♪ ♪ >> WE'VE ALL HEARD, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER, WAIT 10 MINUTES AND IT WILL CHANGE.

SADLY, THAT'S NOT TRUE FOR THE CLIMATE AND THAT HAS SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR HEALTH.

STAY WITH US AS WE TALK WITH METEOROLOGIST Ms. TAWANA ANDREW ABOUT HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING OUR HEALTH NEXT ON "KENTUCKY HEALTH."

"KENTUCKY HEALTH" IS FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY KENTUCKY.

>> IN THE MOVIE THE MATRIX, THE CHARACTER AGENT SMITH SAYS THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE A DISEASE, A CANCER OF THE PLANET.

HE SAYS THAT WE MOVE TO AN AREA AND MULTIPLY AND MULTIPLY UNTIL EVERY NATURAL RESOURCE IS CONSUMED AND THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN SURVIVE IS TO SPREAD TO ANOTHER AREA.

THE LATE COMEDIAN GEORGE CARLIN INTIMATED OUR EFFORTS TO SAVE THE PLANET WERE MISDIRECTED.

HE SAID THE PLANET WOULD DO ALL RIGHT ONCE WE WERE GONE.

SOMETIMES LIFE DOES, IN FACT, IMITATE ART.

EARTH, AS DEMONSTRATED HAS AMAZING RECUPERATIVE CAPABILITIES FOLLOWING SEVERE STRESSES.

ALTHOUGH WE, AND MOST LIVING THINGS CAN ADAPT TO MANY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A LIMIT.

THE CLIMATE IS WARMING.

THIS IS NOT JUST MY OPINION, REGARDS IT IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.

THIS WARMING PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT HEALTH CHALLENGES RANGING FROM INCREASES IN POLLUTION, ALLERGENS, FOOD INSECURITY, INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS.

TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH, WE HAVE AS OUR GUEST TODAY, Ms. TAWANA ANDREW.

Ms. ANDREW IS A NATIVE OF ST. JOHN'S IN ANTIGUA, EARNED HER ASSOCIATED IN ARTS FROM BROWARD COLLEGE AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN METEOROLOGY FROM FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.

RECOGNITIONS INCLUDE WINNING THE MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC BROADCASTERS AWARD AND ALSO BEING SELECTED AS TODAY'S WOMAN'S MOST ADMIRED WOMEN IN 2022.

SHE ALONG WITH BILL BURDEN HOST SCIENCE BEHIND THE FORECAST AND SHE IS NOW A METEOROLOGIST AT WAVE 3 TV HERE IN LOUISVILLE.

THANKS FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

>> OFFTRACK.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WHEN LOUISVILLE PLAYS IN THE ACC AS FAR AS ALLEGIANCES.

>> I WILL ROOT FOR MY TEAM BUT I'M NOT A LOUISVILLE HATER.

AS LONG AS THE CARDS ARE NOT PLAYING FLORIDA STATE, I'M OKAY.

>> YOU SAID ROOT FOR YOUR TEAM AND DIDN'T DEFINE WHO YOUR TEAM WAS.

>> THAT'S FAIR.

>> HOW DID YOU WIND UP IN WEATHER?

I MET A METEOROLOGIST WHEN I WAS A KID.

HE CAME TO MY SCHOOL AND I TOLD HIM, BECAUSE I WAS A VERY BOLD CHILD.

I TOLD HIM I WANTED HIS JOB.

NOW HE STILL HAS HIS JOB... [LAUGHTER] BUT I FELL INTO IT.

I HAD AN OLDER COUSIN WHO WANTED TO BE A METEOROLOGIST ALSO, SO WE BOTH CONTINUED DOWN THAT PATH.

SHE DIVERTED AND NOW SHE WORKS FOR NASA.

SHE IS COOLER THAN I COULD EVER BE.

BUT I LOVE IT, ESPECIALLY GROWING UP IN THE CARIBBEAN AND IN FLORIDA AND BEING IMPACTED BY HURRICANES ALL THE TIME.

IT'S SO FASCINATING TO LEARN WHY THE WEATHER WORKS THE WAY IT DOES AND EVEN IF WE CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, IT'S NICE TO AT LEAST LOOK AT IT.

>> YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO IT LIVE, THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FORECAST, WHICH I THINK WE CAN LISTEN TO ON PODCASTS AND THINGS, THAT DOES BRING OUT YOUR INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE WEATHER BECAUSE THAT IS SOME FASCINATING GOOD STUFF THAT IS MUST LISTENING TO ME ON FRIDAY MORNINGS.

>> I LOVE IT.

>> I HAVE BEEN MADE LATE TO MANY MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THAT.

TELL US REAL QUICK.

WE OFTEN TIMES USE THE TERMS WEATHER AND CLIMATE AS THOUGH THEY'RE THE SAME THING.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

>> SO WEATHER IS SHORT-TERM SO WE ARE TALKING SECONDS, TO A COUPLE OF DAYS AND IT'S OVER A SPECIFIC LOCALE SO LOUISVILLE'S WEATHER, KENTUCKY'S WEATHER, INDIANA'S WEATHER.

NOW CLIMATE IS LONG-TERM.

YOU ARE AVERAGING OUT TEMPERATURES, RAINFALL, EVEN, LET'S SAY, WIND SPEEDS OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.

THAT COULD BE MONTHS TO DECADES.

SO YOU HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE TIMEFRAME AND THE LOCALITY WHEN IT COMES TO WEATHER VERSUS CLIMATE.

TWO SEPARATE THINGS BUT INVOLVE BASICALLY THE SAME.

>> SO WE THINK CLIMATE ALSO, A GLOBAL PHENOMENA OPPOSED TO JUST A REGIONAL THING.

>> YEAH, SO REGIONAL, STATEWIDE, ACROSS COUNTRIES, ACROSS... >> YOU HEAR OFTEN THAT THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING, WARMING, TO BE EXACT.

NOW IS THIS PART OF THE NORMAL CYCLE?

BECAUSE IT DOES GO THROUGH CYCLES.

OR IS THIS IN FACT SOMETHING THAT IS ACCELERATED OR MADE BY US?

>> SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING.

BECAUSE PEOPLE TEND TO INTERCHANGE THE TWO TOPICS.

SO GLOBAL WARMING IS ANYTHING INVOLVING HUMAN INFLUENCE.

SO, LET'S SAY, WE POLLUTE THE AIR, WE MAKE THINGS HOTTER.

THAT IS HELPING TO REALLY INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE, AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE PLANET.

THAT IS GLOBAL WARMING.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT JUST THE HUMAN IMPACT BUT ALSO NATURE OVERALL.

SO, YES, WE CAN PRODUCE ADDITIONAL, LET'S SAY GREENHOUSE GASES TO MAKE THINGS WARMER, BUT ALSO IF THE EARTH AUTOS ORBIT SHIFTS A LITTLE BIT, THAT CAN CAUSE A CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE.

EXTRA SO LAR RADIATION OR ADDITIONAL STRONGER SOLAR RADIATION JUST OVER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, THAT COUNTS AS A CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE.

A VOLCANO ERUPTS BUTS OUT A LITTLE EXTRA ASH IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THAT CAN LEAD TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND THAT CAN BE HOT OR COLD, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.

>> MOW DO WE DETERMINE THAT MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING IS AFFECTING OUR CLIMATE, THE NATURAL PROCESS?

>> SO OVER THE PAST DECADE, AND PAST 50 YEARS, I SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC, WE HAVE SEEN ACCELERATED WARMING ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET.

IN FACT, 2023, THE WORLD'S HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD, TOP FIVE FOR THE UNITED STATES.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT DECADES LONG INFORMATION OF DATA YOU CAN SEE JUST WITHIN PAST FIVE DECADES, WE HAVE SEEN ACCELERATION HAPPENING, NOT JUST IN REGARDS TO NORMAL CLIMATE CHANGES AND NORMAL WEATHER EVENTS BUT OVERALL MORE RAIN, MORE SEVERE WEATHER, TALK ABOUT TORNADOES, FLOODING, ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN ACCELERATED.

EVEN HOW MUCH WINTER WEATHER THAT WE SEE.

WE ARE SEEING LESS SNOW IN SOME AREAS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES OVERALL DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

>> SOME OF US WILL SAY WE TALK ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING BUT LOOK AT ALL THESE SNOWSTORMS.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WARMING UP.

>> SO THAT'S THE THING THAT GETS ME BECAUSE I GET EMAILS ALL THE TIME.

