极端天气事件近年来造成许多严重破坏和人员伤亡。 2022年，欧洲热浪及南亚、西非和中非的洪水导致数千人死亡；2023年，夏威夷茂宜岛发生的野火是美国有史以来死亡人数最多的火灾之一，夺走了100条人命；加拿大野火造成成千上万人流离失所，迫使美国对超过1亿2000万居民发布空气品质警报。
尽管全人类都受到自然灾害的影响，但美国环保署警告，因为既有疾病、免疫力低下、行动不便和其他健康问题，包括老年人在内的部分人口面对的风险比其他人要高。
Author Archives: Ambika Kandasamy
Ambika Kandasamy is a freelance journalist. She got her start in journalism as reporter and assistant news editor at the San Francisco Public Press where she wrote about climate change policies, human trafficking laws, economic development initiatives and other topics. Since then, she has worked as social media producer at Media Cause, news editor at GlobalPost, managing editor at Shareable and audience engagement editor at FRONTLINE (PBS). She has received the Women Immigrants Fellowship from New America Media, the Logan Science Journalism Fellowship from the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Diversity Fellowship from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Journalists in Aging Fellowship from the Gerontological Society of America. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University.
Posted inAging, Climate Change, Community, Health
非營利組織稱：保護華埠長者免受氣候災難影響 需更多資金
極端天氣事件近年來造成許多嚴重破壞和人員傷亡。2022年，歐洲熱浪及南亞、西非和中非的洪水導致數千人死亡；2023年，夏威夷茂宜島發生的野火是美國有史以來死亡人數最多的火災之一，奪走了100條人命；加拿大野火造成成千上萬人流離失所，迫使美國對超過1億2000萬居民發佈空氣品質警報。
儘管全人類都受到自然災害的影響，但美國環保署警告，因為既有疾病、免疫力低下、行動不便和其他健康問題，包括老年人在內的部分人口面對的風險比其他人要高。
Posted inAging, Climate Change, Environment, Health, Social Services
Protecting Chinatown’s Older Adults From Climate Disasters Requires More Funding, Nonprofits Say
Community organizations say the systems in Chinatown to protect older populations during extreme weather are not enough to meet the needs that could arise. Without sufficient financial backing, the health of many older residents in the neighborhood could be threatened during extreme weather disasters. Similar scenarios could transpire in San Francisco’s other climate-vulnerable areas.
Posted inAging, Climate Change, Health, Housing, Social Services
For Chinatown’s Older Residents in SROs, Climate Disasters Pose Greater Risks
Chinatown faces higher threats during periods of extreme weather due to a range of socio-economic factors as well as the built environment. Within the neighborhood, older adults living in single-room occupancy buildings are among the populations at heightened risk. Reasons for this include physiological changes related to aging and financial barriers associated with making climate-resiliency adaptations to older buildings.
Posted inAging, Climate Change, Environment, Health
Brightline Defense Takes on San Francisco’s Air Pollution and Environmental Justice Concerns: Q&A With Executive Director Eddie Ahn
As climate change exacerbates droughts, wildfires, floods, storms and other catastrophes, community organizations in the city are racing to put systems in place to both measure its impacts on residents and to provide the tools they need to support themselves during disasters.
Posted inAging, California, Climate Change
Climate Change Can Harm Mental Health of Older Adults: Q&A With Dr. Robin Cooper
Mental health experts based in the San Francisco Bay Area are exploring the ensuing physical, mental and emotional effects of climate change, particularly on the lives of older adults.
Posted inAging, California, Climate Change, Health
Research on Climate Change and Health Reveals Risks for Older Adults: Q&A With Dr. Andrew Chang
Dr. Andrew Chang, an attending physician specializing in cardiology at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, is investigating how the biological mechanisms of aging and a warming world will affect the health of older adults.
Posted inClimate Change, Economy & Business, Environment
Years of Lobbying Helped Transportation Fuels Industry Win Exemptions From California’s Climate Rules
For four years oil companies, airlines and ground transportation industry groups have petitioned California for exemptions from the state’s cap-and-trade greenhouse gas market, saying consumers would take the hit through higher prices at the pump and in stores. And in court they are still arguing that the state lacks the regulatory authority to compel participation. To a degree, they have succeeded. This story is part of a special report on climate change in the summer print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, Government & Politics, Utilities
California’s Hunger for Low-Carbon Power Could Hurt Other States
California’s effort to ensure that the state receives low carbon electricity could end up increasing greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the country, thanks to a practice known as contract reshuffling.Importing low-carbon electricity from out-of-state suppliers of renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower is one way California’s electric utilities can decrease their carbon emissions.
This story is part of a special report on climate change in the Summer print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.
Posted inCity Hall, Social Justice, Transportation
UCSF Facing Cuts in Wake of Sequester; Free Bus Passes for Youth
Sequestration isn’t just some Washington abstraction. It’s hitting home. The automatic federal budget cuts that rolled out on Friday — known as the sequester — are going to hurt the University of California, San Francisco. The world-class teaching hospital and research center receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. According to KQED’s “California Report,” the university’s vice chancellor for research, Keith Yamamoto, said that some laboratories have already instituted hiring freezes.