Climate change is already having a big impact on Ramsey County residents. We’re seeing milder winters, hotter summers, floods, droughts, severe storms in every season and longer allergy seasons. These changes affect individual and community health by:
- Increasing the risk of heat-related illness.
- Worsening symptoms of respiratory and heart disease.
- Creating environments for water-borne or animal-carried disease to spread.
- Stressing our local food supply.
- Exacerbating the symptoms of many mental health conditions.
Due to the compounding effects of racism and oppression, Black/African American, American Indian and other underrepresented communities face more severe and frequent negative impacts on health, safety and well-being in relation to the effects of climate change.
A renewed priority for the county
Building on our previous work on climate change, Ramsey County has hired Abigail Phillips as a climate and health planner. Phillips will work to promote adaptation with plans and resources that reduce the negative impacts of climate in your communities.
Phillips is currently working with Equity Strategies’ Dr. Antonia Apolinario-Wilcoxon to develop community engagement focused on climate change adaptation in vulnerable communities. Through this program, community members will be invited to co-design plans for climate change adaptation services, resources and programs across the county system.
Look for updates in future issues of Green Ramsey
As Ramsey County develops plans related to climate change and public health, we will be sharing updates and resources in future issues of Green Ramsey.
We welcome your suggestions for topics that you are interested in learning more about. Please contact us here.
This article is featured in Green Ramsey, an environmental health newsletter from Ramsey County.
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Original source can be found here.
