Climate Change and Environment

Changes in the climate can already be seen in Colorado and trends suggest changes in climate will continue to have public health implications.

Climate change refers to any significant change in the metrics of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among others, that occur over several decades or longer.

Environmental changes can in turn affect relationships between human populations and disease vectors such as the mosquitos that carry West Nile virus. Extreme weather events such as wildfires can create both direct and indirect health implications such as threatening the homes of residents and contributing to poor air quality.

More information on Larimer County's Climate and Sustainability approach can be found here.