Analyses of the Effects of Global Change on Human Health and Welfare and Human Systems Page: 29
ix, 204 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Analyses of the Effects of Global Change on Human Health and Welfare and Human Systems
ameliorate adverse health impacts (McGeehin
and Mirabelli, 2001). Successfully motivating
individuals to respond appropriately can
therefore decrease vulnerability and reduce
health impacts-a key goal of public health
efforts (McGeehin and Mirabelli, 2001).
The ability to respond to climate change and
reduce vulnerability is influenced by social
institutions as well as the social factors noted
above. Institutions are viewed broadly in the
climate change context and include a wide
diversity of things such as regulations, rules, and
norms that guide behavior. Examples include
past development and land use patterns, existing
environmental and coastal laws, building codes,
and legal rights. Institutions also can determine
a decision-maker's access to information and
the ways in which the information can be used
(Moser et al., 2007).
Well-functioning institutions are essential to a
modern society and provide a mechanism for
stability in otherwise volatile environments
(Moser et al., 2007). Future options for
responding to future climate impacts are thus
shaped by our past and present institutions and
how they evolve over time. In addition, the
complex interaction of issues expected with
climate change may require new arrangements
and collaborations between institutions to
address risks effectively, thereby enhancing
adaptive capacity (Grambsch and Menne,
2003). A number of institutional changes have
been identified that improve adaptive capacity
and reduce vulnerability (see Chapter 3 for
additional details). While the importance of
institutions is clear, there are few scenarios that
incorporate an explicit representation of them.
1.4.6 Interacting Effects
The same social and economic systems that
bear the stress of climate change also bear the
stress of non-climate factors, including: air
and water pollution, the influx of immigrants,
and an aging and over-burdened infrastructure
in rapidly growing metropolitan centers and
coastal zones. While non-climate stressors
are currently more pronounced than climateimpacts, one cannot assume that this trend will
.
persist. Understanding the impacts of climate
change and variability on health and quality of
life assumes knowledge of how these dynamics
might vary by location and across time and
socioeconomic group. The effects of climate
change often spread from directly affected areas
and sectors to other areas and sectors through
complex linkages. The relative importance
of climate change depends on the directness
of each climate impact and on demographic,
social, economic, institutional, and political
factors, including the degree of emergency
preparedness.
Consider the damage left by Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita in 2005. Damage was measured not only
in terms of lives and property lost, but also in
terms of the devastating impacts on infrastructure,
neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and hospitals
as well as in the disruption to families and friends
in established communities, with lost lives and
lost livelihoods, challenges to psychological
well-being, and exacerbation of chronic illnesses.
While the aftermath of a single hurricane is not
the measure of climate change, such an event
demonstrates the disruptive power of climate
impacts and the resulting tangle of climate and
non-climate stressors that complicate efforts to
respond and to adapt. The impacts following
these hurricanes reveal that socioeconomic
factors and failures in human systems may be
as damaging as the storms themselves.
Another trend of significance for climate
change is the suburbanization of poverty. A
recent study noted that by 2005 the number
of low income households living in suburban
communities had for the first time surpassed
the number living in central cities (Berube and
Kneebone, 2006). Although the poverty rate in29
W-
14 ,
], ;z
''y &,I-r
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
Human Health and Welfare and Climate Change: Summary and Findings of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (Text)
This brochure summarizes a report of the same title. It describes the likely impacts of climate change on human health, and potential adaptation strategies to limit the risks and damages.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Analyses of the Effects of Global Change on Human Health and Welfare and Human Systems, book, September 2008; Washington, DC, USA. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12033/m1/41/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .