Climate Change and Public Health

449 Pages·2015·8.035 MB·English

by  Barry Levy, Jonathan Patz

Climate Change
and Public Health

Climate Change
and Public Health
Edited by
Barry S. Levy and Jonathan A. Patz
Foreword by Gro H. Brundtland
1
3
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Climate change and public health / edited by Barry S. Levy and Jonathan A. Patz;
foreword by Gro H. Brundtland.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978–0–19–020245–3
I. Levy, Barry S., editor. II. Patz, Jonathan, editor.
[DNLM: 1. Climate Change. 2. Public Health. 3. Environmental Health.
4. Public Policy. WB 700]
RA427
326.1—dc23
2014043382
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
To Professor Tony McMichael (1942–2014),
pioneer and visionary leader in addressing global environmental change,
who taught, mentored, and inspired people throughout the world.
“To change the world’s climate is to shake the foundations of
Earth’s life support systems,” he once wrote. Through this book,
we honor his work and help to ensure that his teachings and mission live on.

CONTENTS
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Editors xix
Contributors xxi
Disclaimer xxix
Part I: Introduction
1. Applying a Public Health Context to Climate Change 3
Jonathan A. Patz and Barry S. Levy
Box 1-1: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a
Brief History of Organizational Responses to Climate Change 4
Jonathan A. Patz and Barry S. Levy
Box 1-2: Health Effects of Climate Change in
Arctic Indigenous Communities 16
Aaron Wernham
Box 1-3: Workers: The “Climate Canaries”? 18
Cora Roelofs and David H. Wegman
Box 1-4: Health Co-benefits of Climate Change Mitigation Policies 22
Andrew Haines and Paul Wilkinson
2. Understanding Key Concepts of Climate Science and
Their Application 29
Stephen J. Vavrus, Eric Obscherning, and Jonathan A. Patz
Box 2-1: Projections of Future Climate Change 31
Matthew Collins
Box 2-2: Downscaling Climate Change Projections: Estimating
Exposures Where People Live 34
Tracey Holloway and Vijay Limaye
Box 2-3: Sea Level Rise: Scientific Basis, Trends, and Coastal Impacts 39
Stephen P. Leatherman
Box 2-4: Consequences of a Rapidly Warming Arctic 45
Jennifer A. Francis and Stephen J. Vavrus
viii Contents
3. A Widening Research Agenda: Challenges and Needs 51
Anthony J. McMichael
Box 3-1: Investigating the Interaction Between Climate
Factors and Infectious Diseases 53
Mercedes Pascual
Box 3-2: Applying Epidemiology for Studying the
Health Impacts of Climate Change 57
Alistair Woodward and Barry S. Levy
Box 3-3: Applying Cross-Sectoral Data Resources to
Promote Multidisciplinary Collaboration 61
John M. Balbus and Jan C. Semenza
Part II: Adverse Health Consequences and Specific Preventive Measures
4A. Heat Impacts on Work, Human Performance, and Daily Life 73
Tord Kjellstrom, Bruno Lemke, P. Matthias Otto,
Olivia M. Hyatt, David J. Briggs, and Chris A. Freyberg
4B. Disorders Related to Heat Waves 87
Rupa Basu
Box 4B-1: Social Dimensions of Heat Waves 97
Richard C. Keller
5. Respiratory and Allergic Disorders 105
Patrick L. Kinney, Kazuhiko Ito, Kate R. Weinberger, and Perry E. Sheffield
Box 5-1: Occupational Respiratory and Allergic Disorders 107
Crystal M. North and David C. Christiani
Box 5-2: Aeroallergens and Climate Change 113
Lewis H. Ziska
Box 5-3: Achieving Climate and Health Co-benefits by Reducing
Household Air Pollution from Biomass and Coal Fuels 117
Kirk R. Smith
6. Vector-borne Diseases 129
William K. Reisen
Box 6-1: Climate Change and Vector-borne Diseases in Europe 134
Jan C. Semenza
Box 6-2: Climate Change and Lyme Disease 141
Nicholas H. Ogden
ix Contents
7. Waterborne and Foodborne Diseases 157
Joan B. Rose and Felicia Wu
Box 7-1: Climate Change and Access to Safe Water in
Urban Areas of Sub-Saharan Africa 158
Ryan Burbach and Les Roberts
Box 7-2: Storm Events and Deteriorating Urban Infrastructure 161
Sandra L. McLellan
Box 7-3: Collaborative Research on Climate Change
and Gastrointestinal Illness in India 162
Kathleen F. Bush, Kalpana Balakrishnan, and Howard Hu
8. Health Impacts Related to Food and Nutrition Insecurity 173
Alan D. Dangour, Rosemary Green, Jennifer Sutherland,
Louise Watson, and Timothy R. Wheeler
Box 8-1: Severe Drought and Famine 179
Raymond C. Offenheiser
Box 8-2: Threats from Plant Pathogens 184
Caitilyn Allen
9. Mental Health Impacts 195
Thomas J. Doherty
Box 9-1: Storm Disasters: Acute Impacts and Response 197
Emily Y.Y. Chan
10. Collective Violence 215
Barry S. Levy and Victor W. Sidel
Box 10-1: Migration Due to Climate Change 220
Barry S. Levy and Victor W. Sidel
Part III: Policies and Actions to Address Climate Change
and Promote Public Health
11. Public Health Policies and Actions 231
Howard Frumkin, Jeremy Hess, and George Luber
Box 11-1: Greening of the Health Sector 232
Gary Cohen
Box 11-2: Health Impact Assessment: A Process for
Determining Potential Health Effects of
Proposed Policies and Projects 234
Andrew L. Dannenberg
Box 11-3: Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment 239
Kristie L. Ebi