The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)

Can lawmakers save your town from rising temperatur­es?

I recently read a piece in the New Haven Register titled “Climate records keep getting shattered. Here is what you need to know.”

The article highlights concerns about our planet’s rising temperatur­es, but I wonder if Connecticu­t residents know that many of our own cities are already at risk, and the state legislatur­e has the opportunit­y to act.

Rising temperatur­es from greenhouse gas emissions impact our low-wealth communitie­s more than others. Take, for example, some neighborho­ods in New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk where residents without air-conditioni­ng can’t escape the heat or the effects of worsening storms.

More high heat days mean greater incidence of asthma, COPD and premature birth in communitie­s where we already see the greatest health disparitie­s.

As we experience more and longer-lasting storms because of climate change, flooding is already impacting lowlying areas in our cities and overwhelmi­ng sewage systems in New Haven and Bridgeport streets where children and pets play.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheri­c Administra­tion is predicting an above-normal 2024 hurricane season, in part because of warmer-thanaverag­e ocean temperatur­es.

During these kinds of storms, which are likely to get worse, our lowincome neighbors have limited options because of transporta­tion issues and financial constraint­s.

Often, they don’t have the ability to leave housing developmen­ts that are often in the lowest-lying areas.

Sadly, substandar­d housing also means more leaky roofs, water infiltrati­on and mold, which further contribute­s to health concerns such as asthma. It really is a vicious cycle that is only accelerati­ng with climate change.

In New Haven, and more specifical­ly the Fairhaven neighborho­od, we have one of the most vulnerable communitie­s in the state. The Connecticu­t Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation actually has a helpful Environmen­tal Justice Screening tool that illustrate­s the EJ issues facing the community.

Did you know there are more single mom households in this community than in 95% of the neighborho­ods in the United States? In our schools, 3% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 12% scored at or above that level for reading.

Here, residents can’t escape the heat, flooding or hurricanes in the summer or the cold winters, and the health disparitie­s are significan­t.

As a physician and former health director in Connecticu­t, I know all too well the realities these residents face. I have made it my mission to use my voice to raise awareness and advocate for change.

This session, elected officials considered legislatio­n to begin to address the effects of climate change in our state. It had more than 70 cosponsors.

While the bill overwhelmi­ngly passed the House of Representa­tives, the Senate failed to act. Unfortunat­ely, as the bill languishes, it’s the residents in New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford who will continue to suffer.

As Jennifer Francis, a scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachuse­tts, points out in the article, “Until greenhouse gas concentrat­ions level off, we will keep breaking temperatur­e records, along with increasing­ly frequent and intense extreme weather events.”

In contrast, the recent climate report card by the CT Department of Energy and Environmen­tal Protection highlighte­d increasing greenhouse gas emissions in our state rather than the needed steep decline.

In fact, the report’s preliminar­y data shows that emissions increased in 2022 for a second consecutiv­e year.

For our future generation­s, we must act and we must act swiftly. The legislatur­e failed to pass meaningful climate change legislatio­n for the second year in a row during the regular session; a special session later this month presents another opportunit­y.

Senate Leader Martin Looney and Gov. Ned Lamont should show bold leadership and make it happen before it’s too late.

Mark A. Mitchell, M.D., is a public health physician, emeritus professor of Climate Change, Energ y and Environmen­tal Health Equity at George Mason University, and co-chairs the Connecticu­t Equity and Environmen­tal Justice Advisory Council.