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Farmworkers in Florida have to work in “dangerously hot” heat for 116 days of the year, Sam Bloch reported in The Counter. These farmworkers, according to the CDC, are 20 times more likely to die from heat than other US civilians. Despite the high levels of fatalities farmworkers face in Florida each year, the state has refused to pass legislation designed to protect workers from the heat. Indeed, State Senator Victor Torres, according to the article in The Counter, has introduced heat illness prevention bills for the past three years. They have failed each time.
Why This Matters: This week, we reported on farmworkers’ lack of adequate legal and public health protections during the pandemic. But it is crucial to remember that farmworkers lacked basic public health protections long before the pandemic. A recent study demonstrated that on average, farmworkers in the US face 21 unsafe working days each summer. And, this number will only grow as human-induced climate change raises temperatures worldwide. Florida must follow states like California and Washington to protect people from working in excessive heat.
Horrible Conditions:According to OSHA, nine farmworkers in Florida “suffered severe and fatal injuries caused by the heat.” Many activists, Bloch says, posit the number is much higher. A recent study found that farmworkers in Florida “have a high burden of dehydration and experience adverse changes in kidney function during their workdays.” Another found that many had elevated core temperatures by the end of the day. This heat, coupled with lack of adequate protection measures, has resulted in the death of many farmworkers, including Procopio Magaña, who died last year of heatstroke.
By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer This week, the medical journal Lancet published their annual report on health in relation to climate change, subtitling it: “code red for a healthy future.” The report delves beyond the obvious effects of wildfires, hurricanes, and extreme weather events — looking at food security; livelihoods; human physical and mental […]
By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer The EPA announced Monday that it will move toward regulating perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — manmade “forever chemicals” — that don’t naturally break down and can contaminate both air and water. These chemicals, found in various household products, from dental floss to nonstick pans, can also be harmful […]
The editors of over 230 medical journals said in a statement on Monday that climate change is a health issue and that its effects could become “catastrophic” if world leaders don’t do more to address it. The health impacts of climate change include wildfire smoke–which has been linked to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases–and pollutants […]
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