Reframing climate change into a public health issue

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New research carried out by Maibach et al (2010) from George Mason University suggests that framing climate change in terms of a public health issue - rather than an environmental issue - helps a wider spectrum of people to see climate change as personally relevant, understandable, and significant.

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"Re-defining climate change in public health terms should help people make connection to already familiar problems such as asthma, allergies and infectious diseases, while shifting the visualisation of the issue away from remote Arctic regions and distant peoples and animals."

A better healthier future for everyone is a positive framing that may help to better engage the public with climate change.

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"Many leading experts have suggested that a positive vision for the future, rather than a dire one is precisely what has been missing from the public dialogue on climate change so far."

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For the press release for this research see here

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Or for the full paper see here

For more on this, please check out:

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Six Americas - which one are you?

Americians and climate change

Splitting jobs versus the environment

Comments always welcome!.

Please tell us what you think.

$10 million to study human health effects of climate change

Here is a story on the new funds (made available from the Australian Federal Government) to investigate the health effects of climate change on humans. This follows the outbreak of dengue fever in Queensland, which has been predicted to increase as a result of climate change. The funds will go to the CSIRO and ANU to examine the effects on human health as temperatures rise.

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Climate-change research to examine human health

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SMH

Stephanie Peatling

January 27, 2009

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THE effects of climate change on health - particularly heat-related diseases such as dengue fever - will be examined as part of a research project to be announced by the Federal Government today.

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Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change, will use a tour of Queensland mining towns this week to announce $10 million for the CSIRO and Australian National University to look at what will happen to human health as temperatures rise.

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"We need to better understand the diversity of these health risks, who will be most vulnerable, and the action governments, individuals and communities can take to reduce the risks," Senator Wong said.

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Also check out:
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Health effects of climate change in the UK
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Victoria to study health impact of climate change
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Climate Change and Human Health Conference
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Healthy green space research

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Healthy green space research

This research about green space could help those concerned with health care and social justice to see the value of preserving a more natural world.

Parks and Health

LONDON (Reuters) - Equal access to parks, playing fields and forests greatly narrows health gaps between the rich and poor, and governments should do more to promote and invest in green areas, researchers said on Friday.

Earlier studies have linked living near green space to improved health, but the findings published in The Lancet show some of the impacts are bigger than thought, said Dr. Richard Mitchell, who led the study.

"The size of the difference in the health gap is surprising and represented a much bigger effect than I had been expecting," Mitchell, a researcher at the University of Glasgow, said in a telephone interview.

"So the key message is green spaces are another tool for governments to combat this health gap between rich and poor."

Promoting outdoor recreation and boosting health can in the long run save on health care spending, he added.

Parkland and open space make a difference, Mitchell said, by helping people get rid of stress and allowing more physical activity -- both of which reduce risk of heart disease.

"This is the first time we have demonstrated that aspects of the physical environment can have an impact in such a good way," he said. "It is a combination of exercise and restoration."

Mitchell and colleagues looked at the health effects of parks, playing fields and forests by dividing England into five sectors based on the amount of adjacent green areas and then comparing death rates between rich and poor.

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In the greenest areas, the health gap between the richest and poorest people, as measured by death rates was about half as big as that in the least green areas.

Source

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Also check out:
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Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report
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Victoria to study health impact of climate change
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Climate Change and Human Health Conference

Climate Change and Human Health Conference

The Climate Change and Human Health Conference was held in Melbourne, Victoria, October 2007. Here are some links to some good stuff.

Climate change, Air Quality and Implications for Health

Climate Change Air Quality and Health

Global Public Health and Climate Change

Source

Also check out:

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Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems

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Healthy green space research

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Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report

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Victoria to study health impact of climate change

Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems

Final Report, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.6

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A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research.

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[Gamble, J.L. (ed.), K.L. Ebi, F.G. Sussman, T.J. Wilbanks, (Authors)].

