It was one afternoon in September, when a middle-aged construction worker nearly collapsed in my clinic from heat exhaustion, that I understood that climate change is an immediate reality rather than a distant concern. In Brooklyn, extreme heat, flooding, and dirty air are shaping who gets sick and who stays well. We can’t keep treating it as an abstract environmental debate when it is deepening health disparities and its long-term impacts in our communities right now.
As a physician in a public hospital serving central Brooklyn, my patients are the individuals who keep this borough running: bus operators, nursing assistants and aides, deli workers, church volunteers, and grandparents who have lived their entire lives in communities like Flatbush, Brownsville and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Like many Brooklyn residents, my background has instilled in me an appreciation for communal living and the importance of supporting neighbors. I uphold these core values as they are the foundation for a strong community. When I hear my patients say “I skipped my medications to pay electricity or heating bills,” or older patients say to me, “I could not come out the house because of too much heat,” it reminds me of the concerns across several narratives: making sure our children can breathe clean air, keeping our homes safe, and protecting our elders.
It is also important to recognise that some everyday activities in Brooklyn contribute to the very climate pressures harming our health. Heavy use of cars for short trips, particularly in neighborhoods with limited public transit access, increases local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Older residential buildings rely on oil or gas for heating, and these release significant carbon into the atmosphere, while inefficient insulation forces families to use more energy just to stay comfortable. These aren’t individual shortcomings; they are structural realities. However, recognizing them helps us understand why climate change is accelerating and the importance of including both infrastructure upgrades and community‑level behavior change.
From a clinical standpoint, climate change is no longer abstract. It is here and it’s measurable. During last summer’s heat wave, our emergency department saw a spike in heat exhaustion and dehydration. When wildfire smoke drifted down from Canada, a surge of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks was noted across central Brooklyn. After heavy rains, patients returned with mold-triggered respiratory symptoms. These patterns reflect the existing inequalities we face; poorly ventilated older buildings, communities with too few trees for cooling and flood-prone basement apartments.
Addressing these problems isn’t about ideologies but prevention.When the city expands tree canopy in heat-prone blocks, implement housing codes to reduce mold and invest in cooling centers, we prevent hospitalizations and lower long-term cost. Also, minor behavioral changes can make a difference. When residents choose public transit, reduce energy waste at home, or participate in community solar programs, they will help cut emissions and improve local air quality. These actions do not impact climate change alone, but they enhance the collective effort and empower neighborhoods that have historically been left out of environmental decision‑making. These actions are practical, smart, responsible and support working families.
However, resilience in Brooklyn doesn’t come from zoning regulations and building codes alone. It has always been a place where neighbors step up. We saw it during Hurricane Ida, when residents helped evacuate flooded basements. We saw it during the wildfire smoke crisis, when strangers handed out masks at bus stops. We see it during each summer when families check on older relatives and neighbors during heat advisories. This marks our greatest strength, and in the same light, should guide our public health response to climate change.
As clinicians continue treating the symptoms, we need our leaders to address the root causes by improving housing quality, supporting use of clean energy and installing cooling centers. Climate change is already deepening health inequalities in Brooklyn, and we must treat it like the public health emergency it is. If we act now, we can build a Brooklyn where every family regardless of zip code has the chance to live, breathe, and thrive. That future is within reach, and it starts with recognizing what is already unfolding in our exam rooms.
Gloria Amoako is a physician at SUNY Downstate Medical Center/Kings County Hospital.
