Healthy Environments Action Team: Climate Change Initiative

Since the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels has increased CO2 levels. This, combined with increased levels of other greenhouse gases, has contributed to the warming and pollution of Earth’s air and oceans. This warming, called climate change, is causing severe weather events that are negatively impacting wildlife, crops, and our health.  

Steve Hogseth, chair of HEAT, shared a quote from Chief Seattle that he lives by: “The Earth does not belong to man; Man belongs to the Earth… Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” 

New Awareness Group:  

• Climate & Health Action Together (CHAT) is uniting health and climate experts across the state to find local solutions for Wisconsinites.  

• The Healthy Environments Action Team (HEAT) from the Health Dunn Right Coalition is committed in bringing this year-long project to Dunn County.  

How does this impact Dunn County and community members? 

• Many community members noticed that fun activities like ice fishing and snowmobiling in recent winters didn’t last as long. This is expected to get worse.  

• Experts say that in 60 years, Menomonie winters could feel like winters in Medford, Oklahoma.  You can see this with an online map from the University of Maryland:  https://fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp/. 

• Climate change impacts our health in many ways, like causing more asthma and heart issues,  sickness from dirty water or food, and more stress. It can even lead to early births or deaths. 

HEAT knows climate change can feel big and scary, but we can work together to protect our health and future. By joining the CHAT project, we hope to help people in Dunn County learn about these problems and find smart, local solutions. 

For more updates and to see how you can be involved in this initiative, you can follow Health Dunn Right on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthdunnright.

Media release.