Climate change and human health

Alistair Woodward, School of Population Health, University of Auckland

Climate change is caused by a new type of environmental pollutant - one that acts by disturbing global bio-physical systems. That differs from more familiar pollutants which may be globally distributed, but act locally. At present there is growing pressure internationally for action to stabilise the world's climate, while at the same time the scientific basis for reducing greenhouse emissions is under more severe challenge than ever. These two phenomena may be related. In my view the criticisms of the orthodox position on climate change deserve to be considered closely, though they tend to be repetitive, partial and are seldom supported by empirical testing, because policy-makers frequently call on scientific disagreement to justify inaction. Of all the possible consequences of world-wide climate change, effects on human health attract special attention. In this paper I will explore what climate change might mean for the health of human populations, especially those in the Pacific, with a particular emphasis on who is at most risk and where there occur opportunities for intervention.