Climate Change and Public Health

About this book

Climate change is causing, and will increasingly cause, a wide range of adverse health effects, including heat-related disorders, infectious diseases, respiratory and allergic disorders, malnutrition, mental health problems, and violence. The scientific bases for the associations between climate change and health problems are evolving as are the strategies for adapting to climate change and mitigating the greenhouse gases, which are its primary cause.

Orchestrating and coordinating contributions from more than 75 selected public health specialists and environmental scientists, the editors have developed a concise and comprehensive book that represents a core curriculum on climate change and public health, including key strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Written primarily for students and mid-career professionals in public health and environmental sciences, Climate Change and Public Health clearly describes concepts and their application to the health impacts of climate change. Chapters are supplemented with case studies, graphs, tables and photographs. Climate Change and Public Health's organization in 15 chapters makes it an ideal textbook for graduate and undergraduate courses in public health, environmental sciences, public policy, and other fields.

Contents

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contributors

Part I: Introduction
1. Applying a Public Health Context to Climate Change
2. Applying Climate Change Science for Public Health
3. A Widening Research Agenda: Challenges and Needs

Part II: Adverse Health Consequences and Specific Preventive Measures
4A. Heat Impacts on Work, Human Performance, and Daily Life
4B. Disorders Related to Heat Waves
5. Respiratory and Allergic Disorders
6. Vectorborne Diseases
7. Waterborne and Foodborne Diseases
8. Health Impacts Related to Food and Nutrition Insecurity
9. Mental Health Impacts
10. Collective Violence

Part III: Policies and Actions to Address Climate Change and to Promote Public Health
11. Public Health Policies and Actions
12. Communication
13A. Energy Policy in Developed Countries
13B. Energy Policy in Developing Countries
13C. Transportation Policy
13D. Agriculture Policy
14. Planning Healthy and Sustainable Built Environments
15. Non-governmental Actions by Individuals, Civil Society Organizations, and the Private Sector

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Biography

Barry S. Levy, M.D., M.P.H. is an Adjunct Professor of Public Health at Tufts University School of Medicine and a consultant in environmental and occupational health. He has had a wide range of experiences in public health practice, education, research, policy development, and consultation. He has served as a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control, a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, a leader of several international health programs and projects, and president of the American Public Health Association. He has co-edited 17 multi-contributor books, nine of which have focused on environmental and occupational health.

Jonathan A. Patz, M.D., M.P.H. is a Professor and Director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin. He is one of the most recognized, longstanding experts on the health implications of global climate change. He has authored over 80 scientifically peer-reviewed papers on the subject. Dr. Patz served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for 14 years as a lead author on health-related chapters. He served as co-chair for the Health Expert Panel of the first U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change. He has taught and conducted research on climate change and its relationship to health for nearly two decades.