UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions

A new opinion piece in the New York Times, authored by Rachel Connolly and Michael Jerrett, reveals there may be a solution to the deadliness of smoke which is increasingly becoming a public health crisis in California.? Air pollution from wildfire smoke can cause respiratory problems and chronic diseases such as heart disease, asthma, and more. Dr. Michael Jerrett and first author Rachel Connolly?call for federal, state, and local governments to invest in forest management, wildland-urban interface management, and climate change mitigation which?would?result?in?widespread public health benefits. They state “Leaders should acknowledge that although it’s too late to prevent this crisis, it's not too late to save lives.” Read more at: https://lnkd.in/g3we9g_P

Marta Segura's role as LA's Chief Heat Officer, recently highlighted in the LA Times, underscores the critical need for proactive heat adaptation strategies in urban environments. Her leadership ensures that vulnerable communities receive essential resources to combat the escalating impact of extreme heat. Congratulations, Marta, on your dedication to safeguarding public health and advancing climate resilience in Los Angeles. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gSfWiBbd

New research by C-Solutions researchers finds thousands more people than previously counted die each year in California due to the health impacts of wildfire smoke. The research,?published today in the journal Science Advances,?finds that inhaling fine particulate matter (aka PM2.5) from wildland fires led to 52,500 to 55,700 premature deaths in the 11 years studied from 2008-2018, with an associated economic impact of $432 billion to $456 billion. Lead author and C-Solutions researcher?Rachel Connolly?explains: “Climate change, forest mismanagement, and an expansion of the wildland-urban interface have led to worsening wildfires across California, and with those fires come smoke pollution and increasing health impacts from air pollution exposure. This is the first research exploring how that chronic, long-term smoke exposure affects people across the state.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dRrZ5FWi