Climate Change Conference 09

FUN FACT: Only 10% of corn grown in the USA can be consumed by humans.

On Dec 9th I carpooled to a Climate Change Conference in Lexington, KY. Here are some of my notes from the event:

Radley Horton- The Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University
Effects of climate change on water in KY: increased precipitation decreased water quality, more floods and more droughts.
Effects of climate change on agriculture in KY: livestock suffer increased thermal stress and disease, crop yields increase initially longer growing season), but decrease later.
Effects of climate change on ecosystem: in KY: threatened bat population (important for bat reduction), grasslands and oak forests threatened.
SOLUTIONS: 1. mitigation 2. adaptation 3. risk management

Health and Climate Change
World Health Organization did a comparative health analysis, looked at the effect of climate change on disease. In creased diarrheal diseases, malaria.
KY related issues: allergies, asthma, new allergies, air pollution and traffic issues (respiratory disease, ozone, dust, blood brain barrier, forest fires), flooding, heat stress, stroke, illness
find more info here: http://www.who.int/globalchange/news/fsclimandhealth/en/index.html

CDC: Health and Climate Change
top priorities are:
1. heat stress
2. injuries
3. water born diseases
4. mass population movement- international tension

FUN FACT: when people exercise, they gain full access to 10-20% of their unused sweat glands, which help regulate body temperature!

Steps for KY:
-Education (exercise, diet, healthy living)
-Insulation (centers, incentives, transportation)
-Acute weather events (warning systems, community plans, publicity)
-Watch for caution signs
-Monitor and improve air quality