WASHINGTON
— Global warming isn't just affecting the weather, it's harming
Americans' health, President Barack Obama said Tuesday as he announced
steps government and businesses will take to better understand and deal
with the problem.
Obama
said hazards of the changing climate include wildfires sending more
pollution into the air, allergy seasons growing longer and rising cases
of insect-borne diseases.
"We've got to do better in protecting our vulnerable families," Obama said, adding that, ultimately, all families are affected.
"You
can't cordon yourself off from air," Obama said. Speaking at Howard
University Medical School, he announced commitments from Google,
Microsoft and others to help the nation's health system prepare for a
warmer, more erratic climate.
Warning
of the perils to the planet has gotten the president only so far; polls
consistently show the public is skeptical that the steps Obama has
taken to curb pollution are worth the cost to the economy. So Obama is
aiming to put a spotlight on ways that climate change
will have real impacts on the body, like more asthma attacks, allergic
reactions, heat-related deaths and injuries from extreme weather.
Obama
said spending on health — such as preventing asthma — can save more
money than it costs, as well as alleviate pain and suffering.
Surgeon
General Vivek Murthy noted that people suffering from an increase in
asthma-attack triggers lose time at work and school. Murthy, a doctor,
said the problem was especially personal for him because he's seen so
many patients struggle to breathe and his own uncle died of a severe
asthma attack.
Microsoft's
research arm will develop a prototype for drones that can collect large
quantities of mosquitoes, then digitally analyze their genes and
pathogens. The goal is to create a system that could provide early
warnings about infectious diseases that could break out if climate
change worsens.
Google
has promised to donate 10 million hours of advanced computing time on
new tools, including risk maps and early warnings for things like
wildfires and oil
flares using the Google Earth Engine platform, the White House said.
Google's camera cars that gather photos for its "Street View" function
will start measuring methane emissions and natural gas leaks in some
cities this year.
The
Obama administration also announced a series of modest steps it will
take to boost preparedness, such as expanding access to data to predict
and minimize the health effects from climate change.
Obama's
effort to link climate change to health comes as he works to build
support for steps he's taken to curb U.S. emissions, including strict
limits on vehicles and power plants. The president is relying on those
emissions cuts to make up the U.S. contribution to a global climate
treaty that he and other world leaders expect to finalize in December.
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