Key Takeaways
A new scorecard ranks U.S. states on climate risks to public health and health care systems
Vermont leads the country in readiness; West Virginia ranks last in climate preparedness, the study says
States with strong clean energy policies are better equipped to protect public health
kAm(ts}t$sp*[ ~4E] `[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — p ?6H k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@>>@?H62=E97F?5]@C8^AF3=:42E:@?D^7F?5\C6A@CED^a_ad^D6A^DE2E6\D4@C642C5\4=:>2E6\962=E9Qmr@>>@?H62=E9 uF?5k^2m C6A@CE @776CD E96 7:CDE DE2E6\3J\DE2E6 C2?<:?8 @7 9@H GF=?6C23=6 :?5:G:5F2= 962=E9 2?5 962=E9 42C6 DJDE6>D 2C6 E@ 4=:>2E6 C:D<D] k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE 2?2=JK65 2== d_ DE2E6D 2?5 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ =@@<:?8 2E 724E@CD =:<6 6IEC6>6 962E[ 7=@@5:?8 2?5 2:C BF2=:EJ[ 2D H6== 2D A@=:4:6D E@ 4@>32E E96D6 E9C62ED]k^Am
kAm'6C>@?E H2D C2?<65 E96 36DE DE2E6 7@C :ED 4=:>2E6 AC6A2C65?6DD 2?5 =@H 962=E9 C:D<[ H9:=6 (6DE ':C8:?:2 C2?<65 =2DE] $E2E6D :? E96 }@CE962DE 2?5 !24:7:4 }@CE9H6DE 86?6C2==J D4@C65 H6==[ H9:=6 D6G6C2= DE2E6D :? E96 $@FE9 2?5 $@FE9H6DE C2?<65 2>@?8 E96 H@CDE]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%@A `_ $E2E6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mkAm'6C>@?Ek^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm}6H *@C<k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm(2D9:?8E@?k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm}6H y6CD6Jk^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|2:?6k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmx529@k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|2CJ=2?5k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|2DD249FD6EEDk^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm!6??DJ=G2?:2k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm~C68@?k^Amk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8mq@EE@> `_ $E2E6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kF=mk=:mkAm(6DE ':C8:?:2k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmz6?EF4<Jk^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm{@F:D:2?2k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmu=@C:52k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|:DD:DD:AA:k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm|:DD@FC:k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmpC:K@?2k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmpC<2?D2Dk^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmw2H2::k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm}6H |6I:4@k^Amk^=:mk^F=m
kAm%96 C6A@CE 7@F?5 2 4=62C 4@CC6=2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“~FC D4@C642C5 D9@HD E92E DE2E6D H:E9 DEC@?8 4=62? 6?6C8J 2?5 C6D:=:6?46 A@=:4:6D 2C6 5@:?8 2 36EE6C ;@3 AC@E64E:?8 962=E9 2?5 962=E9 42C6 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ H9:=6 @E96C DE2E6D =62G6 A2E:6?ED 6IA@D65 5FC:?8 A@E6?E:2= 4C:D6D[” D2:5 DEF5J 2FE9@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4@6]?@CE962DE6C?]65F^A6@A=6^64<6=>2?\>2EE96H^Qm|2EE96H t4<6=>2?k^2m[ 2? 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C 2E }@CE962DE6C? &?:G6CD:EJ :? q@DE@?]k^Am
