Global Health Institute

In 2015, prior to the Paris Climate Conference, the World Health Organization (WHO) called climate change the "greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.” As our world becomes warmer and more populated, and as we continue to produce dirty emissions, the air we breathe is growing horrifically polluted. Nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air, killing around 7 million people every year. The health effects of air pollution are serious—one third of the deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are due to air pollution. Yet, in 2015, even though WHO recognized the potential impacts of air pollution on human health, they had not taken any action to address it.

During the holiday season, it is important to remember that not all families will enjoy a table filled with mashed potatoes, turkey, and pie. In Washington, D.C. alone, 14.5 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, which means they do not have access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that in 2015, 27.9 percent of children under the age of 18 in the District of Columbia were living in food insecure households [1].