LGBT couples at 'greater risk' of climate change impacts, law school study claims - KOMO News
LGBT couples at 'greater risk' of climate change impacts, law school study claims
LOS ANGELES (TND) — A new study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law claims LGBT couples are at a “greater risk” of being impacted adversely by climate change.
Researchers found those in LGBT relationships are “disproportionally located in costal areas and cities,” such as Washington D.C., which they wrote is at an increased risk of heat waves, flooding and dangerously strong winds. Same-sex couples also tend to reside in areas of poorer infrastructure, researchers noted.
To combat this, the study recommends first responders “be inclusive” when planning disaster recovery plans to “address the specific needs and vulnerabilities facing LGBT people.” It is also the responsibility of emergency responders to ensure LGBT couples have access to HIV medication in the event of a natural disaster, according to the study.
This issue is even one that concerns NASA, researchers wrote. Included in their recommendations is a suggestion that the space agency include LGBT people in its climate risk assessments and assign them higher social vulnerability scores.
READ MORE | Number of trans, nonbinary students attending UC schools has tripled, report says
The portion of the U.S. population identifying as LGBT is growing, according to a March Gallup poll. The study showed the percentage of U.S. adults who do not identify as heterosexual has more than doubled since 2012.
“Overall, each younger generation is about twice as likely as the generation that preceded it to identify as LGBTQ+,” pollsters wrote. “If current trends continue, it is likely that the proportion of LGBTQ+ identifiers will exceed 10% of U.S. adults at some point within the next three decades.”
Similar reports released in Jan. showed a rise in diagnoses of gender dysphoria from 2018 to 2022. All but one U.S. state saw an increase in diagnoses from 2018-22. Diagnoses in minors increased to 20.4% from 17.5%, the report noted.
Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest trending national news. Have a news tip? Send it to jacwalker@sbgtv.com
Related Knowledge Center: Climate science
What began as a theory in the 1890s — that industrial emissions of carbon dioxide could increase global temperatures — had progressed to a scientific fact a century later. Scientists across a range of disciplines are studying the impact of the still-growing concentration of carbon dioxide and other so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere as they call for industrial and governmental policies to slow, then halt, the warming of the planet.