WHAT ABOUT THIS GLOBAL WARMING.

>> WE ARE GOING TO POST YOUR EMAIL SO YOU GET MORE.

>> THAT'S FINE.

GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT A THING BECAUSE IT'S COLD TODAY THEY SAY.

BUT WEATHER AND CLIMATE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.

WE'LL STILL HAVE OUR HOT DAYS.

SOMETIMES A COLD DAY IS JUST A COLD DAY, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE ALL THE AVERAGES INTO PLAY, YOU SEE, ON AVERAGE, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GRADUALLY GETTING HOTTER AS WE PROGRESS, ESPECIALLY SINCE 1970 WHEN A LOT OF THE DATA REALLY SOLIDIFIED AND WE STARTED TO LOOK INTO THE INFORMATION A LITTLE BIT MORE AND YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GRADUALLY GETTING WARMER.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A COUPLE WEATHER EVENTS AND TELL ME WHERE CLIMATE CHANGE AND/OR GLOBAL WARMING, HOW THEY FIT IN.

HURRICANES.

IS IT MY IMAGINATION OR ARE THEY GETTING MORE FREQUENT AND MORE SEVERE?

>> SO WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SEEING FEWER HURRICANES OVERALL, BUT THEY'VE BEEN GETTING STRONGER.

SO IT'S THE LITTLE DOUBLE SIDED COIN HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THESE INCREDIBLY STRONG HURRICANES FEEDING OFF OF THIS INCREDIBLY WARM WATER.

BUT AS THEY PASS BY, WHAT THEY DO, THEY SUCK ALL OF THE HEAT OUT OF THE OCEAN AND THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM TO DEVELOP BECAUSE THERE IS NO ENERGY FOR IT TO FEED OFF OF.

SO YOU END UP WITH A SITUATION WHERE YOU ARE SEEING FEWER STORMS BUT THEY'RE MOVING SLOWER AND THEY'RE GETTING STRONGER.

DORIAN IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

IT MOVES THROUGH THE BAHAMAS, SAT OVER THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 PLUS HOURS, ONE OF THE STRONGEST HURRICANES WE HAVE EVER SEEN.

AFTER THAT PASSED BY, NO STORM SYSTEM THAT MOVED THROUGH AS WAIBEL TO GENERATE BECAUSE THE WATER WAS SO MUCH COOLER.

UNTIL IT CAN REBOUND, YOU END UP WITH A SITUATION WHERE THAT AREA CANNOT GET ANOTHER HURRICANE SHOWING UP MAYBE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR MONTHS UNTIL THE OCEAN GETS WARM AGAIN.

>> WE ARE SEEING MORE COMING UP THE EAST COAST INTO NEW ENGLAND THOUGH, AND I HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THIS MANY HURRICANES COMING UP THE EAST COAST LIKE THAT.

>> WARMER WATER.

YOU HAVE MORE ENERGY.

AND AS THE NORTHEAST IS NOT AS COLD AS IT USED TO BE.

SO YOU HAVE PERFECT AMOUNTS OF ENERGY IN TERMS OF THE HEAT AND THE MOISTURE AVAILABLE, SO IT'S GOING TO GO WHERE THAT ENERGY IS AND IT'S LIKE GODZILLA, IT'S GOING TO GO FOR THE RADIATION, THAT KIND OF SITUATION.

IT'S GOING TO GO WHERE THE ENERGY IS OR EVEN LIKE A HUNGRY KID, IT'S GOING TO FIND THE SNACKS.

>> LET'S TAKE THE OPPOSITE END OF THAT.

DROUGHTS.

THEY SEEM TO BE MORE EXTREME.

>> SO THE ATMOSPHERE LIKES TO BALANCE EVERYTHING OUT.

SO IN ONE AREA YOU ARE GOING TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF HEAVY RAIN AND A LOT OF FLOODING.

OF COURSE IF THAT MOISTURE IS OVER THERE, THERE IS NOT THAT MOISTURE OVER HERE SO DROUGHTS ARE VERY INTERESTING IN THAT THEY'RE SELF SUSTAINING.

ONCE YOU ARE DRY FOR A WHILE, ANY SYSTEM THAT MOVES OVER CAN'T TAP INTO ANY MOISTURE BECAUSE IT IS NOT AVAILABLE SO THEN IT STAYS DRIER AND YOU JUST KEEP ON GOING AND GOING UNTIL SOMETHING MAGSIVE HAPPENS.

