Climate refers to the long-term (usually at least 30 years) regional or even global average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over seasons, years, or decades. The climate of a region depends on many factors including the amount of sunlight it receives, its height above sea level, geography, and how close it is to oceans. Since the equator receives more sunlight than the poles, climate varies depending on its distance from the equator. Earth’s climate has been warming, especially in recent decades due to human influences like the burning of fossil fuels.  

Climate Action focuses on three areas: climate mitigation (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions); climate adaptation (helping people, institutions, and communities thrive in the face of climate change); and an overarching dedication to climate justice (increasing the empathy, respect, and understanding we have of all community members).

Image credit: Sustainable Libraries Initiative

Climate Effects on Health. Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify, and new health threats will emerge. Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age, economic resources, and location. In the U.S., public health can be affected by disruptions of physical, biological, and ecological systems, including disturbances originating here and elsewhere. The health effects of these disruptions include increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence and geographical distribution of food- and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.

Climate Resilient Communities. RESILIENCE is the ability of people and their communities to anticipate, accommodate and positively adapt to or thrive amidst changing climate conditions and extreme weather events. They have agency and power to make positive changes and the opportunity to participate in larger-scale decision-making. Resilient communities enjoy a high quality of life, reliable systems, and economic vitality, and they conserve resources for present and future generations.

Environmental Justice is the idea that all people and communities have the right to live and thrive in safe, healthy environments with equal environmental protections and meaningful involvement in these actions.

Public Health promotes and protects the health of all people and their communities. It does not focus on individual health outcomes but does look at population level ones. This population-based approach strives to give everyone a safe place to live, learn, work and play. Public health activities include 1) Tracking disease outbreaks and vaccinating communities to avoid the spread of disease, 2) Setting safety standards to protect workers, 3) Working to prevent gun violence, and 4) Addressing the impact of climate change on our health.

Social Determinants of Health. The social circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work, and play profoundly affect health and drive health disparities. These include healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, and environmental conditions (e.g., air and water quality).

A STEM Learning Ecosystem encompasses schools, community settings such as after-school and summer programs, public libraries, science centers and museums, and informal experiences at home. It harnesses the unique contributions of all these different settings in symbiosis to deliver STEM learning for all. Designed pathways enable learners to become engaged, knowledgeable, and skilled in the STEM disciplines as they progress through childhood into adolescence and adulthood. Like ecosystems in nature, robust learning ecosystems are characterized by diversity, redundancy, and local adaptation.