Climate Change and Human Health

Climate change will impact on human health. There is a growing body of research on this topic and the RACP Climate Change Working Group encourage all physicians to increase their awareness of this issue. To facilitate the sharing of information, links to recent research papers on this topic are provided below.

The campaign by the Climate Code Green Advocacy Campaign, within the Australian Medical Students' Association, was highlighted by Senator Bob Brown during the closing plenary at the World Congress of Internal Medicine 2010. The hugely effective campaign video is available here: http://www.amsa.org.au/climate

RECENT PAPERS FOR FURTHER READING

September 2007: Lancet Series on Energy and Health

• A global perspective on energy: health effects and injustices
• Electricity generation and health
• Energy and transport
• Energy, energy efficiency, and the built environment
• Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, and health
• Policies for accelerating access to clean energy, improving health, advancing
Follow this link to access all papers: http://www.thelancet.com/series/energy-and-health

January 2009: Carbon Reduction Strategy developed by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit

• Saving Carbon, Improving Health: NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England

Follow this link to access this paper: http://www.sdu.nhs.uk/publications-resources/3/NHS-Carbon-Reduction-Strategy/ 

May 2009: Lancet Series on Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change

• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: household energy
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: low-carbon electricity generation
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: food and agriculture
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: health implications of short-lived greenhouse pollutants
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: overview and implications for policy makers

Follow this link to access all papers: http://www.thelancet.com/climate-change

June 2009: RACP News article from Physicians Week - Tony McMichael (Volume 29, No. 3 June 2009)

• Health Risks of Climate Change: We All Need To Be Involved

Follow this link to access the article: http://www.racp.edu.au/index.cfm?objectid=D7FAAC69-91DE-B8D3-8F7400FC21B8CB32

November 2009: Lancet released a series of papers on Health and Climate Change

• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: household energy
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: low-carbon electricity generation
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: food and agriculture
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: health implications of short-lived greenhouse pollutants
• Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: overview and implications for policy makers

Follow this link to all articles: http://www.thelancet.com/series/health-and-climate-change

New South Wales Public Health Bulletin Volume 20 Number 1 & 2 2009
Climate Change and Health

• Climate change: an emerging health issue
• Climate change and health: impacts, vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation
• Active travel: a climate change mitigation strategy with co-benefits for heath
• Functional foods and urban agriculture: two responses to climate change-related food insecurity
• An extreme bushfire smoke pollution event: health impacts and public health challenges
• Urbanism, climate change and health: systems approaches to governance

Follow this link to all articles: http://www.publish.csiro.au/issue/5062.htm

RELEVANT WEB LINKS:

The World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/topics/climate/en/

The Copenhagen Climate Council
http://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com/

The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
http://www.nccarf.edu.au/

NHS Sustainable Development Unit
http://www.sdu.nhs.uk/