FOR US, LET'S SAY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE GET INTO THE DROUGHT PERIOD, WHAT IS THE BIG THING THAT WILL TRIGGER SOMETHING CHANGING?

A HURRICANE OR SOME MASSIVE STORM SYSTEM LIKE THAT.

THAT'S WHEN IT TAKES THE KICK BACKS OUR WEATHER THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THAT TIME.

>> WHAT WE SEE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST WITH THE MASSIVE DROWTSZ AFFECTING CROPS, AFFECTING THE RIVERS WITH THE DROUGHTS.

IS ONE BIG HURRICANE OR ONE BIG RAIN SYSTEM, IS THAT ENOUGH TO BRING THINGS BACK TO NORMAL?

>> THEY HAVE A DECADES LONG PROBLEM.

ONE SYSTEM IS NOT GOING TO HELP IT.

THEY NEED MORE SNOW BECAUSE THEIR SNOW PACK IS A BIG REASON THAT THEY HAVE WATER ISSUES IN PARTS OF THE WEST.

SO THEY PROGRESSIVELY WILL NEED MORE SNOW OVER MONTHS, YEARS, DECADES, TO KIND OF BUILD BACK WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.

BUT FOR AT LEAST RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT A ONE SYSTEM ONE MINUTE THING THAT'S GOING TO FIX EVERYTHING.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.

>> IT'S NOT A KENTUCKY BASKETBALL ONE AND DONE TYPE OF THING.

>> NO.

>> WE HERE IN KENTUCKY HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME REALLY SEVERE FLOODING.

IS THAT THE IN BETWEEN THE FLOODING AND THE DROUGHT THING WHERE GROUND CAN'T ABSORB THE WATER WHO ARE OW DO YOU SEE IT?

>> FOR THIS I THINK IT'S THE TEMPERATURE ASPECT OF IT.

THE WARMER WE GET, THE WARMER THE ATMOSPHERE CAN HOLD.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE A VERY WARM DECEMBER, WE ARE GOING TO GET MORE RAIN THAN SNOW BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE IS NOT DROPPING ENOUGH, 2: THAT WARMER AIR IS GOING TO HOLD MORE MOYES TIER AND IF WE HAVE MOISTURE FED TO THE GULF OF MEXICO THAT'S RAIN, FLOODING CONSISTENT.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WATCH NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE, OF COURSE, ANYTHING COMING DOWN THE OHIO CAN LEAD TO MORE FLOODING FOR US.

>> SOMETHING WHICH WE DON'T SEE HERE, BUT WILDFIRES.

HOW IS THAT A CLIMATE PROBLEM?

SO WAS WE SAW IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH, LET'S SAY THE WILDFIRES IN CANADA.

EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT.

SO THEY HAD A VERY LONG DRY STRETCH, HAD SOME ABNORMALLY WARM WEATHER FOR THEM, AND THAT REALLY KICKED IN THEIR FIRE SEASON AND THAT HAD RIPPLING EFFECTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET IN TERMS OF THE SMOKE EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW AFFECTED EVERYTHING FROM ASTHMA TO EMSZEMA AND ANYBODY WITH THE BREATHING AILMENTS STILL HAD TO DEAL WITH IT.

THE DRIER SPELLS, WARMER TEMPERATURES, THAT'S GOING TO DRY OUT ALL THE VEGETATION, GOING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR FIREFIGHTERS TO EVEN FIGHT AND GET TO THE DESTINATIONS WHERE THOSE FIRES ARE AND IF WE ARE NOT HAVING MASSIVE STORM SYSTEMS THAT TAP INTO THE MOISTURE, NOTHING IS THERE TO HELP THEM PUT THE FIRES OUT I.

TOOK A MASS TIFF SYSTEM FOR THEM TO FINALLY GET THINGS TO CALM DOWN BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CANADA, THE WEST ARE GOING HAVE TO CONTEND WITH FOR A WHILE.

>> WHEN HAVE YOU THE BIG FIRES LIKE THAT, DO THEY THEY CREATE THEIR OWN WEATHER SYSTEMS?

>> THEY CAN.

DID YOU KNOW WE CAN HAVE TORNADOES?

