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Concepts

It is important that our Advisory Boards share an understanding of climate change, environmental health, and air quality. Below are key concepts we've discussed across our groups.

Climate vs Weather & Climate Change

  • Weather: represents the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time (minutes to days)

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  • Climate: weather of a region (or the planet) averaged over a long period of time

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  • Climate Change: long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns 

Climate Stressors

  • Drought: a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather

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  • Air Quality: a measure of how much pollution there is in the air

 

  • Wildfires: unplanned fires that occur in a natural area. They can be caused by human activities or by natural forces like lightning

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  • Transboundary Haze: when pollution from another city, state, or even country affects the air quality and outdoor visibility in a community far away and in another jurisdiction

Health & Climate Terms

  • Environmental Health: a branch of public health focused on how the environment affects human health

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  • Health Equity: a state where historical and current forms of injustice have been addressed so that everyone in a society has equal opportunity to be as healthy as possible

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  • Climate Resilience: refers to the ability for communities to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate change related adversity, such as extreme weather events, drought, air pollution and/or wildfire

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  • Environmental Justice: The concept that all people deserve equal protection from pollution

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  • Climate Justice: Approaching climate change action so that the needs of people who will be most impacted by climate crises—but are least responsible for climate change—are prioritized

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