There’s no disputing the earth’s climate is warming. The eight warmest years in the historical record have occurred since 2014. Over the next 25 years, scientists predict that climate change is likely to accelerate, even if countries are successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Research clearly demonstrates that the health of older adults is more likely to be affected climate change. The National Academies Committee on Population hosted a seminar focused on how climate change affects older adults. The seminar included presentations from four experts on sociology, health, demographics and epidemiology.
* Vijay Limaye, a climate and health scientist in the National Resources Defense Council whose work focused on addressing international environmental health challenges, gave a presentation on the effects of extreme heat, cold, weather events on older adult housing and health, including consequences for people with dementia.
* Ayesha Mahmud, an assistant professor of demography at the University of California, Berkeley, presented on how increasing temperatures is affecting climate-sensitive infectious disease Over in older adults.
* Elizabeth Frankenberg, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Carolina Population Center with a focus on individual and family response to change across the life course, discussed the potential economic effects of environmentally-induced weather shocks, price shocks, and residential displacement on the financial stability and security of older adults.
* Noah Webster, associate research scientist at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, gave a presentation on the cognitive and psychological effects of climate change on older adults
You can view video recordings of each presentation and the related slides at the National Academics web site.