>> I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

>> ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IS TO GOOGLE, FIRE WITH TORNADOES, IT CREATES ITS OWN CIRCULATION AND EVEN THE SMOKE COMING OFF OF THOSE WILDFIRES, IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, CAN ACTUALLY CREATE THEIR OWN CLOUDS, WHICH CREATE THUNDER STORMS AND THE LIGHTNING FROM THAT CAN TRIGGER MORE WILDFIRES.

>> THERE YOU YOU GO.

LET'S BRING THIS HOME.

MANY PEOPLE WILL DENY THERE ARE INDUSTRIES OCCURRING, BOURBON, BEER AND WINE PRODUCTION.

HOW DOES CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT THIS?

>> FOR BOURBON, LET'S DO THAT.

YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE HOUSES FILLED WITH ALL THIS BOURBON AND WHAT YOU NEED IS TEMPERATURE CHANGES INSIDE OF THAT, SO THAT TAKES THE BOURBON, ALLOWS IT TO BE ABSORBED INTO THE WOOD AND RELEASED.

YOU NEED THE FLUCTUATION TO HAPPEN.

IF IT'S TOO COLD, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT FLUCTUATION HAPPEN.

SO YOU JUST HAVE WHAT IS THE BEGINNINGS OF BOURBON JUST SITTING THERE WAITING, WAITING TO GET THAT EXTRA FLAVOR.

BUT IF IT GETS TOO HOT INSIDE THOSE RACK HOUSES, ALL, A LOT OF THAT MOISTURE, A LOT OF THAT BOURBON EVAPORATES AND GETS LOST TO THE AIR SO THAT MEANS LESS FOR US TO DRINK BASICALLY.

AND LET'S SAY, FOR A WINE, WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY MIND SOME WARMER WEATHER WITH SOME TYPES OF WINE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY HELPS TO INCREASE THE ALCOHOL CONTENT.

BUT IF IT GETS TOO HOT, THE 9 GRAPES CAN GET SUN BURN AND WE CAN'T DRINK THAMENT.

>> WHAT ABOUT HOPS AND BEER?

>> FOR HOPS AND BEER, OF COURSE, YOU NEED WATER.

WATER SUPPLY.

AND A LOT OF THE HOPS ARE REALLY GROWN ON THE WEST COASTED.

THEY NEED THE MOISTURE.

THEY NEED THE RAIN WITHOUT THAT, YOU DON'T GET BHAW NEED AND THE SMOKE FROM THE WILDFIRES CAN INFLUENCE THE TASTE OF THE HOPPS.

MAKES IT MORE BITTER AND SUCH.

SO IT'S THERE ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT CAVEATS THAT COME INTO OUR BOURBON PRODUCTION, BEER PRODUCTION AND WINE PRODUCTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY ACROSS THE WORLD.

>> NOW THAT WE HAVE EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION, YOU KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THAT.

TELL ME ABOUT JUST FOOD PRODUCTION IN GENERAL.

WHAT IMPACT IS SOME OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE GOING TO HAVE ON HOW WE ARE MAKING AND REALLY WHAT FOODS WE ARE GOING... >> AGRICULTURE OVERALL IS ACTUALLY BENEFITING IN SOME LOCATIONS.

>> AGRICULTURE ABOVE THE EQUATOR?

>> ABOVE THE EQUATOR.

>> ABOVE THE EQUATOR BECAUSE DIFFERENT PLACES DIFFERENT IMPACT.

SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY BENEFIT FROM THE WARMER TEMPERATURES BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LONGER GROWING TEMPERATURE WHICH ALLOWS THE FARMERS TO WORK MORE WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH FROST AND FREEZE THAT CAN KILL THEIR CROPS BUT WITH THE WARMER TEMPERATURES, SOME PRODUCTS, SOME CROPS, THAT'S WAY MORE MOISTURE AVAILABLE SO YOU END UP WITH FLOODING CONCERNS AND THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT.

TOO MUCH WATER IS ALSO BAD IN SOME SITUATIONS.

SO, FOR OUR AREA, THE SOY BEANS, THE CORN, THEY ACTUALLY HELP-- THEY'RE BENEFITED BY A LOT OF THE WARMER AIR AND THE WARMER TEMPERATURES BECAUSE IT ALLOWS OUR FARMERS TO WORK A LITTLE LONGER.

