by Duncan Rinehart, Ph.D., NBC-HWC, ACSM-CPT
“What can I do about climate change?” my 78-year-old friend said over lunch last week. He was concerned about the world he will be leaving for his children and grandchildren. How will they survive? And he wants to be able to do something about it in the time he has left. But what can he do?
A few months ago, he and his wife went through the devastation of hurricane Helene here in Western North Carolina. They were cut off, unable to leave their house for several days to get food or help. After that it was the news of the devastation of hurricane Milton in Florida. Then this past week he was again shocked by the recent wildfires in Southern California. These disasters are fueled by a warming world. He felt deeply saddened, overwhelmed, powerless.
His fears are shared by many seniors: How can I cope with a changing climate or a climate disaster? How will my kids be able to have a life at least as good as mine, as climate change continues?
How can I cope?
A recent JAMA Internal Medicine article, identifies health impacts of climate change for older adults. They include:
Heat related illness due to decreased sweating and ability to sense dehydration contributing to increased risk of falls.
Worsening preexisting conditions (e.g. air pollution is associated with increased risk of dementia and Parkinson disease).
Decreased ability to prepare for emergencies and evacuate from climate disasters.
Impaired fluid balance due to some common prescription medications.
Impaired understanding of health risks and ability to take preventative measures thus increased dependence on others.
Increased risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
To help older folks with these risks, The National Council on Aging offers some ways for seniors to cope which include:
Talking to and working with their doctors about reducing their risk of climate-related health problems.
Making preparations in their communities for evacuation in case of wildfire or flood, and for continuing needed housing, food and health care in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Having an emergency preparedness kit including water, food, medicine, batteries, warm blankets, a whistle to signal for help, hand sanitizer and sanitation supplies, etc.
Learning about local, state and federal assistance programs that can help you through a natural disaster.
Developing practices to manage the stress of climate change and natural disaster. (See also my post on managing the stress of a natural disaster.)
What can I do for my children and grandchildren?
Making even small adjustments to your lifestyle can help preserve a future for your family. An easy to apply resource is “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World”. Some excellent things for seniors to do include:
Saving electricity by plugging devices and appliances into power strips and turning off the strips when not in use.
Speaking up to local, state and national authorities in support of initiatives that don’t harm people or the planet.
Air dry your clothes and dishes. Wash only full loads.
Eat less meat, poultry and fish.
Recycle if you don’t already.
Fix air leaks around doors and windows.
Bike, walk or use public transportation instead of driving your car for short trips.
Bring your own reusable bag when you shop.
Encourage your family and friends to make small changes like the ones above.
While climate change is enormous, daunting and overwhelming, each of us contributes to it either by making it worse or by helping slow it down. As seniors we can make the needed changes for our own health and the future of our children and planet. (For more on making changes see my post “Can Old ‘Dogs’ Learn New Tricks?”)