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About Us
About
For decades, Cornell University gerontologists and geriatricians have conducted are search program on the question: How can we best protect and improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable older persons? The Cornell Initiative for Research on Climate and Aging (CIRCA) builds upon this longstanding collaboration to address one of the most daunting and understudied challenges to the health and wellbeing of older persons: climate change.
Recognizing that older people are the most at-risk population for many of the effects of climate change, CIRCA’s work focuses on the intersection of the climate crisis and the rapidly growing aging population through a comprehensive approach that includes biological, psychological, and social factors. CIRCA’s focus moves beyond the issue of vulnerability to examine how older people can become active agents in climate change prevention and resilience.
By leveraging interdisciplinary research, fostering collaborations, and translating findings into practical interventions, CIRCA is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the well-being of older adults in the face of climate-related challenges. CIRCA unites researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to create a resilient future for aging populations.
Goals and Objectives of CIRCA
The goal of CIRCA is to serve as an engine for understanding and intervening in the effects of climate change on the older population.
Climate change action is typically framed as concern for future generations, but for older people, that future is now. Already, older adults form the vast majority of deaths from climate-related disasters and heat waves, and large numbers have been displaced and impacted by climate change.
In response, CIRCA aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Conduct innovative research on aging and climate change.
- Promote translational research to guide policy, develop public messaging, and inspire action.
- Connect researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to advance solutions for older adults facing climate change.
- Empower older adults, researchers, and organizations to act through education and advocacy.
- Provide comprehensive resources to help older adults, researchers, and organizations engage with climate change research and action.