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Climate Change Could Subdue 50 Years Growth In Global Health, Analysis Says

| Jun 23, 2015 09:22 AM EDT

More of this is likely with climate change.


As the scientists enthusiastically work to understand pros and cons of climate by using observations and theoretical models they have discovered that climate change may affect human health beyond imagination.

According to new research conducted by an international team of researchers published in the journal The Lancet, climate change threatens to destabilize half a century of development in global human health.

Highlighting the impact of climate change on public health the report sets out the straight perils to health, including heat waves, floods and droughts, and circuitous - but no less fatal hazards, including air pollution, infections, famines and mental issues. The greatest danger is posed by air pollution.

Complete de-carbonization of the world energy economy could prevent the millions of premature deaths from air pollution. Coal now provides 40 percent of the world's power. New technologies will make it possible to phase-out myriads of coal-fired power plants by 2030.  Along with reducing up to one-third of global carbon footprint these new technologies will create millions of new jobs.

According to Time, the report was produced by the Lancet/UCL commission on health and climate change, a collaboration of global experts spearheaded by Margaret Chan, head of the [World Health Organization (WHO)] 

"When climate change is framed as a health issue, rather than purely as an environmental, economic, or technological challenge, it becomes clear that we are facing a predicament that strikes at the heart of humanity," wrote Lancet editor Richard Horton and Lancet Asia editor Helena Hui Wang in a comment also published with the report.

The study also concludes that the benefits to health resulting from cutting fossil fuel use are so huge that dealing with global warming and its consequences also presents the big opportunity to improve human health in the 21st century.

Last week, Pope Francis issued a 180-page encyclical urging all the nations of the world taking prompt action both climate change and poverty as reported by The Guardian.

The nations are hoping to agree a global deal on cutting emissions on upcoming UN climate summit in Paris in December. All the nations have to politically collaborate in delivering a low-carbon economy and the related improvements to health and poverty or else humanity has to face to catastrophic consequences.

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