Climate Change and Aging: analyzing the disproportionate health and socioeconomic vulnerabilities of older adults in relation to the climate crisis in the U.S.

Abstract

Climate change has exacerbated the extreme highs and lows of temperature throughout the United States. While climate change-related temperature changes have impacted the entire population, certain demographic groups bear more of the burden than others. In particular, older adults (those aged 65+) may be especially at risk due to their overall increased morbidity and mortality rates. Older adults can escape the outdoor temperatures at home through home energy use. However, older adults living at or below the poverty level may not be able to manage the associated costs of home energy usage. This research builds upon previous work on climate justice by assessing the additive components of poverty, home-living status, and energy costs on the resilience of older adults who reside in their own homes at the national level. This paper aims to identify significant locations in the United States where older adults may be most impacted by temperature extremities and which older populations experience the most energy cost burdens. Through the development of an energy cost and climate risk index, this research hopes to identify which places in the U.S. may be most vulnerable to older Americans’ health and financial stability. Significant findings for both cold waves and heat waves include strong positive relationships between overall extreme temperature risk and annual energy cost burdens, which signify a need to subsidize and assist with energy expenses in particularly vulnerable locations. This research contributes a more precise evaluation of the issue and emphasizes the need to localize and focus on specific populations and their unique risk factors since prior spatial research covers a broad range of populations and vulnerabilities, making data interpretation less specific.