The Long-Term Effects of Wildfire Smoke on Health

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

There is the real potential for wildfire smoke exposure to affect the health of unborn infants and babies throughout the rest of their lives. We're certainly seeing that smoke exposures for people who are pregnant do have impacts on the developing fetus. And we know from a really cool series of studies in California on monkeys, the exposure in the first months of life really does significant damage or can do significant damage to the lungs.

Earlier in June 2023, a series of wildfires across Quebec, Canada blanketed eastern North America in smoke. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we speak to three scientists about how climate change is exacerbating hazards like these wildfires, and to understand how an event like this impacts health, business and the economy.

We talk to Werner Kurz, senior research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada, about how wildfires can impact net-zero goals.

We speak with Terry Thompson, Chief Climate Scientist at the Climate Center of Excellence at S&P Global Sustainable1. He talks to us about the financial impacts of wildfires.

And to understand the health impacts of climate change broadly and wildfires specifically, we interview Sarah Henderson, Scientific Director of Environmental Health Services at Canada’s British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, and at the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health.

Photo source: Getty Images

DISCLAIMER

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.