Lancet Series Finds That Cutting Greenhouse Pollutants Will Have Major Direct Health Benefits Worldwide
28 November 2009
Tackling climate change by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions will have major direct health benefits in addition to reducing the risk of climate change, especially in low-income countries, according to a series of six papers on “Health and Climate Change” published 25 November in the British medical journal The Lancet.
The studies use case studies to demonstrate the co-benefits of tackling climate change in four sectors: electricity generation, household energy use, transportation, and food and agriculture.
Policymakers need to know that if they exert their efforts in certain directions, they can obtain important public health benefits as well as climate benefits. Climate change threatens us all, but its impact will likely be greatest on the poorest communities in every country. Thus, it has been called the most regressive tax in human history. Carefully choosing how we reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have the added benefit of reducing global health inequities.
—Kirk R. Smith, professor of global environmental health at UC Berkeley and principal investigator in the United States for the overall research effort
Each study in the series examines the health implications in both high- and low-income countries of actions designed to reduce the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. Climate change due to emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel energy sources causes air pollution by increasing ground-level ozone and concentrations of fine particulate matter.
The studies were commissioned by the NIEHS, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in part to help inform discussions next month at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen. The NIEHS is one of the key sponsors of the international event.
A case study led by Smith on the health and climate benefits from a potential 150-million-stove program in India from 2010-2020 gives the largest co-benefit of any examined in the six papers. Smith has shown that providing low-emission stove technologies in poor countries that currently rely on solid fuel household stoves to cook and heat their homes is a very cost-effective climate change linkage. The 10-year program could prevent 2 million premature deaths in India, he said, in addition to reducing greenhouse pollution by hundreds of millions of tons.
A paper coauthored by Michael Jerrett of UC Berkeley contains analysis of 18 years of data on the long-term health effects of black carbon—the first study of its kind ever conducted. The study followed 352,000 people in 66 US cities and was conducted by a team of US and Canadian researchers led by Jerrett and Smith. Black carbon is a short-lived greenhouse pollutant which, along with ozone, is responsible for a significant proportion of global warming. Unlike CO2, these short-lived greenhouse pollutants exert significant direct impacts on health. Also, because they are short-lived, emission controls are almost immediately reflected in changes in warming.
Combustion-related air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly 2.5 million premature deaths annually around the world and also for a significant portion of greenhouse warming. These studies provide the kind of concrete information needed to choose actions that efficiently reduce this health burden as well as reduce the threat of climate change.
—Kirk Smith
Funding for The Lancet Health and Climate Change series was provided by the NIEHS and UK partners including The Academy of Medical Sciences, UK Department of Health, Economic and Social Research Council, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, National Institute for Health Research, Royal College of Physicians, and Wellcome Trust. The air pollution study also had funding from the Health Effects Institute, California Air Resources Board and Clean Air Task Force.
(A hat-tip to Marc!)
Resources
Lancet series on Health and Climate Change
Drivel and Propanda.
Posted by: Stan Peterson | 28 November 2009 at 12:25 PM
Some of this makes sense. Namely the ozone creation bit. That isn't just greenhouse gasses, however, the urban heat island is at least half of that and plays as big (or bigger) a role in the ozone creation.
Particulates are interesting, since I don't see how greenhouse gases can act as any kind of deterrent to particulates. I would think they stay close to the ground thanks to Newton's Law.
Since particulates aren't the same as GHG, I would say that this study was done in order to get the "greenhouse gas" headline despite the fact that actual pollutants are the real worry here.
By throwing out the term "greenhouse gases," they automatically get the robot reporters to say "global warming" (or "climate change," a misappropriated science phrase) for them.
So, as Stan said... It's drivel and propaganda.
Posted by: Aaron Turpen | 28 November 2009 at 03:41 PM
Good point Aaron. However, friends in academia tell me climate and enviro departments worldwide are scrambling to remove identification with GHG. Why? Because the writing is on the wall. And some decent scientists addicted to AGW grants - know their careers are over if the are seen as "collaborators" in the fraud.
Unfortunately there will be a purge. The corrupt and dishonest will pay dearly. The worst, Mann, Jones and others will be put on trial and punished. The sooner the corruption is fully exposed - the sooner the healing can begin.
Posted by: sulleny | 28 November 2009 at 03:55 PM
.
... reduce the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) ...
AWESOME!!!!
OK, first step: STOP BREATHING, PEOPLE!!! All of you EVIL breathers are KILLING Mother Earth by releasing CO2. You MUST be stopped. Especially the LARGE carbon footprint ones such as Algore (what does he weigh now, 300 pounds?!?).
Step two: It must be ILLEGAL for all volcanoes to erupt. Those EVIL volcanoes are killing Mother Earth... oh... huh??? They **are** Mother Earth??? Oh, Mother Earth is killing herself by erupting. Mother Earth MUST be made illegal.
This is so wonderful!!! More government control over people's lives, drastically higher taxes, money for fake "research" predicting doom unless we have our taxes drastically increased and government taking control of our lives. Ahhh... what a paradise it will be.
