Climate Change and Global Health

1
Climate Change and Global Health

• Øjvind Lidegaard
• Professor
• Dept. Obstetrics Gynaecology
• Rigshospitalet
• University of Copenhagen

2
United NationsFramework Convention on Climate
Change

• Aim is to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions
• at a level that would prevent
• dangerous anthropogenic interference
• with the climate system.

3
Climate change and global health

• Four steps
• Realize how profound the anthropogenic climate
  changes are
• Understand the impact of these changes on global
  health
• Take advantage of the different roles we have as
  health professionals
• Act

4
Earth development 4,600 My

• My before present
• 4600
• 3500
• 3000 First life
• 2500
• 2000
• 1500
• 1000
• 500 Life on land
• 0

IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
5
Earth development 4,600 My

• My before present
• 4600 400 trees
• 3500 350 fish
• 3000 First life 300 first ice
• 2500 250 reptiles
• 2000 200 dinosaurs
• 1500 150 mammals
• 1000 100 flowers
• 500 Life on land 50 ice again
• 0 0

Deep ocean drills
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
6
Earth development 4,600 My

• My 1000 years
  .
• 4600 400 trees
• 3500 350 fish 700
• 3000 First life 300 first ice 600
• 2500 250 reptiles 500 Homo erectus
• 2000 200 dinosaurs 400
• 1500 150 mammals 300
• 1000 100 flowers 200
• 500 Life on land 50 ice again 100 Homo
  sapiens
• 0 0 0

Deep ocean drills
Ice cores
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
7
CO2 in atmosphere through last 400 My
Eon
P h a n e r o z o i c
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Paleozoic
Era
Ice present
Ice present
ppm
Extinction event
Dinosaurs
Mammals
Reptiles
Flowers
Trees
Fish
My
www.stratigraphy.org
8
CO2 in atmosphere through last 50 My
C E N O Z O I C E R A
Kænozoikum
ppm
Paleogene period (65-23 My BP)
Neogene (23 My - now)
Antarctic glaciation
Ice free worldSea level 80 mabove present
Development in mammals
My
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
9
Paleogene (35 My BP)
10
CO2 in atmosphere through last 50 My
C E N O Z O I C E R A
Kænozoikum
ppm
Paleogene period (65-23 My BP)
Neogene (23 My - now)
Antarctic glaciation
Ice free worldSea level 80 mabove present
Development in mammals
My
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
11
CO2 in atmosphere through last 5 My
N E O G E N E P E R I O D
ppm
Pliocene epoch (5.4-1.8 My BP)
Pleistocene (1.8-0.01)
Last time CO2 was at the same high as today. At
that time sea level was 20-30 m above present
level, and Tp. was 3.5oC higher
My
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
12
Pliocene (4 My BP)
13
CO2 in atmosphere through last 5 My
N E O G E N E P E R I O D
ppm
Pliocene epoch (5.4-1.8 My BP)
Pleistocene (1.8-0.01)
Last time CO2 was at the same high as today. At
that time sea level was 20-30 m above present
level, and Tp. was 3.5oC higher
My
IPCC. Assessment report 4, 2007, The Physical
Science Basis
14
CO2 and temperature through last 640,000 years
5oC
15
Holocene
16
Holocene
17
Holocene
18
CO2 and sea level at equilibrium
CO2 ppm
Sea level m
Inter glacial period
Last glacial period
Pre in- dustrial period
Stabilisation of CO2
Pleistocene
Antarctic glaciation
Last time CO2 was 385 ppm
Holocene
Paleogene
Pliocene
At equilibrium
Thousand years before present
19
Climate and health

• Health threads by climate changes are primarily
  a consequence of
• Damages after hurricanes and cyclones
• Homelessness for millions after floods
• Climate refugees, unsustainable migration
• Disintegration of civil infrastructures
• Shortage of drinking water
• Starvation
• Expanding areas of vector-borne diseases

20
Climate and health

• Climate change Health consequence
• Temperature rise Tainted food, infections
• Sea level rise, flood Injuries, infections
• homelessness mental disorders, cholera
• More rainfall, flood do
• Less rainfall, Drought, reduced agrarian
  yield, starvation
• Changed ocean Depletion of fish stocks
• streams New fish stocks

McMichael et al. Lancet 2006 367 859-69
21
Commitment of health professionals

• Health professionals have three roles
• They are members of strong professional
  international networks such as WMA.
• They are professional health managers
• They are citizens as all other citizens
• What can and what should we expect from health
  professionals in their three roles?

22
Commitment of health professionals

• Professional networks
• Information about short- and long term health
  impact of climate change
• Stressing that climate change is the biggest
  global health threat of the 21st century
• Require immediate mitigation initiatives
• Initiate research in health consequences of
  climate change

Costello et al. Lancet 2009 373 1693-1733
23
Commitment of health professionals

• Health advisors
• Information about short- and long term health
  impact of climate change
• Focusing on initiatives which improve public
  health and global climate at the same time (less
  use of fossil fuel, diet changes, physical
  activity)
• Disclose personal views on climate change

Costello et al. Lancet 2009 373 1693-1733
24
Commitment of health professionals

• Health advisors (cont)
• Stress the urgency of political and personal
  actions
• Professional initiatives of establishing national
  networks on climate change and health
• Adapt your institutions to low-energy buildings
• Video conferences

Costello et al. Lancet 2009 373 1693-1733
25
Commitment of health professionals

• As member of the general society
• Limiting long distance flights
• Reduce private fossil fuel consumption
• Reduce energy consumption (50)
• Combine physical activity with personal
  transportation (e.g. bicycle transportation)
• Learn your children to behave responsible
• Involvement in local initiatives

Costello et al. Lancet 2009 373 1693-1733
26
Which CO2 future?
485 ppm Paleogene
385 ppm Pliocene
285 ppm Holocene
27
Thank you

• www.Lidegaard.dk / slides