Last Updated: 6 Nov., 1996
The world wide web is filled with articles on the relationship between global change and effects on human health. To provide an initial background of both data and viewpoints the following articles are recommended as a starting point.
The home page of the World Health Organization provides a starting point for reviewing WHO reports and programs. The home page of the 1996 World Health Report focuses on the relationship between climate change and human health and includes The Executive Summary and Fact Sheets.
The National Science and Technology Council Institute of Medicine/ National Academy of Sciences has published the summary of proceedings from its 1996 Conference on Human Health and Global Climate Change. Hardcopy versions of this report are available at CGRER.
The National Climate Data Center NCDC provides a wide range of climatological data sets, including historical data sets. The NCDC has data sets and reports regarding the state of climate change. To get a brief look at the data sets available for the NCDC, try NCDC at a Glance. The Global Climate Perspectives System GCPS provides a wide range of historical temperature and precipitation records as well as Global Climate Model results.
At the first health conference to address geographic information systems (GIS), researchers demonstrated that GIS data can be used to show a cause/effect relationship between environmental conditions and health. Case studies demonstrate how GIS can be used to monitor tropical diseases, water quality, environmental toxicology and overall rural health. The proceedings of this international workshop include articles on the use of GIS to study tropical diseases, malaria, water resources, and other health issues.
Further information regarding the use of GIS to evaluate health effects with regard to climate change is presented in The Earth Observer article Health Applications of Remote Sensing and Climate Modeling.
The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) provides documents and data sets for understanding the relationship between human health and global environmental change.Detailed information is provided on:
There is growing concern that climate change may result in increased maximum temperatures which could have detrimental effects on human health. CIESIN presents information on the implications of seasonal temperature variations and prolonged periods of high temperatures, referred to as "heat waves", on excess mortality.
Greenpeace presents a range of articles on what it terms as the 'Climate Crisis'. including a report on Health Impacts.
The Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme (HDP) is a social science research program developed by the International Social Science Council, to examine anthropogenic causes of global change, impacts on people and society, and social science research issues in the human dimensions.
Several articles focusing on individual effects of climate change (i.e. the spread of malaria) are also available:
Amy Klion has developed an extensive list of articles regarding climate change and infectious disease (1) and (2).
Researchers in the Center for Climate Research at the University of Delaware present research on Climate and Infectious Disease. The role of climate change in:Dengue Hemorragic Fever, the spread of malaria, and rat populations are presented.
The Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA, Develops models and databases to characterize the atmospheric concentration and the receptor exposures for various pollutants, including air toxics, under several alternative scenarios under their environmental division. Try the Air Quality, Health & Rick Assessment site.