WHEN WE SEE THE SHARPER COLD SNAPS, THAT'S WHEN THINGS START TO GET A LITTLE MORE... >> YOU ALLUDED TO IT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE PARTICULATE MATTER RELEASED FROM THE WILDFIRES.

IS AIR POLLUTION A CONTRIBUTOR AND/OR OR AND ALSO EXACERBATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE?

>> SO IT'S KIND OF A SITUATION WHERE IT'S BOTH.

SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT GROUND LEVEL OZONE BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG ISSUE IN LOUISVILLE.

SO WHEN WE HAVE THE AIR QUALITY ALERTS IN THE SUMMER ESPECIALLY, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S BECAUSE OF GROUND LEVEL OZONE.

OZONE ABOVE OUR HEADS GREAT, DEFLECKS RADIATION AWAY FROM US, ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE NEED.

BUT AT THE GROUND LEVEL, IT CAN CREATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUN, AND WORKING WITH THE POLLUTANTS TO CREATE THAT GROUND LEVEL OZONE, THAT EXACERBATES ASTHMA, EXAMPLE SZEMA C.O.P.D., THINGS LIKE THAT BUT GROUND LEVEL OZONE IS A GREENHOUSE SO IT IS HELPING TO CREATE MAKE THINGS WARMER WITH THE WARMER TEMPERATURES, POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR WORKING WITH THE SUNLIGHT CREATE MORE GROUND LEVEL OZONE SO IT'S A CYCLE THAT WE CAN GET STUCK IN UNLESS WE GET SOME STRONG WIND OR RAIN COMING INTO PLAY.

>> WHAT ABOUT POLLEN PRODUCTION WE SEEM TO BE GETTING MORE OF THAT.

>> WE HAVE A LONGER GROWING SEASON.

SO YOU HAVE THE POLLEN LASTING LONGER INTO FALL AND THROUGH WINTER BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GETTING COLD AS QUICKLY.

WARMER IN THE SPRING FASTER SO ALL THESE TREES AND FLOWERS ARE STARTING TO BLOOM FASTER AND THAT IS CAUSING MORE PEOPLE TO SNEEZE MORE OFTEN.

GROWING SEASON IN LOUISVILLE IS 15 DAYS ON AVERAGE LONGER SO THAT MEANS MORE POLLEN FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH MEANS I HAVE TO GET MORE CLAIRE CLARITAN.

>> AS THE WEATHER WARMS, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A LONGER GROWING SEASON BUT THERE ARE CRITTERS THAT EAT ON THIS STUFF AND I'M TALKING ABOUT IB SECT-- INSECTS AND ILLNESSES, PARTICULARLY MOSQUITOES.

IS THIS A PROBLEM WE ARE GOING TO SEE?

>> IT IS BECAUSE OF COURSE THEY LIKE THE WARM, MOIST AIR, IF THAT'S STICKING AROUND LONGER, THAT MEANS THEY'RE LASTING LONGER.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE COLD AIR TO KILL IT ALL OFF AND OF COURSE I MENTION HAVING MORE MOISTURE IN THE AIR WHEN IT IS WARMER.

THAT MEANS MORE PRECIPITATION IN SOME SPOTS SO THAT'S STANDING WATER AVAILABLE FOR A LOT MORE LOCATIONS.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN AND AFRICA WHERE YOU HAVE THAT EXACERBATED RAINFALL, ALLOWING THOSE MOSQUITOES AND VECTORS TO STICK AROUND A LITTLE LONGER.

>> YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, WE ARE SEEING A LONGER GROWING PERIOD, BECAUSE IT'S GETTING WARMER.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THIS CLIMATE CHANGE ACROSS THE GLOBE?

IT'S NOT EQUAL?

NOT EVERYBODY IS SAYING OH YES, YAY, THIS IS HAPPENING.

>> SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST WHERE EUROPE HAS HAD THESE INTENSE HEATWAVES, WHILE THE UNITED STATES, EVERYTHING IS QUIET, WE ARE ACTUALLY BELOW AVERAGE.

SO THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE PLANET AS A WHOLE LIKES TO BALANCE THINGS OUT.

