US Climate and Health Alliance

Lungs in a Warming World: Climate Change and Respiratory Health

Abstract

Climate change is a health threat no less consequential than cigarette smoking. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and especially CO 2, in the earth’s atmosphere have already warmed the planet substantially, causing more severe and prolonged heat waves, temperature variability, air pollution, forest fires, droughts, and floods, all of which put respiratory health at risk. These changes in climate and air quality substantially increase respiratory morbidity and mortality for patients with common chronic lung diseases such as asthma and COPD and other serious lung diseases. Physicians have a vital role in addressing climate change, just as they did with tobacco, by communicating how climate change is a serious, but remediable, hazard to their patients.

Resource Type
Peer-reviewed article
Authors
Aaron S. Bernstein Mary B. Rice
Resource URL
http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?doi=10.1378/chest.12-2384
Publication
CHEST Journal
Volume
143
Issue
5
Pages
1455
Date
May 1, 2013
DOI
10.1378/chest.12-2384
ISSN
0012-3692
Short Title
Lungs in a Warming World
Health and Human Impact
Respiratory disease
Other
Vulnerable populations

Resources main page