Oh, and all of the dead trees and plants from a lack of CO2 - very nice!!!
Now lets get back to illegally hiding our data so that our most excellent "research" can not be verified. THE ARGUMENT IS OVER!!! Leave the data ALONE!!! You are NOT allowed to speak.
.
Posted by: The Goracle | 28 November 2009 at 03:59 PM
These studies point to the win-win outcomes from reducing carbon emissions. WRT India, by using cow manure bioreactors which produce methane, this can be used to power stoves in the kitchen. This dramatically reduces particulate emissions, which improves health, and also reduces the amount of methane released, which is a much worse greenhouse gas than CO2.
The other benefits of reducing emissions are endless, for example consumers in the western world would save money as they move to electrified transportation, and as mentioned, smog would be reduced leading to less health problems.
Posted by: Mark_BC | 28 November 2009 at 05:18 PM
"The corrupt and dishonest will pay dearly."
Yes, Chevron will be dead in 10 years when everyone has switched over to EV's.
Posted by: Mark_BC | 28 November 2009 at 05:32 PM
G.Goracle:
Will you ever change?
If not. the world will have unmanageable problems to solve.
Fortunately, you ill sooner or later change.
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 November 2009 at 08:10 PM
Aaron Turpen,
I would think they stay close to the ground thanks to Newton's Law.
Think again.
ever seen a red sunrise/ set?
Apologies if I don't have the language (or the patience) for this , With this level of short sightedness suggest you consult with stan(the Goracle) , sulleny and co and let us know what marvelous new understanding of how it all works.
Then report back say after lunch will be fine.
Posted by: arnold | 29 November 2009 at 11:19 AM
Combustion-related air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly 2.5 million premature deaths annually around the world and also for a significant portion of greenhouse warming.
Anyone who doesn't understand this and that smoke goes up a chimney is beyond help.
Posted by: arnold | 29 November 2009 at 11:25 AM
.
Combustion-related air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly 2.5 million premature deaths annually around the world...
No comparison to Socialism/Communism - combined, Socialism (remember the National Socialist Workers Party?!?) and Communism have killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The problem is not with people breathing, volcanoes erupting, or automobile engines running. The problem is with the people and governments who kill the "nonbelievers..." the "deniers."
Will you ever change?
Yes! I already have. At one time I was a fanatical Globalwarmist - much like many of you! Then I went in with an open mind and studied the Global Warming® "research." I found it to be completely lacking - fraudulent, in fact. Fortunately we now have emails, released by a whistleblower, that prove me correct. I understand that my statements are blasphemey but they must be heard. Open your minds and think about the issue. Don't simply repeat what the government(s), and government bought "research," tell you.
.
Posted by: The Goracle | 29 November 2009 at 12:27 PM
"No comparison to Socialism/Communism - combined, Socialism (remember the National Socialist Workers Party?!?) and Communism have killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide."
And of course there's a direct relationship between communism and charging your electric car in your garage for $25 a month.
Posted by: Mark_BC | 29 November 2009 at 01:29 PM
“When it comes to his handling of Freedom of Information requests, Professor Jones might struggle even to use a technical defense. If you take the wording literally, in one case he appears to be suggesting that emails subject to a request be deleted, which means that he seems to be advocating potentially criminal activity. Even if no other message had been hacked, this would be sufficient to ensure his resignation as head of the unit.
George Monbiot, The Guardian 11/25/2009 Staunch Alarmist
Corruption in the bowels of climate change ranks - reveals a sickness far more alarming than green house gas.
Posted by: sulleny | 29 November 2009 at 01:50 PM
.
LOL!!! MarkBC pulled a typical "climate scientist" trick on my statement. Cut the statement off and act like it is meant to stand alone. Thank you for once again demonstrating the need for Globalwarmists to twist data, statements, and facts.
.
Posted by: The Goracle | 29 November 2009 at 08:08 PM
Mark,
Shame on you literate left.
Posted by: arnold | 30 November 2009 at 02:39 AM
Goracle,
Do you disclose your epiphany to the tax department?
Posted by: arnold | 30 November 2009 at 02:52 AM
What does "premature" death mean?
I agree that reducing atmospheric pollution can only be good for health, and that it can have nothing to do with GHG, but "premature" can mean anything.
What I want to know is: Does this pollution take away a month or 20 years of my expected lifetime?
Posted by: Simodul | 30 November 2009 at 04:57 AM
Excellent article, even if it did jolt the bias confirmation of several deniers above. A small note - Solar cookers are considered premier items in India;
http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles/SolarCookersinIndia.asp
Posted by: Will S | 30 November 2009 at 10:08 AM
Looks like Will and the other marxists here are finding little to complain about now their climate scam has been outed. Bye bye "doc" Phil - thanks for absolutely nothing good. Please return to your decrepit home and tell your buds they're not welcome here.
Posted by: sulleny | 01 December 2009 at 01:36 PM