A new Climate Central brief examines how heat and a warming climate will endanger the health of an aging U.S. population, a threat made even more worrisome during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that 12,000 Americans die of heat-related causes annually, according to research by scientists at Duke University. That’s roughly on par with annual deaths from gun homicides. And more than 80 percent of heat’s victims are over 60, researchers have found. The baby boomer generation (born between 1946-1964) will be among those immediately hardest hit by climate change, as their increasing vulnerability to extreme heat coincides with rising temperatures.
New Research Brief from Climate Central -"Seniors at Risk: Heat and Climate Change"
Jul 01, 2020 | Anu Varma
About Anu Varma
Pronouns: She/Her
Anupama Varma is a Communications Specialist for Environmental Health at NACCHO.