Environment | LocalHealthGuide

Illustration of an elderly woman sitting in front of a fan in a living room on a hot day.

Want to make America healthy again? Stop fueling climate change

Studies show that heat, air pollution, disease spread and food insecurity linked to climate change are worsening and costing millions of lives around the world each year.

Aerial view of Spokane from May 2024. Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

July 9, 2025 Environment

Spokane was one of hundreds of cities expecting federal funds to help manage rising heat wave risk – then EPA ended the grants

In 2021, 19 people died in Spokane County and about 300 visited hospitals with signs of heat-related illnesses. Scientists say it’s not a matter of if, but when, another deadly heat wave descends on the region.

February 11, 2025 Environment / Prevention / Public Health

Stay safe in freezing temperatures with these winter weather tips

The National Weather Service has issued a cold weather advisory through Wednesday. Most of the state will experience dangerously low temperatures that can lead to hypothermia, frostbite, and other health issues. These risks are especially high for people working outdoors, those without shelter or adequate heating, the elderly, and pets.

Photo of a forest fire with billowing smoke.

November 25, 2024 Air Pollution / Brain and Nervous System / Dementia / Environment

Wildfire smoke exposure linked to increased dementia risk

New research led by the University of Washington in Seattle has found that long-term to wildfire smoke exposure was associated with a significant increase in the odds that a person would be diagnosed with dementia.

Research shows that even mild COVID-19 can lead to the equivalent of seven years of brain aging.

August 28, 2024 Brain and Nervous System / Environment / Environmental Health / Prevention

Microplastics are in our brains. How worried should I be?

Sarah Hellewell, Curtin University; Anastazja Gorecki, University of Notre Dame Australia, and Charlotte Sofield, University of Notre Dame Australia Plastic

August 23, 2024 Environment / Environmental Health / Nutrition

Expert: The Impact of Climate Change on Global Nutrition Is a National Security Issue

Weather events over the past several years have led to lower harvests, lost agricultural incomes and increasing food prices. All those factors contribute to increasing rates of malnutrition.

August 5, 2024 Air Pollution / Environment / Lungs

As wildfires become more frequent and intense, how will persistent smoke exposure affect long-term health?

Although Canada has seen notable improvements in air quality over the past 30 years, increasingly frequent and intense periods of wildfire smoke threaten to undo this progress. In the last two decades, while emissions from most pollution sources declined, Canadians’ exposure to wildfire smoke has increased by approximately 220 per cent.

Produced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), this digitally colorized scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image, depicts two, mustard-colored, rod-shaped, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bacteria, interacting with a green-colored, human white blood cells (WBC), known specifically as a neutrophil.

August 2, 2024 Abortion / Air Pollution / Colon Cancer / Women's Health

Health News Headlines

Wildfire smoke expected in Seattle – ACL tears in women – 5 ways to manage hypertension

June 12, 2024 Air Pollution / Environment / Prevention / Public Health

Four steps to stay safe from wildfire smoke this summer

Breathing wildfire smoke can harm everyone’s lungs, heart, and overall health. And this year we’re expecting hotter weather and less rain—meaning more smoky days.

May 31, 2024 Environment / Environmental Health / Mental Health

Climate change and mental health: How extreme heat can affect mental illnesses

Many people can relate to the sleepless nights during hot summer months, as well as anecdotal experiences of irritation and aggression when thermally uncomfortable.

But for those living with mental illnesses, the hazard of extreme heat is more dire than temperamental responses to day-to-day disruptions.

April 26, 2024 Environment / Environmental Health / Occupational Heatlh / Public Health

CDC launches new online heat-risk resources

New Heat and Health Initiative, developed in response to increased health risks from heat exposure, aims to improve American’s ability to stay safe during heat events

January 18, 2024 Environment / Environmental Health / Health News / Public Health

The Cost of Freeing Drinking Water from ‘Forever Chemicals’

In proposing the limits, EPA officials said that they had leveraged the latest science to protect the public from PFAS pollution. Environmental groups welcomed the move as long overdue. But the standard has drawn widespread criticism from the water utility industry and some scientists who say that in many places, small drops in PFAS water levels will matter little for exposure or health.

January 12, 2024 Environment / Injury Prevention / Prevention / Public Health

Resources and emergency shelters available statewide to keep people safe and warm during dangerously cold winter weather

Cold weather can be very dangerous if you are not prepared, particularly for people without homes, the elderly, and those with medical conditions. Health risks include hypothermia, frostbite, falls, vehicle accidents, and carbon monoxide poisoning from improper indoor use of fires or generators. Winter storms can make these problems worse by causing power outages and property damage.