Scientific American examines relationship between climate change, health

Scientific American examines the interface between climate change and human health, writing, "WHO research suggests that current warming of global average temperatures of just under one degree Celsius is responsible for an additional 150,000 deaths per year, largely due to agricultural failures and diarrheal disease in developing countries. ... As a result, WHO -- and a consortium of other public health organizations -- declared climate change to be among the most pressing emerging health issues in the world at the recent climate negotiations ... in South Africa."

The news service highlights a number of documented connections between the changing climate and health outcomes, such as changes in bacterial diseases due to water contamination, worsening asthma and heart attacks due to smog, and changes in pollen making allergies worse (Biello, 12/21).