Air of mystery: health benefits of cutting greenhouse gas emissions

The long-term consequences of global warming associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are under discussion world-wide. The impact on public health, however, is often classed as a side effect. Should public health carry greater weight in climate-related policy-making? What are the potential short-term health benefits of GHG reduction?

Researchers from institutions in the US and Latin America analyse case studies in Mexico City, Santiago, Sao Paulo and New York City. The results suggest that policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions can produce a broad range of immediate health benefits. Given the current and projected rises in population and air pollution, the burden of cumulative health effects will be high for all four cities over the next two decades. Policies that reduce the use of fossil fuels could limit this burden.

The increase in particulate matter exposure predicted under current policies could cause a total of eight million deaths globally from 2000 to 2020. Immediate use of available technologies to lessen fossil fuel emissions could reduce exposure by 10 percent by 2020. The study estimates that if the four cities implement policies aimed at achieving modest reductions in GHG emissions now this would prevent:

• around 64,000 premature deaths associated with air pollution
• at least 65,000 new cases of chronic bronchitis, 91,000 hospital admissions, 6.1 million asthma attacks and 787,000 emergency room visits
• 46 million lost work days or days with restricted activity
• 4,100 premature deaths of infants under one year of age and over 161,000 cases of acute bronchitis in children from three to fifteen years old.

Decision-makers are under mounting pressure to adhere to the Kyoto Protocol and act to reduce GHG emissions. They need to be aware of the short- and long-term effects of their policies on public health. Even a modest reduction in burning fossil fuels could produce considerable local health benefits. The possible effects on cancer and other diseases linked with exposure to air pollution are not yet known.

The study calls for policy-makers to pay increased attention to the 'hidden' benefits of GHG reduction and recommends:

• sounder accounting of how GHG mitigating technologies will affect public health
• additional research on the full range of potential impacts in future patterns of air pollution in developed and developing countries.

Source(s):
'Assessing the health benefits of urban air pollution reductions associated with climate change mitigation (2000-2020): Santiago, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and New York City' by L. Cifuentes, V. Borja-Aburto, N. Gouveia, G. Thurston and D. Davis, Environmental Health Perspectives 109 (2001)
Related source: 'Hidden health benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation' by L. Cifuentes, V. Borja-Aburto, D. Davis, N. Gouveia and G. Thurston, Science 293 (2001)

Funded by: W. Alton Jones Foundation; Rockefeller Family Fund; US Department of Energy; US EPA (NYU-EPA PM Center Grant); Mexican Department of Health; World Bank; National Institutes of Health.

id21 Research Highlight: 14 March 2002

Further Information:
Devra Davis
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh
PA 15213
USA

Tel: +1 412 268 5495
Fax: +1 412 268 5337
Contact the contributor: devrich@bellatlantic.net

Carnegie Mellon University

Nelson Gouveia
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva
Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo
Av Dr Arnaldo 455
São Paulo 01246-903 SP
Brazil

Tel: +55 11 3066 7444 ext. 30
Fax: +55 11 3062 6822 ext. 20
Contact the contributor: ngouveia@usp.br

University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

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