The fingerprint of climate change can be found in our “crazy” weather. Record warm ocean temperatures created abundant humidity, long-term droughts powered wildfires, and a warming atmosphere brought us hotter days. Climate change felt inescapable this summer. As we scrambled to salvage our homes from flooding or pushed through smoky air to work outdoors, it was easy to overlook the impact the weather was having on our own personal health. Burning eyes, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, mold allergies, and anxiety were common symptoms around Milwaukee this summer, thanks to climate change.

Climate change not only stresses natural systems, it stresses human health. Heat waves can cause heat strokes and trigger heart attacks. Flooding from extreme rain often leads to outbreaks of toxic mold, disease-carrying mosquitoes, and water-borne illnesses. Wildfire smoke and air pollution from burning fossil fuels have detrimental health effects. Climate change is “the single biggest health threat facing humanity,” according to the World Health Organization. Watch the video below from the American Lung Association (ALA) for an overview of how a changing climate influences your health.

 The wildfire smoke that caused Milwaukee’s record number of Air Quality Index(AQI) days this summer was a toxic mixture of gaseous air pollutants and very small particles. 

As this ALA video explains, the tiny 

particles in the smoke pose the greatest danger because they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. Smoke can increase the risk for asthma, lung cancer,  

and other chronic lung problems, increase heart attacks, and is associated with preterm birth and miscarriage. Wildfire smoke impacts everyone’s  health, but it is most damaging to children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, COPD, heart disease, and diabetes.  A recently published study in the journal. Nature found that, on average, wildfire smoke causes more than 41,400 excess deaths in the U.S. each year. Here in Wisconsin, 

that means hundreds of premature deaths caused by a smoky summer. Read this report from FOX6 on how wildfire smoke is impacting Wisconsin and what you can do to protect yourself and your family during air quality events.  As this ALA video explains, the tiny particles in the smoke pose the greatest danger because they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. 

Smoke can increase the risk for asthma, lung cancer,  and other chronic lung problems, increase heart attacks, and is associated with preterm birth and miscarriage. Wildfire smoke impacts everyone’s  health, but it is most damaging to children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, COPD, heart disease, and diabetes. A recently published study in the journal Nature found that, on average, wildfire smoke causes more than 41,400 excess deaths in the U.S. each year. Here in Wisconsin, that means hundreds of premature deaths caused by a smoky summer. Read this report from FOX6 on how wildfire smoke is impacting Wisconsin and what you can do to protect yourself and your family during air quality events. 

When we burn fossil fuels, such as oil, gasoline, coal, and natural gas, we release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. This rampant CO2 accumulates in the upper atmosphere, acting like a thick, heat-trapping blanket that superheats our atmosphere. This extra heat makes temperatures rise and disrupts our global weather system. Learn more at What You Need to Know About Climate Science