A growing body of evidence indicates that the Earth's atmosphere is warming and will continue to warm into the next century. This warming has been attributed to human activities, which have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could lessen the magnitude of warming; however, some warming will result from the past accumulation of greenhouse gases and the challenges to make significant shifts in energy-use practices. Climate changes will have regional variability, such that some regions will experience more warming than others; the impacts on precipitation, storminess, and other weather and climate events will also likely exhibit large regional variation. Furthermore, the overall warming trend will be superimposed on the natural variability of the climate system over daily, seasonal, and yearly timeframes.
As the evidence of global warming has become more convincing, there has been increasing attention to the impacts of climate variability and change on ecosystems and their member species, including humans. Climate change is likely to affect human health in a number of ways through complex interactions with the local environment, including modification of the emergence and transmission of infectious disease agents, increasing the likelihood and severity of heat waves, exacerbating air pollution, and increasing intensity of hurricanes and changes in other weather and climate extreme events that have consequences for human health.
A joint workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine and the National Research Council's Climate Research Committee explored the scientific basis for a range of human health impacts from climate change. Initial efforts to consider the resiliency of public health systems and to develop response options were discussed. The workshop addressed the impacts of climate change on human health and the role of public health interventions at local through international levels. The workshop examined the idea that the effects of climate change will be variable from year to year, and the full extent of climate change will not become evident for up to several decades.
The Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine was established to provide a mechanism for parties interested in environmental health from the academic, industrial, and federal research perspectives to meet and discuss sensitive environmental health issues of mutual interest in a neutral setting. The purpose is to foster dialogue, but not to provide recommendations.The Roundtable is sponsored by the United Nations Foundation; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH; National Center for Environmental Health, CDC; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CDC; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC; National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, EPA; National Center for Environmental Research, EPA; Exxon-Mobil Corporation; American Chemistry Council, Institute for Public Health and Water Research, and Arch Chemical Company.
The Climate Research Committee fosters atmospheric, oceanic, and related research aimed at advancing knowledge and understanding of the physical basis of climate and climate change. The committee organizes meetings and workshops to promote progress in climate research and to facilitate information exchange among scientists and those in the federal government who support climate research.