Author: yaleglobalhealthreview

BY SHARNA SAHA Concrete is everywhere—our roads, bridges, buildings, and even sewage systems depend on it. But do we ever stop to consider its true impact? The construction industry uses 30 billion metric tons of concrete annually—equivalent to six Pyramids of Giza—yet its production is one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. Cement, … Continue reading The Future of Construction: Living, Self-Healing Concrete

BY ESSEY AFEWERKI 57,000 acres of land in Los Angeles were razed in the span of 3 weeks from January 7th to 27th at the start of this year. The scorched earth across the Palisades and Eaton regions swallowed more land than exists in the whole of Manhattan or Washington DC 1. The immediate destruction … Continue reading The Invisible Scars of Wildfires

BY CONSTANZA BINEY What if the greatest threat to your brain wasn't genetics or aging, but rather the changing climate? Climate change has long been recognized for its impacts on physical health, heightening respiratory conditions and the spread of infectious disease. However, its effects on the brain remain an underrecognized crisis. Emerging research reveals that … Continue reading The Climate Crisis in Your Mind: How Air Pollution and Heat are Rewiring our Brains

BY NARDEEN GEBRAEEL AND ASHLEY RAFFELI Microplastics and climate change represent two environmental crises that significantly impact women’s hormonal health. These disruptions occur through multiple pathways, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in plastics and climate-induced physiological stressors. Exposure to these environmental hazards can contribute to hormonal imbalances, infertility, pregnancy complications, and long-term metabolic and reproductive disorders.1 … Continue reading Microplastics, Climate Change, and Women’s Hormonal Health: Unraveling the Impact of Climate Change on Women’s Health

BY YASMIN MOHAMMED The new year began with the outbreak of some of the deadliest fires in California's history. What started as a small blaze quickly spread across nearly 40,000 acres of southern California's dry terrain, destroying thousands of structures, claiming lives, and displacing entire communities [8]. Strong winds and prolonged drought conditions, followed by … Continue reading The Invisible Health Crisis

BY MICHELLE CHEON Rising global temperatures and their contribution to prolonged droughts have led to an increase in both the frequency and intensity of wildfires. This escalation has profound consequences on air quality, exposing millions of individuals to hazardous smoke. Among the most vulnerable populations to decreasing air quality are pregnant individuals, for whom wildfire … Continue reading The Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Pregnancy Outcomes

BY DAYA BAUM Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, have emerged as a pervasive environmental contaminant, raising significant concerns about their impact on human health. These particles originate from industrial processes that produce microplastics by the unintentional release of by-products, deterioration of everyday consumer products, and degradation of larger plastic … Continue reading The Impact of Microplastic Ingestion on Gut Microbiota and Digestive Health

BY LIZZIE FISHER Polluters might claim they don’t “lose sleep” over their actions, but in reality, they—along with millions of others around the world—do. A study published in One Earth, examined sleep patterns of more than 47,000 individuals across 68 countries over six months. Using wristband data, researchers found that rising ambient temperatures significantly disrupt … Continue reading Losing Sleep Over Climate Change: The Hidden Impact of Rising Temperatures

BY SEBASTIAN CORDERO MUNIZ Hurricanes, wildfires, blizzards. These are the destructive forces of nature associated with climate change. When considering the impacts of these disasters, public discourse is often confined to the damage on infrastructure and the economy. This leaves out another important and particularly devastating victim of climate change: health. Climate change and its … Continue reading Financing Climate Change Adaptation in the Healthcare Sector