Climate is the weather expected in a region. It shapes many aspects of our lives even if we don’t ever think about them. Familias en Acción recognizes that the rapid changes to our climate are impacting our health.  

Human activities have disrupted Earth’s natural systems and are rapidly changing our climate. Extracting and burning fossil fuels, deforestation, factory farming, development of large natural areas, extraction of natural resources and other human activities have pumped vast quantities of greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. At the same time, these activities destroy natural buffers like forests and wetlands that absorb carbon dioxide and protect from severe weather events. As more greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere, Earth’s natural greenhouse effect has been amplified, trapping more and more heat. This warming of the planet has caused weather patterns to change around the world.

 

In Oregon, climate change is making summers hotter and drier, leading to drought, wells going dry, and contributing to massive forest fires with harmful smoke that blankets vast areas. Our rain patterns are changing, increasing risk of floods in some areas and drought in others. Changing rain and temperature patterns changes the range and life cycle of insects like ticks and mosquitoes that can carry serious illness.  

 

These changes have impacts on our physical, behavioral, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. It can negatively affect our mood and behavior, leading some people to be more argumentative and some to cause violence. Wildfire smoke is a combination of many particles and gasses and is unhealthy to breathe. Tiny particles can become trapped in the lungs or even pass out of the lungs and circulate through the body leading to more serious health problems. As we see our landscapes changing, cherished places lost, and uncertainty about the future increasing, we experience a range of emotions and some people are spiritually impacted as well.  

 

Latiné households in Oregon are more likely to rely on outdoor workers or workplaces that bring more exposure to extreme heat, cold, and wildfire smoke. These households are also more likely to be experiencing other economic and social challenges. Climate change brings another layer of challenge, making maintaining health even more difficult.