Full Description
This open access book not only describes the challenges of climate disruption, but also presents solutions. The challenges described include air pollution, climate change, extreme weather, and related health impacts that range from heat stress, vector-borne diseases, food and water insecurity and chronic diseases to malnutrition and mental well-being.
The influence of humans on climate change has been established through extensive published evidence and reports. However, the connections between climate change, the health of the planet and the impact on human health have not received the same level of attention. Therefore, the global focus on the public health impacts of climate change is a relatively recent area of interest. This focus is timely since scientists have concluded that changes in climate have led to new weather extremes such as floods, storms, heat waves, droughts and fires, in turn leading to more than 600,000 deaths and the displacement of nearly 4 billion people in the last 20 years.
Previous work on the health impacts of climate change was limited mostly to epidemiologic approaches and outcomes and focused less on multidisciplinary, multi-faceted collaborations between physical scientists, public health researchers and policy makers. Further, there was little attention paid to faith-based and ethical approaches to the problem.
The solutions and actions we explore in this book engage diverse sectors of civil society, faith leadership, and political leadership, all oriented by ethics, advocacy, and policy with a special focus on poor and vulnerable populations. The book highlights areas we think will resonate broadly with the public, faith leaders, researchers and students across disciplines including the humanities, and policy makers.
Contents
PartI: The Anthropocene: Human-Nature Interactions.- Chapter1: Complexity of life and its dependence on the environment.- Chapter2: Biological extinction and climate change.- Chapter3: Sustaining Life: Human Health-Planetary Health Linkages.- Chapter4: How Do Our Actions Undermine Nature?.- Chapter5: Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health: Common sources, Similar impacts and Common solutions.- PartII: Air Pollution, Climate Change and Health: The Underlying Science & Impacts.- Chapter6: Air Pollution: Adverse Effects and Disease Burden.- Chapter7: Air Pollution, Oxidative Stress and Public Health in the Anthropocene.- Chapter8: Climate Change, Air Pollution and the Environment: The Health Argument.- Chapter9: Reducing air pollution: avoidable health burden.- PartIII: Climate Change and Health: Sustainability and vulnerable populations and regions.- Chapter10: Vulnerable populations and regions: Middle East as a case study.- Chapter11: Climate Change Risks for Agriculture, Health and Nutrition.- Chapter12: Sustaining Water Resources.- Chapter13: Health, air pollution and forest fires in the Amazon.- PartIV: climate Change and Health: Perspectives from Physicians.- Chapter14: Psychological Impacts of Climate Change and Recommendations.- Chapter15: Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease: A Proven Causality.- Chapter16: Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Holistic Thinking.- PartV: Climate Change and Health: Social Impacts.- Chapter17: Climate Change, Public Health, Social Peace.- Chapter18: Health of the People, Health of the Planet, Health of the Migrants.- Chapter19: Climate Justice and Public Health: Practical Ethics in Urgent Times.- PartVI: Overarching Solutions: The Role of Religion.- Chapter20: Faith in God & Health of People.- Chapter21: Caring for Creation - The Evangelical's Guide.- Chapter22: Call to Action from Faith Leaders.- PartVII: Overarching Solutions: The Role of Science and Technology.- Chapter23: Public health co-benefits of greenhouse gas emissions reduction.- Chapter24: Good Health in the Anthropocene Epoch: Potentials for Transformative Solutions.- Chapter25: Well Under 2 Degrees Celsius: Ten Solutions for Carbon Neutrality and Climate Stability.- Chapter26: Defeating Energy Poverty: Invest In Scalable Solutions for the Poor.- Chapter27: Sensor-Enabled Climate Financing for Clean Cooking.- Chapter28: Research is vital to tackling climate change, but it cannot succeed alone.- PartVIII: Call to Action.- Chapter29: Governor of California.- Chapter30: United States Congressman.- Chapter31: Opportunities for a sustainable planet.- Chapter32: Sustainable development goals and health: Call for Cultural Revolution.- Chapter33: A Call to action by health care professionals.
