Sunday, June 4, 2023 | 2 a.m.
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When I asked a new Las Vegas resident who recently moved here from Florida why they chose our city, the response was, “We wanted to move someplace where there are no natural disasters because our home in Florida was destroyed by an extreme hurricane.”
Many Nevadans share the belief that our state is immune to natural disasters. After all, our homes are not being destroyed by climate-driven extreme weather events, so how serious can it be? And yet, we are not immune. Climate change is creating long-term natural disasters that are affecting the health, safety and quality of life for all Nevadans, even if the images are less dramatic than a hurricane.
David McClenton is a member of Vegas Roots Community Garden and founder of the Green Samaritan group that focuses on sustainable living and agricultural practices for improved food quality. He took a break from gardening to discuss his concerns about our very poor air quality and its effects on Nevadans — especially communities of color.
“When people talk about climate change, they often focus on the more sensational events such as droughts, massive wildfires and other disasters,” he said. “We talk about how the heat waves are getting hotter but rarely do we focus on the quality of air — it goes almost unnoticed. It’s not commonly discussed when we talk about our changing climate, but it’s as important for our survival as clean drinking water.”
For decades, the poor air quality in underprivileged communities has been killing Black and brown people. Research has shown that Black children have a higher prevalence of asthma than white children, and a 60% higher rate of asthma hospitalizations. We are learning that air quality also affects mental health and behavioral issues. We are killing ourselves just to breathe.”
Dr. Joanne Leovy is a family physician who has experienced the effects of climate change on her patients. She told me that “climate change is a wicked problem without easy solutions. I gradually became aware that climate change is a human health crisis.”
“Until recently, doctors have received little training in public health and virtually no training in the specific damages of climate change,” she explained. “Yet climate effects like heat, air pollution, changes in insect vectors that carry diseases, and weather disasters already kill millions of people worldwide each year and are poised to kill more. I’ve seen it first-hand.”
Lisa Ortega, known locally as the Nevada Tree Lady, fell in love with trees and the people who professionally work with them. She and her volunteers have planted over 400 trees all over Nevada, both for their carbon-capturing prowess and their positive effects on reducing urban heat islands.
“The urban heat island kills,” she told me. “There have been 568 heat-related deaths in Southern Nevada between 2009 and 2018, and those are only the documented cases. Heat plays a major role in sickness when coupled with other medical conditions, including age and pregnancy. As the temperature of our desert environment creeps to 110 degrees and higher, the urban heat island adds another seven degrees to neighborhoods.”
She also noted the impact of hotter summers and urban heat islands on Nevada’s children and their ability to play outside.
“The Southern Nevada Water Authority measured a change between shade and hardscape at a 17-degree difference. Hearing the temperature difference and seeing the map doesn’t drive home what it feels like to live there. Most notably, kids don’t play outside. I’ve seen tears flow from residents when they experience remediation through the trees we plant in these neighborhoods. They know it changes their lives for the better by creating outdoor space that is bearable. Just one tree shading the south- or west-side window lowers the electric bill considerably, and that cooler calming shade enables a life outside. Trees capture harmful carbon, attract wildlife, protect us from UV waves, air pollution and of course, the summer heat.”
Lifelong Southern Nevada resident Mariah Birnbaum works for a clean energy nonprofit organization. Despite being professionally invested in issues of climate change, she told me it didn’t feel real until she visited Lake Mead in person last summer.
“I’d seen the bathtub ring from afar and read headlines with buzzwords like megadrought. But it didn’t feel real until I saw sunken boats jutting from the mud along the shoreline. It didn’t hit home until I looked up at 140 feet of calcium deposits that were until recently hidden beneath the surface.”
All of these local residents share a desire to take action against climate change. As members of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL), they use their voices to influence policymakers to consider both current and future generations, and make the hard choices necessary to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
We know there are many more stories of climate issues affecting Nevadans and we hope that hearing from a few of these leaders will inspire others to do their part to make a difference as well. By joining us and sharing your stories with your elected officials, local media outlets and social media platforms, you can help inspire others to action as well.
Nevada may not be immune to the dangers of climate-driven natural disasters, but together we can mitigate their impacts.
Rita Ransom is a former science teacher, an environmental activist, and member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
