Interacting Trends

Several other concerns interact with climate change, mostly complicating but in some cases mitigating the stresses that climate change will bring. These trends include:

• Geologic and political limitations on the supplies of fossil fuels;
• Increasing worldwide population;
• Decreased freshwater availability worldwide;
• Worldwide migration to urban areas; and
• Increasing worldwide cost of food and resulting food shortages;

These trends, along with concerns over global equity in greenhouse gas emissions and development, make public health action on climate change all the more urgent. Action on climate change can bring many co-benefits in health and development, including increased cardiovascular health from increased physical activity and decreased reliance on fossil fuels. Efforts on these issues are not mutually exclusive; indeed, concerted action on several fronts in addition to climate change specifically is required.

Additional Readings about the Effects of Climate Change and Interacting Trends on Health

Frumkin H, Hess J, and Vindigni S. Peak petroleum and public health. JAMA. 298:1688-1690; 2007.