Climate Change and Human Health: An Overview

The face of climate change in the mind of the public is too often that of a polar bear, and too seldom that of a human. While climate change is a process that will manifest itself increasingly over future decades and beyond, the impacts of climate change on human health are already detectable around the world and in the United States. Understanding the range of climate change health impacts and the degree to which those impacts are already occurring is the first step in effectively communicating with the general public about climate change. The second step is recognizing that in addressing the root causes of climate change, there is great potential for reducing environmental and other health risks and improving public health and quality of life. This talk will introduce learners to the ways in which climate change is and will impact public health, the current and projected public health burdens of climate change impacts, and the opportunities for public health benefits to accrue from reducing emission of greenhouse gases in other sectors.