kAm$@>6 2C62D 7246 F?:BF6 52?86CD] k^Am
kAm$@FE9H6DE6C? DE2E6D =:<6 pC:K@?2 2?5 }6H |6I:4@ 92G6 E96 8C62E6DE C:D< 7C@> 6IEC6>6 962E[ H9:=6 962=E9 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :? =@H\=J:?8 4@2DE2= DE2E6D =:<6 u=@C:52 2?5 {@F:D:2?2 92D 2 9:89 7=@@5 C:D<] k^Am
kAmu=@C:52 92D E96 ?2E:@?’D 9:896DE A6C46?E286 @7 9@DA:E2= 365D — ?62C=J `dT — =@42E65 :? 9:89\92K2C5 7=@@5 K@?6D[ E96 DEF5J D9@H65]k^Am
kAmtIEC6>6 H62E96C 6G6?ED 2C6 56G2DE2E:?8 2?5 4@DE=J]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C 2=@?6[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?46:]?@22]8@G^2446DD^3:==:@?D^Qm}2E:@?2= ~462?:4 2?5 pE>@DA96C:4 p5>:?:DEC2E:@?k^2m W}~ppX C6A@CE65 af H62E96C 2?5 4=:>2E6 5:D2DE6CD H:E9 52>286 E@AA:?8 S` 3:==:@? :? 6249] %96D6 5:D2DE6CD C6DF=E65 :? deg 5:C64E @C :?5:C64E 562E9D[ >2<:?8 a_ac E96 6:89E9\9:896DE 72E2=:EJ J62C :? E96 =2DE cd J62CD]k^Am
kAmr@>>@?H62=E9 uF?5 !C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@>>@?H62=E97F?5]@C8^A6CD@?^;@D6A9\C\36E2?4@FCEQmy@D6A9 q6E2?4@FCEk^2m DEC6DD65 E96 32D:4 ?646DD:EJ @7 4=:>2E6 C625:?6DD]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 2C6 36EE6C @77 H96? E96J 42? 3C62E96 4=62? 2:C 2?5 H96? E96 9@DA:E2=D E96J 56A6?5 @? 2C6 AC6A2C65 7@C 6IEC6>6 H62E96C[” 96 D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm%96 DEF5J 2FE9@CD FC865 DE2E6D E@ E2<6 7@FC <6J DE6AD E@ C65F46 92C>7F= 962=E9 :>A24ED 2?5 :>AC@G6 C6D:=:6?46ik^Am
kF=mk=:mkAm$EC6?8E96? 4=62? 6?6C8J 2?5 6?6C8J 677:4:6?4J A@=:4:6D]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm$FAA@CE 962=E9 42C6 724:=:E:6D :? AC6A2C:?8 7@C 6IEC6>6 H62E96C 2?5 2DD6DD:?8 4=:>2E6 C:D<D]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAm#6BF:C6 DE2?52C5:K65 C6A@CE:?8 @7 962=E9 42C6 D64E@C 6>:DD:@?D E@ 8F:56 :>AC@G6>6?ED]k^Amk^=:mk=:mkAmw6=A 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 4=:?:4D :?G6DE :? C6D:=:6?E :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 4=62? A@H6C 2?5 =@H\6>:DD:@? EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 7@C DE277 2?5 A2E:6?ED]k^Amk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 x?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6 @7 t?G:C@?>6?E2= w62=E9 $4:6?46D @776CD C6D@FC46D @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?:69D]?:9]8@G^?6HD^724E@C^a_ac^h^762EFC6^a\762EFC6\4=:>2E6\2?5\962=E9Qm4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 9F>2? 962=E9k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rt$i k6>m&]$] }6HD U2>Aj (@C=5 #6A@CEk^6>m[ $6AE] ad[ a_adj r@>>@?H62=E9 uF?5 $E2E6 $4@C642C5 @? r=:>2E6[ w62=E9[ 2?5 w62=E9 r2C6[ $6AE] ad[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm*@FC 962=E9 2?5 D276EJ 5FC:?8 2 4=:>2E6\C6=2E65 6>6C86?4J 9:?86 @? J@FC DE2E6’D A@=:4:6D 2?5 9@DA:E2= C625:?6DD] r@?D:56C 2D<:?8 =@42= =6256CD H92E DE6AD E96J 2C6 E2<:?8 E@ :>AC@G6 4=:>2E6 C6D:=:6?46]k^Am
