Every day seems to bring news of another climate disaster.
This month, tornadoes ripped through eight states and killed at least 90 people. This year, Californians sought shelter from the heat while others hid inside to escape the respiratory effects of wildfire smoke. In Central America, agricultural workers die from chronic kidney disease brought on by increased temperatures. How big a role does climate change play in natural disasters? What are the health impacts? And how do medicine, health and climate change intersect? Is climate change a new medical diagnosis?
We asked Jay Lemery, MD, emergency medicine professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a leader of the new Climate & Health Program. Lemery is also an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. This interview is edited for length and clarity.