New Tools Released to Raise Awareness on Climate Change and Health
Climate change can seem like an insurmountable problem. From warming events to extreme weather, what can one person do to make a difference?
Abt Global staff recently developed a series of communication products that give individuals more tools for action. The work was carried out for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change Division.
Abt staff in Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) and U.S. Health 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. David Mills, senior associate at Abt, co-authored the second chapter of the report and Lisa Mayo, manager of communications at Abt, and Jennifer Peers, associate at Abt, oversaw development of the communication products.
In the latest products, the Abt team explains not only the risks of climate change but why it matters to health and what can be done to prepare and respond.
“We know that some people are more likely to be adversely affected by climate change,” said Joshua Lipton, PhD, division vice president for ENR. “During heat waves, people who work outdoors, pregnant women, seniors, and other groups may be especially susceptible to heat-related illness and death. The communication products developed by Abt are designed to help individuals start to plan today for what they need to do to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Among the products developed are:
- 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 unpacks the impacts on human health due to climate change and educates users in 10 questions;
- An infographic that visually illustrates how everyone along the 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.
Providing Expert Support Across Technical Areas
Complementing the climate change subject matter expertise of Abt’s ENR team, Abt’s U.S. Health team also assisted by developing communication strategies and content for effective health outreach to distinct populations of concern.
“This project reflects how Abt delivers cross-functional expertise to dig-in and solve client challenges,” said Christopher Spera, PhD., division vice president for U.S. Health. “It also speaks to the global nature of climate change and how all sectors, populations and individuals are important players at the table.”
Read all of the factsheets and see the infographic.
Take the interactive quiz.
Read more about Abt’s work in Climate Change.
