Climate change can seem like an insurmountable problem. From warming events to extreme weather, what can one person do to make a difference?

Abt Associates staff developed a series of communication products for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change Division that give individuals more tools for action against climate change. Abt Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) and U.S. Health staff developed a suite of behavior change and health education products designed for a variety of audiences based on the groundbreaking report, “The Impact of Climate Change on Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment.”

Lisa Mayo, manager of communications at Abt, and Jennifer Peers, associate at Abt, managed the development of the communication products in which the Abt team explained not only the risks of climate change, but why it matters to health, and what can be done to prepare and respond.

The products include:

• A series of fact sheets for minorities and low-income groups, indigenous peoples, children, seniors, occupational groups, disabled people, pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions;
• An interactive, online quiz that highlights the impacts on human health due to climate change and educates users in 10 questions;
• An infographic that visually illustrates how everyone along their lifespan is impacted by climate change; and
• An interactive map of the U.S. featuring tailored information for each state with how much the state has warmed in the last century and what citizens can do to prepare.

The project was a collaborative effort that leveraged the expertise of Abt’s ENR and U.S. Health teams, with the latter developing communication strategies and content for effective health outreach to distinct populations of concern.