Health Career Connection intern April Navarrete takes a look at the causes and effects of the Central Valley air quality and how that affects residents of Merced County.
Time, cost and transportation were among the barriers cited by respondents. The Field Poll also found that African Americans were among those less likely to visit the coast, with 33 percent saying they visit less than once a year and citing an inability to swim as the key factor. Families earning more than $60,000 were also more likely to visit more often than families earning less than $40,000.
Echoing statements by the Pope, Medrano pointed to the unbridled capitalism eroding our planet’s health and leaving millions of poor vulnerable to the effects of climate change. “Unless we change our economic system, we cannot care for the most vulnerable people in our communities. They are the ones who are being the most affected by climate change.”