Climate Change and Human Health.Climate Change and Human Health A.J. McMichael, A. Haines, R. Slooff, and S. Kovats, Eds. (1996) Climate Change and Human Health was prepared by a task group on behalf of the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization World Meteorological Organization (WMO), specialized agency of the United Nations; established in 1951 with headquarters at Geneva. It replaced the International Meteorological Organization, which was established in 1878. , and the United Nations Environment Programme. It provides an expert scientific assessment of the impact that climate change might have on the health of the world's population. Addressed to policy makers as well as to researchers, the book adopts a cautious approach, using the best scientific studies to provide reasonable predictions and realistic recommendations for action. The complexities of climate change, the limitations of current research methodologies, and the consequent uncertainty of future predictions are repeatedly emphasized. Three years in the making, the book reflects the consensus reached by an international group of 11 experts in areas ranging from computerized simulations of climate to the behavior of disease vectors in different ecological systems. A further 45 experts contributed to the report or reviewed relevant sections. Close to 700 references to the literature are provided; the book is thoroughly researched and carefully argued. In 10 chapters, it first summarizes the state of knowledge and the prevailing expert views about anthropogenically induced climate change, then takes those views as the basis for assessing potential health consequences. The health consequences are examined in detail with respect to the three major components of climate change: changes in temperature and precipitation precipitation, in chemistry precipitation, in chemistry, a process in which a solid is separated from a suspension, sol, or solution. In a suspension such as sand in water the solid spontaneously precipitates (settles out) on standing. , changes in the frequency of heat waves and other extreme weather events, and a rise in sea level. Also discussed is increased ultraviolet An invisible band of radiation at the upper end of the visible light spectrum. With wavelengths from 10 to 400 nm, ultraviolet starts at the end of visible light and ends at the beginning of X-rays. The primary source of ultraviolet light is the sun. radiation resulting from stratospheric strat·o·spher·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the stratosphere. 2. Extremely or unreasonably high: "money borrowed at today's stratospheric rates of interest" ozone depletion Ozone depletion describes two distinct, but related observations: a slow, steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total amount of ozone in Earth's stratosphere since around 1980; and a much larger, but seasonal, decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions , which, although not a component of c limate change, also might have consequences for human health. 297 pages, softcover soft·cov·er adj. Not bound between hard covers: softcover books; a softcover edition. . Member: $30.95. Nonmember: $35.95. Catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. #840. |
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