SO WHILE ONE AREA IS HAVING A MASSIVE COLD SNAP, ANOTHER PART OF THE GLOBE IS GOING TO BE DEALING WITH SOME WARMER TEMPERATURES.

SO PARTS OF, LET'S SAY, RUSSIA, HAS SEEN RECORD HIGHS.

SOME 90 PLUS DEGREE DAYS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WHILE SOME PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN OR DEALING WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.

SO EVERYTHING HAS TO BALANCE OUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

WE ARE GOING TO SEE, LET'S SAY SOME PARTS OF THE ATLANTIC OR DEALING WITH MORE HURRICANES POTENTIAL LIP WHILE PARTS OF THE PACIFIC SEE LESS OR YOU FLIP THAT, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE AN EL NINO YEAR, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEANS ARE WARMER AND HOW THE JET STREAMS REALLY INTERACT.

SO IT'S A YEAR BY YEAR SITUATION LOOKING AT THE WEATHER ASPECT OF IT AND AS WE GO THROUGH, OVER THE DECADES, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW THE CLIMATE IS REALLY EVOLVING.

>> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HEAT IN EUROPE, WHILE CLEARLY THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME DEGREE OF AIR CONDITIONING WE DO AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE DYING FROM HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES.

IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN ANTICIPATE SEEING MORE OF BECAUSE OF THIS?

>> HEAT IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE KILLERS WEATHER WISE.

>> OH REALLY?

>> IT KILLS SO MANY PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE YEAR AROUND THE GLOBE AND THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE OH IT'S JUST A HOT DAY.

YOU CAN GO TO THE POOL OR DO THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT YES, IN EUROPE, THERE IS NOT AS MUCH ACCESS TO, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE AIR CONDITIONING.

I HAVE A SON-IN-LAW WHO LIVES IN IRELAND AND SHE WAS TELLING ME THIS LAST SUMMER, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE TO TRY TO EVEN GET THROUGH THE DAY BECAUSE EVERYONE IS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO COOL DOWN.

ACCESS TO WATER IS LIMITED.

I MEAN THE WAY THAT THEY PAY FOR ELECTRICITY IS DIFFERENT.

THEY'RE BASICALLY METERED IN PORTIONS OF IRELAND SO YOU PAY AHEAD FOR A LITTLE BIT OF THAT ENERGY AND THEN IF IT RUNS OUT, YOU HEAR BEEPING.

IN YOUR HOME.

SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW EACH PART OF THE GLOBE IS DEALING WITH IT.

ALSO IN AN TEEING.

WHERE MY FAMILY WAS BOSCH, THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH THE FLOODING BECAUSE THE TROPICAL SYSTEMS MORE THAN THEY USUALLY SEE, WAS MOVING THROUGH.

THAT HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE, BUT THERE WAS STILL AN ONGOING DROUGHT.

SO THE CROPS ARE FAILING.

BUT THEY NEED THE WATER BECAUSE THAT GROUND WATER IS SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRINK.

SO THERE IS THAT BALANCE THAT COMES INTO PLAY.

>> ARE WE SEEING, IN TERMS OF IMPACT OF CLIMATE, IS IT EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONGST RACIAL ETHNIC GROUPS AND ECONOMIC LEVELS?

>> NO.

THAT'S THE THING.

THE LOWER THE ECONOMIC LEVEL AND , OF COURSE, FOR MINORITY GROUPS, THATS IS WHERE WE SEE AN IMPACT.

I'LL USE LOUISVILLE AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.

IN THE SUMMER MONTHS SAY WE HAVE THE AIR QUALITY ALERTS.

USUALLY WHERE YOU SEE THE WORST AIR QUALITY IS TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AND THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE.

>> EVEN IN THIS ONE AREA?

>> EVEN IN THIS ONE LITTLE AREA.

SO YOU ARE SEEING LOWER AIR QUALITY.

THIS IS ALSO WHERE THERE IS LESS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AS WELL.

THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOWER INCOME IN THOSE SPOTS AS WELL.

THE EASTERN PARTS OF THE CITY, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THAT AIR QUALITY AS MUCH OF AN IMPACT BECAUSE THERE IS WHAT?

MORE TREES BECAUSE YOU ARE ABLE TO HAVE MORE TAXES TO BE ABLE TO PAY INTO THINGS KEEPING THINGS GREEN WITHOUT THEN YOU HAVE MORE INDUSTRY TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AND TO THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CITY SO THAT'S MORE POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR, AGGRAVATING THE ASTHMA AND ANY OTHER HEALTH ISSUES YOU HAVE AS WELL.

