Silent struggle: Vulnerable groups in crisis, according to Greenpeace

I love horror movies, always have. For as long as I can remember, I rented Child’s Play every Friday, so I can say I’ve developed a certain tolerance for the scary and the whimsical. Few horror movies elicit a reaction from me these days, but I’m a sucker for the ones that do. A Quiet Place is one of those franchises that never disappoints.

So when one of my favorite movie franchises features one of my favorite actresses (the incredibly talented Lupita Nyong’o, think Jordan Peele’s Us) trying to get a slice of my favorite pizza during an alien invasion of New York City, I knew I was in for a real treat.

What I didn’t expect was that this Friday night outing would remind me of my vulnerability as someone living with a comorbidity during a crisis – and as a Greenpeace activist, specifically, the climate crisis.

Spoiler alert: Nyong’o plays a terminally ill man who wants nothing more than a slice of Patsy’s pizza in East Harlem as aliens with hypersensitive hearing prey on frightened New Yorkers.Spoiler: there will be more spoilers to come!)

Diabetes and climate change

I’ve lived with diabetes almost as long as I’ve lived without it, and yet until now I’ve never really considered what my specific needs are in relation to this climate crisis. A quick online search (and I try my best to avoid Dr. Google) and a plethora of new research appears on the topic.

I’ve been aware of this since last year’s heatwave: diabetics are more likely to feel the heat. I did some research on this in preparation for our summer in South Africa. It turns out that some complications of diabetes, like damage to blood vessels and nerves, can affect your sweat glands, preventing your body from cooling itself as effectively. When my partner and I go to the gym and do the exact same exercise, he’s often drenched in sweat, while I look like I’ve just been on a leisurely walk.

3/ As always, it is the most disadvantaged populations who suffer the most from the consequences of the climate crisis. During episodes of extreme heat, vulnerable populations such as the homeless, people with disabilities, the elderly and the poor are the most vulnerable. #ClimateEmergency https://t.co/RPSDuHECjR

— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) July 18, 2022

But that’s the least of my worries, I suppose… Over 58% of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections are worsened by climate change. Diabetics are at higher risk of serious infections and hospitalization for bacterial and viral illnesses, in part because of weakened immune responses. I’m already out of medical savings for this year because of the high cost of my insulin, so God forbid I need urgent care.

Caught in the storm

I often (and unfairly) hear that diabetics should just take care of their health and that it is more of a “lifestyle disease.” The fact that diabetes is fast becoming the leading cause of death in my country (and others as well) should make you realize that this has much less to do with my food choices and more to do with the environmental factors that are causing this health crisis. It is this rhetoric that distracts us from the real interventions needed to ensure that we are all protected from the impacts of climate change.

For example, if a major weather event were to hit Johannesburg and I found myself homeless or without power (which is highly likely, given the fragility of our power grid), where would I store my insulin, which becomes ineffective after 14 days at room temperature? Would I have to run all over town to get medication like Nyong’o in A Quiet Place: Day One?

What would happen if we were to experience water cuts due to these extreme weather conditions? The fact that people with diabetes are prone to dehydration, which causes spikes in blood sugar, which then leaves us vulnerable to infections and complications, means we need a little more consideration… and a lot less manipulation.

Breaking the silence

We do not all have the same needs, and climate solutions are not one-size-fits-all. People with disabilities, for example, are two to four times more likely to die or be injured in a climate disaster. But the most vulnerable are often excluded from discussions about climate change impacts and solutions.

It’s hard enough for a person of color to lead the climate conversation, let alone for someone with a physical disability. It’s even harder to deal with a comorbidity, let alone try to get others to relate to you. I may be a horror movie fan, but I don’t want to live in one. That’s why we’re starting to look for solutions today.

Add your name

I don’t know much about science or even economics, but I know injustice. I know for sure that those responsible for the climate crisis must pay for its damage. This is not a burden that I or anyone like me should shoulder ourselves, and decision-makers must make polluters pay for the climate damage they have caused.

Protecting the most vulnerable means investing in a robust and equitably accessible health system, but it also means taking into account the fragilities that are magnified in times of climate crisis. It is therefore clear once again that making polluters pay must be a priority in health policy. Perhaps then we would have a better chance than Nyong’o?

/Public dissemination. This content from the original organization/authors may be of a timely nature and edited for clarity, style, and length. Mirage.News takes no institutional position or bias, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s). See the full story here.