"Al Gore And Others Will Hold Climate Change Summit Canceled By CDC"

"Former vice president Al Gore, the American Public Health Association, and other organizations announced today that they will hold the summit on climate change and health that was canceled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week. The Climate & Health Meeting will take place on February 16th, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

On Monday, news broke that the CDC had quietly canceled the Climate and Health Summit that was scheduled for next month in Atlanta, where the CDC is headquartered. The CDC said it was “exploring options to reschedule the meeting while considering budget priorities for fiscal year 2017.” But the scientific community and former CDC officials accused the CDC of backing down for fear of political reprisal by the Trump administration, which has been outspokenly anti-climate change.

Climate change is considered a health threat, because warming temperatures help boost outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases like Zika as mosquitoes expand their range. Heavy rainfalls and flooding can also help spread water-borne diseases like cholera. Under Obama, the CDC began working with states and cities to address health problems related to climate change, like heat waves and pollution."

Alessandra Potenza reports for The Verge January 26, 2016.