Aug 9, 2023 –
Free Series on Climate Change and Mental Health
There is an strong connection between climate change and mental health. According to the American Psychiatric Association, climate change can lead to job loss, force people to move, and harm social cohesion and community resources, all of which have mental health consequences. In addition, fear of the phenomenon of climate change and related consequences for our national security and individual well-being can cause significant distress.
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Department and Project ECHO are hosting a 4-week series on Climate Change, Mental Health and Creative Tools of Expression. Regionally and nationally regarded speakers – from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Defense Fund and many academic medical centers across the United States and internationally – will share their expertise and provide mentorship for participants. These free sessions offer continuing education credits.
To register, visit https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/partner-portal/programs/global/climate-change/
New Mexico Voices for Children Issues Policy Brief on
Climate Change Impacts on Children
Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, which include extreme heat, drought, flooding, wildfires, poor air quality, and more. New Mexico Voices for Children recently released a policy brief from Voices Research and Policy Analyst Divya Shiv that looks at the impacts of extreme weather events on children and includes several policy recommendations. See the report at: https://www.nmvoices.org/archives/18396.
Please also check out a recent radio show (Nuestra America) NM Voices did on the report and an Albuquerque Journal article from today (Kids are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, new report says) about the report and the issue. Please also consider lifting up NM Voices’ social media posts on the report here and here.
2023 Climate Change Related Heat Challenges New Mexicans
We hope that everyone is staying healthy and safe during the extreme heat we are all experiencing this summer. Thank you to all the health professionals throughout New Mexico that continue to care for our most vulnerable populations during this time.
As we all know, New Mexico’s climate is changing due to the impacts of climate change and the extreme heat of this summer has exemplified this even more. We have spent this summer reviewing our work in the previous legislative session on the Public Health and Climate Resiliency Act (PHCRA) that called for the creation of a Public Health and Climate Resiliency Fund to assist and enable local and tribal communities to adapt to climate change and respond to public health emergencies from extreme weather events. Though the bill did not pass, NMEPHN staff and volunteers are exploring possible improvements on the bill and are exploring other possible options for addressing this important issue. We will keep you posted as this work moves forward.
As part of this ongoing work, we want to hear what you are seeing and experiencing in your communities related to extreme heat.
For tips on heat related illness, visit the New Mexico Department of Health web page at
https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/health/climate/HeatIllness.html
New Mexico’s extreme heat has been the subject of several national news stories:
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/16/1187992847/in-new-mexico-temperatures-are-too-high-for-birds-to-use-their-usual-coping-meth
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/new-mexico-camp-hope-las-cruces-unhoused-extreme-heat
