CalEPA’s Post

Save the date! 📆 Join the California Air Resources Board on Oct. 23 to hear from the recipients of the 2023 Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards. The Clean Air Awards recognize extraordinary individuals who have made significant career accomplishments in air quality and climate change.

On #IndigenousPeoplesDay, we’d like to take a moment to honor the cultures and languages from some of the many Tribes in California. Here is a brief hello from various Tribal members who were at the State Water Resources Control Board's Cultural Heritage Pavilion at California’s Native American Day event last month.

Last Saturday, Tribal, community, state and federal partners celebrated the undamming of the Klamath River, the largest dam removal in US history. This major win for ecosystem restoration has already revitalized the river: salmon freely swim the Klamath for the 1st time in 100+ years. "Extremely proud of the leadership that has gone into this historic return for an invaluable ecosystem and way of life! I am grateful to all who continue their steadfast commitment to bringing the natural flow and salmon back to the Klamath River," says Secretary Yana Garcia.

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay. California Department of Public Health, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and California Air Resources Board are here to share how climate change and heat impact mental health and what we can do to reduce the harmful impacts. “Extreme heat can significantly affect our mental health and well-being — hotter temperatures are linked to increased mood and anxiety disorders, higher use of emergency mental health services, and more interpersonal aggression and violence. It’s important to know that certain medications for treating mental health conditions can affect people’s ability to cool off, increasing their risk of heat-related health impacts,” says California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomás Aragón. “While the direct medical and physical health impacts from climate-related events are often noticeable, the mental health impacts can persist well after the event. By reducing fossil fuel emissions that cause climate change, building resilience to climate-related health impacts, and equipping individuals and mental health practitioners with skills to cope with climate impacts, we can prevent and reduce mental health harms from climate change.” Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)’s CalHeatScore will forecast coming heat waves, help you prepare for extreme heat events and connect you with local resources ➡ calheatscore.calepa.ca.gov. California Air Resources Board’s scoping plan lays out a path to carbon neutrality, helping fight climate change ➡ https://lnkd.in/gZnUPiiv.