The goal of CIRCA is to serve as an engine for understanding and intervening in the effects of climate change on the older population.

Climate change action is typically framed as concern for future generations, but for older people, that future is now. Already, older adults form the vast majority of deaths from climate-related disasters and heat waves, and large numbers have been displaced and impacted by climate change.

In response, CIRCA leverages interdisciplinary researcher-community partnerships to achieve the following objectives:

1. Create innovative mechanisms to link researchers, policymakers and practitioners together to respond to the threats of climate change to older people, developing evidence-based interventions that promote climate adaptation and resilience.
2. Create and disseminate resources for federal, state and local policymakers to guide them in planning for the needs of older people and their caregivers in the face of the changing climate.
3. Link clinical research with social, behavioral, and environmental sciences to create prevention and treatment programs for climate change effects.
4. Assist older people, researchers, and organizations to become involved in the issue of climate change research and action including sponsoring the Aging and Climate Change Clearinghouse (ACCC), a web-based comprehensive resource on the issue.
5. Spearhead the development of Aging and Climate Change Coalitions in cities and regions to prepare residents and agencies for responding to climate threats.
6. Provide training to physicians and other health care providers on the effects of climate change on older people.
7. Foster awareness and action among long-term care providers, whose residents are among the most vulnerable to climate-related events.
8. Foster collaboration among an international group of researchers on aging and climate change, overcoming lack of communication and disciplinary differences.
9. Foster CIRCA’s sustainability and growth by mobilizing support from foundations, governments, and individuals passionate about advancing research and action around aging and climate change.

Environmental challenges are increasing at the local, national, and global levels as our society faces such issues as compromised water quality, air pollution, toxic waste, the challenges of sustainable growth, energy shortages, and severe weather events. These problems directly affect the health and well-being of individuals and the quality of life within communities. Researchers from a variety of fields are intensively investigating these problems. Concerns grow as the urgency of the threats increases.

However, the public has paid scant attention thus far to the relationship between environmental issues and a second trend of critical importance in contemporary society: the enormous growth in the older population.

The number of people aged 65 and over worldwide is expected to double over the next two decades, and by 2030, over 20% of the U. S. population will be over 64 years old. The implications of this growth for the environment and for energy use have been virtually unexplored. We believe that this situation provides enormous opportunities for research and the development of new programs on this issue, which will be of mounting concern over the next decade.

CIRCA sponsors a number of programs focused on understanding and addressing aging and climate change:

Aging & Climate Change Clearinghouse (ACCC)

ACCC is a central and trusted resource on the intersection of climate change and the rapidly increasing older population. The Clearinghouse gathers, promotes, and distributes research, real-world interventions, and policies to address the intersection of aging and climate change. ACCC encourages older adults and organizations to work together to find solutions. Located at Cornell University, ACCC is a global initiative with a local focus.

ACCC houses resources for:

1. Older adults looking to get involved in climate action.
2. Organizations looking to understand the benefits of working for older adults and learn successful recruitments strategies.
3. Researchers looking for resources, ideas, and communication opportunities.

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Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE)

The RISE Program is an environmental education and leadership training program for adults over 60. RISE responds to the intersection of two critical trends – mounting concern about environmental sustainability and the growing aging population. Retirees are an underutilized resource who have the time, talent, and skills to help address issues like climate change, air and water pollution, waste management, and the protection of natural resources. The RISE Program is based on the best available research evidence and practices in the field, including an extensive program evaluation conducted at Cornell University. RISE supports the mission of CITRA’s ACCC, a central and trusted resource on the intersection of climate change and the rapidly increasing older population.

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Cornell Study of Older Climate Change Activists

CIRCA researchers are studying the nature and dynamics of climate change activism among people age 60 and older. The research involves recruiting older people who devote a significant amount of time post-retirement to climate change and related environmental action to share their experiences and insights. Study questions include: what motivates them, how they remain hopeful, and suggestions for other older adults on how to get involved.

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Special Interest Group for Researchers on Climate Change

In collaboration with the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), CIRCA staff sponsor a Special Interest Group that brings together researchers from many disciplines who are working on the area of aging and climate change. Together, they are working on a handbook on the subject.

Karl Pillemer, Ph.D. – Co-Director, CIRCA
Karl Pillemer, Ph.D. is the Hazel E. Reed Professor of Human Development at Cornell University and Professor of Gerontology in Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. He is the founder and Director of the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging. In that role, he works to develop interventions that translate research findings into practical programs that increase quality of life for older people. His research centers on human development over the life course, with a special emphasis on social integration in later life. A main area of research interest is the relationship between aging and environmental sustainability. His current research examines the causes and consequences of environmental civic engagement and volunteerism among older people, with a focus on developing and evaluating new methods of training and recruiting retirees for environmental leadership and action on climate change. He has published over 200 scientific articles and is the recipient of the Maxwell Pollack Award from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).

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Mark Lachs, M.D., M.P.H. – Co-Director, CIRCA
Mark Lachs, M.D., M.P.H., graduated medical school from NYU School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania and was on the faculty at Yale before joining the geriatrics program at Cornell’s Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Lachs is the Irene and Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College and Co-Chief of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, and the Director of Geriatrics for The New York Presbyterian Health Care System. His major area of interest is the disenfranchised elderly, and he has published widely in the areas of elder abuse and neglect, adult protective services, the measurement of functional status, ethics, and the financing of health care.

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Chloe Shores – Associate Director, CIRCA
Chloe Shores is the Associate Director for the Cornell Institute for Research on Climate and Aging (CIRCA). Her background is in development sociology and public health, with a focus on health equity and climate change. Chloe’s responsibilities include managing the day-to-day operations and long-term goals of CIRCA.

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Marie Cope, M.P.H., M.S.W. – Research Support Specialist, CIRCA
Marie Cope, M.P.H., M.S.W. is a Research Support Specialist for the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging (CITRA) and the Cornell Institute for Research on Climate and Aging (CIRCA). Her background is in public health and social work, including prior work developing and implementing community programs. Ms. Cope’s current work focuses on the dissemination of innovative, evidence-based intervention programs in aging. She has been involved with the development and implementation of many programs through CITRA and CIRCA, including RISE, ACCC, and more recently the study of older adult environmental activists.

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Sheri Hall – Communications Specialist, CIRCA
Sheri Hall is an experienced communications professional who loves to tell stories that make a difference in people’s lives. Her work has been published in newspapers, magazines, and on websites. She was most recently involved in the development of the ACCC website.