This article covers Policy Brief: Energy Justice and Climate Change.
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Research public health issues on the \”Climate Change\” or \”Topics and Issues\” pages of the American Public Health Association (APHA) website. Investigate a public health issue related to an environmental issue within the U.S. health care delivery system and examine its effect on a specific population.
Write a 750-1,000-word policy brief that summarizes the issue, explains the effect on the population, and proposes a solution to the issue.
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Solution
Policy Brief: Energy Justice and Climate Change
Description
Climate change aggravates health inequalities, affecting the most vulnerable community members such as children, low-income earners, the aged population, disabled individuals, and people with chronic illnesses, some communities of color, marginalized people, and immigrants. These populations face difficulty acquiring political, economic, and social resources vital in coping with environmental threats resulting from climate change, such as natural disasters and extreme heat. As climate change worsens, the inequality can create an unmanageable energy burden for the state and the national governments. Inability to access and afford household energy is often associated with poor health, inadequate access to health resources, limited political representation, education, and job opportunities (American Public Health Association, 2019). A thoughtful and considerate healthier energy supply by public health professions provides opportunities for controlling climate change and facilitating health equity simultaneously. Energy justice allows decision-makers to develop policies that facilitate equitable production, distribution, and energy resource consumption.
Problem Statement
Climate change affects specific populations disproportionately. Over the years, the environmental justice movement has identified the people of color and low-income earners as those who often have to bear the burden of environmental issues. In energy, race and class are the primary indicators for energy injustices associated with housing and heat regulation. Housing affects the quality of health. Therefore, the location, quality, and affordability of housing structures are linked to health. Poor-quality housing and ruined neighborhoods reduce property value, encourage crime, and erodes the communities’ cohesiveness and political power. Many people of color and low-income earners lack the infrastructure like green spaces that are vital for cooling. In urban areas where these communities leave, the quality of housing is substandard, and they are often hotter than other areas, sometimes termed as ‘heat islands’ (American Public Health Association, n.d.). The unbearable hot conditions affect people’s health and increase energy requirements and usage. Residents lack the power to invest in costly air-conditioning equipment, even for the short-term. With worsening climatic conditions, communities of color and low-income earners compromise managing the energy burden and their household needs such as food, medicine, and water.
Addressing Energy Injustices
Energy insecurity is increasing due to the inability to manage energy costs of gas, appliances, plumbing, cooling, and heating. Around 31% of US households struggle to pay energy bills and sustain heating and cooling in their houses. Research also shows that one out of five households foregoes basic needs such as food and medicine to cater to energy bills (American Public Health Association, n.d.). Eleven percent of the households admit to keeping their homes in unhealthy conditions and unsafe temperatures due to high energy costs. Low-income earners often face an energy burden as much of their monthly income has to pay energy costs if they live in healthy conditions. Since extreme heat and cold conditions result from climatic changes, the government needs to initiate interventions to support vulnerable populations to pay for their energy costs (Jenkins, McCauley & Forman, 2017). The national and state government, environmental agencies, public health officials, and the community have to come together to initiate policies that ensure equitable production, distribution, and consumption of energy resources.
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The first step of initiating policy changes is acknowledging the problem and creating assistance programs to support low-income households with their energy costs and offer bill payment and energy crisis assistance. Low-income earners face an energy burden three times higher than other individuals. There should be programs to support individuals with home weatherization, reducing the energy burden by increasing energy efficiency. Energy justice requires equitable sharing of risks and hazards by equally availing energy resources to all populations (Sovacool & Dworkin, 2015). The governments need to formulate utility policies to enhance household financial stability and enhance the quality of air, water, and other natural facets that affect an individual’s health and well-being. The government should work closely with the community to build capacity regarding energy strategizing and decision-making to facilitate equity (American Public Health Association, n.d.). The government should encourage community partnerships with agencies that seek to eradicate energy insecurity by advocating for policy changes and institutional actions to promote racial equity and unified prosperity.
All people should access reliable, safe, and affordable energy sources. Vulnerable people need protection from the unequal share of costs and negative consequences of extreme climatic conditions. There should be government systems that facilitate equitable operation and maintenance of electric power production, transmission, and distribution. People should enjoy equitable distribution and access to benefits from these systems that support the appropriate dissemination of costs and risks and contribute to non-discriminatory energy decision-making. There should be a set of principles and practices that encourage the transition from fossil fuels to other energy sources that are more safe and green. Shifting to green and renewable energy would reverse climate changes, reducing occurrences of extreme heat and cold conditions (Salter, Gonzalez, & Warner, 2018). Safe energy sources reduce the energy burden. Affected communities should receive economic opportunities to invest in safe energy sources. Therefore, all stakeholders should support policies that ensure affordable and safe housing as a necessity for every American citizen.
Impact On The Health Care Delivery System
The inability to invest in cooling and heating appliances places vulnerable households at more significant health risks than other households. Extreme heat and cold conditions are unsafe and life-threatening. The health care delivery system needs to respond by developing policies and practices that address people’s adaptation, especially in heat islands. Vulnerable communities face risks and hazards from poorly distributed air, water, and other environmental resources that impact health and well-being. Health care delivery systems should work closely with these communities to devise strategies that promote public health.
Most people have also admitted to reducing or foregoing necessities to pay for energy bills. Inadequate access to food and medicine impacts health negatively. Lack of enough meals can lead to malnourished children. Concerned health care organizations should create delivery systems to ensure continual medical supplies to the affected populations. Healthcare professionals should build partnerships with underrepresented communities, support advancement in energy efficiency and alternative energy sources, and collaborate with social service and community action committees (American Public Health Association, n.d.). Energy injustice is a health issue, and the public health departments should entirely engage in creating awareness of the related risks due to excessive energy resources production, distribution, and consumption.
References
American Public Health Association. (n.d.). Energy Justice and Climate Change: Key Concepts for Public Health. Retrieved from https://www.apha.org//media/Files/PDF/topics/climate/Energy_Justice_Key_Concepts.ashx
American Public Health Association. (n.d.). How public health professionals can advance energy just future. Retrieved from https://www.apha.org/media/Files/PDF/topics/climate/EnergyJ_ustice_Public_Health_Action.ashx
Jenkins, K., McCauley, D., & Forman, A. (2017). Energy justice: A policy approach. Energy Policy, 105, 631-634.
Salter, R., Gonzalez, C. G., & Warner, E. A. K. (Eds.). (2018). Energy justice: US and international perspectives. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Sovacool, B. K., & Dworkin, M. H. (2015). Energy justice: Conceptual insights and practical applications. Applied Energy, 142, 435-444.
Question
Research public health issues on the \”Climate Change\” or \”Topics and Issues\” pages of the American Public Health Association (APHA) website. Investigate a public health issue related to an environmental issue within the U.S. health care delivery system and examine its effect on a specific population.
Write a 750-1,000-word policy brief that summarizes the issue, explains the effect on the population, and proposes a solution to the issue.
Follow this outline when writing the policy brief:
- Describe the policy health issue. Include the following information: (a) what population is affected, (b) at what level does it occur (local, state, or national), and (c) evidence about the issues supported by resources.
- Create a problem statement.
- Provide suggestions for addressing the health issue caused by the current policy. Describe what steps are required to initiate policy change. Include necessary stakeholders (government officials, administrator) and budget or funding considerations, if applicable.
- Discuss the impact on the health care delivery system.
Include three peer-reviewed sources and two other sources to support the policy brief.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide,
