know three of the symptoms of a heat-related illness but do not know the location of their nearest cooling center.

9 Aug 2024

Climate-driven wildfire pollutants compromise air quality in Northeast U.S.

Climate-driven wildfire events are rapidly transferring harmful particulate matter containing toxic chemicals over long distances, compromising air quality in the New Jersey and New York City areas, according to Rutgers Health research.

9 Aug 2024

Physicians embrace educational program on climate and health care sustainability, study shows

An educational program emphasizing the relationship that climate change has with health and health care environmental sustainability was well-received by physicians, according to a recent survey-based study published in JAMA Network Open and conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

9 Aug 2024

Renewed mpox threat finds public unprepared

It has been two years since the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over an outbreak of mpox, a disease endemic to Africa that had spread to scores of countries. Now, in the summer of 2024, a deadlier version of the infectious disease has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to other African nations, the strain that originally hit the United States has shown signs of a resurgence, and this week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new alert on mpox to health care providers.

9 Aug 2024

Prenatal famine exposure tied to higher risk of Type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine used the setting of the man-made Ukrainian Holodomor famine of 1932-1933 to examine the relation between prenatal famine and adult Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

8 Aug 2024

Olympic games could fuel spread of tropical diseases, warn health experts

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya could spread via the Olympics to countries where they are not normally prevalent, warn global health experts, as authorities step up disease monitoring in the French capital.

7 Aug 2024

Study reveals impact of climate change on enterovirus outbreaks

Outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which causes fever and rash in young children, typically occur in the summer months.

6 Aug 2024

Ensuring sustainable and responsible use of AI in healthcare

A new paper highlights the need for responsible and sustainable use of AI in healthcare to mitigate its environmental impact, especially concerning its high carbon footprint. It offers recommendations for reducing energy consumption and improving sustainability practices.

5 Aug 2024

Study: Drug-involved overdose deaths increased by over 500% in 2022

Drug-involved overdose deaths increased by over 500 percent in 2022 according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, with trends attributed to synthetic opioids.

5 Aug 2024

Stanford, Brazil researchers develop models to predict schistosomiasis risk amidst climate change

In Brazil, climate and other human-made environmental changes threaten decades-long efforts to fight a widespread and debilitating parasitic disease.

5 Aug 2024

Study suggests climate anomalies contribute to cholera strain emergence

New research suggests that an El Niño event may have aided the establishment and spread of a novel cholera strain during an early 20th-century pandemic, supporting the idea that climate anomalies could create opportunities for the emergence of new cholera strains.

1 Aug 2024

Higher urinary metal levels linked to increased cardiovascular risk

Higher levels of urinary metals such as cadmium, tungsten, uranium, cobalt, copper and zinc are linked to increased cardiovascular disease and mortality in a racially and ethnically diverse U.S. population, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

1 Aug 2024

Climate change-driven migrations worsen infectious diseases in vulnerable regions

Climate change-driven migrations increase infectious disease risks by spreading pathogens and overcrowding vulnerable regions, demanding urgent, targeted interventions.

1 Aug 2024

Physical activity offsets sedentary mortality risks in diabetes patients

Adults with diabetes who meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity may offset the risk of mortality that is associated with excessive sitting time, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

29 Jul 2024

Losing a loved one linked to faster biological aging

Losing someone close, like a family member, can make you age faster, says a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center.

29 Jul 2024

Health authorities warn about bird flu risks in raw milk and undercooked foods

With bird flu virus detected in cow's milk, U.S. health authorities have warned the public against potential sources of exposure, including drinking raw or unpasteurized milk, and have reiterated a general warning that consuming uncooked or undercooked poultry or beef products can make you sick.

29 Jul 2024

Communities near warehouses face higher health risks

A first-of-a-kind study now shows that people living in communities located next to these large warehouses are exposed to 20% more of a traffic-related air pollutant that can lead to asthma and other life-threatening health conditions.

25 Jul 2024

UN report shows stagnant hunger rates and rising food insecurity

Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today by five United Nations specialized agencies.

25 Jul 2024