New York City, US
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Air pollution from fossil fuels costs each American an average of $US2,500 a year in extra medical bills, researchers said on Thursday, as climate change hurts both health and finances.
The national pricetag was put at more than $US820 billion a year, with air pollution contributing to an estimated 107,000 premature deaths annually, said the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group.
A firefighting helicopter fills a bucket of water in heavy smoke as the North Merna wildfire burns in the Bridger National Forest west of the town of Pinedale in Sublette County, Wyoming, on 16th September, 2012. PICTURE: Reuters/Jim Urquhart/File photo.
“The science is clear: the dangerous effects of climate change – and their profound costs to our health and our pocketbooks – will worsen each year we fail to curb the pollution,” said the NDRC’s Vijay Limaye.
The report used data from several dozen scientific papers to tally the overall cost of a changing climate on US health.
Heat waves, which can trigger strokes and exacerbate cardiovascular problems, cost the country $US263 million a year, the report found, with wildfire smoke costing Americans $US16 billion annually.
A wildfire in Los Angeles this week has fueled fears that California’s wildfire season is becoming longer. Five of the six largest wildfires in the state’s history occurred last year.
Lyme disease and West Nile virus, more common with rising temperatures, contribute to roughly $US2 billion in health costs annually, the report found.
On Tuesday, scientists estimated that Hurricane Sandy, which pummeled New York City and much of the East Coast in 2012, caused $US63 billion in property damage, making it one of the most costly storms in US history.
At a virtual conference, Limaye said he hoped to convince lawmakers that climate change was more expensive than inaction.
“We’ve written this report to help policymakers, health professionals…to recognise the profound suffering and expensive health costs that can be avoided by cutting climate pollution,” Limaye said.
“A strong response to climate change is urgent and action is needed now.”