THAT'S BUTCHER TOWN IS ONE OF THE WORST IN TERMS OF AIR QUALITY IN THE CITY, THAT'S ALSO WHERE HAVE YOU LOWER INCOME PEOPLE IN THAT AREA OR AT LEAST DOWNWIND OF THAT AREA.

SO IT'S REALLY NOT EQUAL IN TERMS OF HOW CLIMATE IS IMPACTING PEOPLE, EVEN LET'S SAY OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

IF THERE IS MASSIVE DROUGHTS, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO SEE THE IMPACTS FROM THAT, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF FOOD AVAILABILITY FOR UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES, I WILL SAY.

YOU ARE GOING TO SEE MORE THE IMPACT FROM FLOODING OR SEVERE WEATHER IN UNDER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BECAUSE WE NEVER REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE MASSIVE HURRICANE THAT HIT PORTIONS OF MEXICO LAST YEAR.

THAT WAS A BIG NEWS STORY FOR A WEEK OR TWO BUT IN TERMS OF GETTING THINGS BACK TO NORMAL, GETTING PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENING.

THEY'RE STILL SUFFERING MONTHS AFTER STILL LACK OF FOOD AVAILABILITY, LACK OF CLEAN WATER, LACK OF HEALTHCARE FOR THEM.

SO IT IS A GLOBAL ISSUE AND ALSO AN ISSUE HERE.

>> IN UNDER A MINUTE, GIVE ME THREE TAKE HOME POINTS THAT WE SHOULD KNOW OR WE GET WRONG ABOUT CLIMATE.

>> WELL, NUMBER ONE I WOULD SAY IT'S HAPPENING.

SO I KNOW THERE IS A DEBATE OVER IT, THERE IS POLITICAL TURMOIL OVER IT.

THE DATA IS THE DATA.

WE ARE SEEING THE CHANGES HAPPENING.

THAT'S NUMBER ONE.

2: IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOU.

IT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERY PERSON ON THIS PLANET IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME WAY.

FOR SOME PEOPLE IT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR YACHT IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAIL ONE DAY BECAUSE THERE IS A LARGE HURRICANE.

AND FOR OTHERS, IT MEANS STRUGGLING TO GET THEIR KID AN INHALER BECAUSE THERE IS MORE POLLUTANTS.

AND NUMBER 3: WE NEED THE PLANET.

IT DOESN'T NEED US.

>> GOOD POINT.

SO.

>> SO WOO HAVE ONE PLANET.

WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE WE GO TO MARS OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD AS FAR AS YOUR PREDICTIONS ON THE WEATHER.

HOW IN THE DEVIL DID YOU NOT SEE THE PROPOSAL COMING ON TV?

COME ON?

>> BECAUSE I WAS ATTENTION-- I WAS PAY AGO TEXT TO THE WEATHER.

>> FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED IT.

HER HUSBAND PROPOSED ON AIR AND SHE WAS SHOCKED.

>> I WAS SHOCKED.

THERE WERE A LOT OF TEARS BUT IT WAS VERY HAPPY.

>> A GREAT DAY.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THAT TO BE SHARED WITH ALL THE REST OF US.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

YOU WERE AS MUCH FUN AS I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD BE.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

I HOPE YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEATHER CHANGES AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND THAT YOU, LIKE ME, NOW HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CHANGES IN CLIMATE CAN AND ARE AFFECTING OUR HEALTH.

IF YOU WISH TO WATCH THIS SHOW AGAIN OR WATCH AN ARCHIVED VERSION OF PAST SHOWS, PLEASE GO TO ket.org/HEALTH.

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT ABOUT THIS OR OTHER SHOWS, WE CAN BE REACHED AT KYHEALTH@ket.org.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE OAKS KNECHT CONNECT HEALTH.

LOOK AT SCIENCE BEHIND THE FORECAST POD GHAST ON WFPL OR GOOGLE Ms. ANDREW AND WILL YOU FIND IT.

IT IS WELL WORTH LISTENING TO.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

>> KENTUCKY HEALTH IS FUNDED IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY KENTUCKY.