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.

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Source

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Also check out:

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Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report

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Victoria to study health impact of climate change

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Climate Change and Human Health Conference

Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report

The article on the Victorian Government studying 'the health impacts of climate change' got me thinking, what has alreay been done in this area? I found this report (from the UK):

Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report

At the request of the DH, the Expert Group on Climate Change and Health in the UK reported on the likely impact of climate change on health, and implications for the NHS.

The report discusses public perceptions of the impact of climate change on health, and available methods for assessing health implications of climate change.

It goes on to present an overview of the subject, and to discuss potential effects of measures aimed at mitigating climate change.

It makes a series of tentative predictions relating to cold and heat-related deaths, food poisoning, vector-borne and water-borne diseases, disasters caused by gales and coastal flooding, effects of air pollutants and ozone, skin cancer, and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Download full report below:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4007935

See also:

Victoria to study health impact of climate change

Victoria to study health impact of climate change

Here is an article by Peter Ker (from the Age) on Victoria to study the health impacts of climate change. This is interesting because I was just sent a job advertisement from New South Wales Department of Health to "Provide & develop policy advice on human health aspects of air quality and environmental hazards. Undertake project development and implementation. Assist in the implementation of environmental policies. Communicate with the public and stakeholders."

I wonder if this includes the health impacts of climate change.

Applications for the job closed on friday (I only received it on Saturday).

Anyway, here it is:

Peter Ker
The Age

October 27, 2008


Fears that climate change will damage the health of Victorians have prompted a major investigation by the state's health officials.

Amid warnings that climate change could lead to more cases of heat-related illness, mosquito-borne viruses, food poisoning and depression around the world, Victoria's Department of Human Services has confirmed it has commissioned its own investigation into the extent to which Victorians might be affected.

In a move described as both "heartening" and "long overdue" by prominent health experts, work on the project is due to begin in January under the working title "climate change impacts on population health and vulnerabilities".

The study has been asked to identify the Victorian health system's major "vulnerabilities" to climate change, as well as the adaptive capacity of Victorians and their Government.

It has also been charged with establishing how certain the relationship is between climate change and health issues.

The Age believes that DHS has already started pilot programs into the development of "heatwave emergency systems".

DHS held a conference on the issue last October. Spokesman Bram Alexander said the large number of heat-related deaths in Europe over recent years had drawn attention to the role of climate change in health policy.

"Severe heatwaves in Europe have caused deaths in recent years, and we are keen to be well prepared for the impacts that climate change may have upon public health and the challenges it may bring," he said.

"Climate change could have varying impacts on public health in different parts of Victoria. Regions like Mildura may need a different approach to that in South Gippsland."

The investigation was likely to run for several years, Mr Alexander said. It would formulate strategies for five, 10 and 15-year increments.

The move follows calls from a wide range of groups, including the Australian Medical Association, the Climate Institute and the Australian Conservation Foundation, for governments to better address the issue.

This year the World Health Organisation declared the theme of this year's World Health Day to be "protecting health from climate change".

Experts have warned that climate change may bring a new range of "green" crimes, from rorts of environmental labelling to fraud on the multibillion-dollar emission trading scheme and theft of water and other scarce materials and even increased domestic violence.

The warning is contained in a report from the the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on the impact of climate change on Australia's eight police forces and 45,000 officers.

Authors Anthony Bergin and Ross Allen said that in a booming emissions-trading market, there would always be a high possibility of fraud by a "green shoe brigade".

The authors said weather extremes could encourage criminal behaviour, including increased domestic violence and a rise in other anti-social behaviour that could increase after disasters.

Last year Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said climate change could eclipse terrorism as the security issue of the century.

Source:

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/state-to-study-health-impact-of-climate-change-20081026-5932.html

Update:

I found this:

Climate Change and Health: An exploration of challenges for public health in Victoria

See also:

Health effects of climate change in the UK - 2001/2002 report