It seems like we hear people talk about “climate change” every day, but is it really a problem here in Jefferson County? Here are some links to help answer this and other questions about climate change. For instance, 2018 was the wettest year in our region since record keeping began in 1871 (weather.gov). Here is the link to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publication about “Extreme Rainfall and Drought”: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/PRECIP-Final_508.pdf. The CDC also has a more general page about climate change and health here: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed or been concerned about the saturated ground around us. Some folks might still be wondering “Why should I care?”, so here’s the link to an excellent video produced by National Geographic https://tinyurl.com/y3zlfgtb.
While it may seem like a remote, irrelevant issue, climate change is real and it is harming our health. It’s up to every one of us to do what we can to reverse this damaging trend. This final link is to a Scientific American article on solutions we can get behind: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solutions-for-climate-change/.
David Didden MD
Physician Director/Health Officer
Jefferson County, WV