Changing Planet, Changing Health: How the Climate Crisis Threatens Our Health and What We Can Do about It

by Paul R. Epstein, Dan Ferber, Jeffrey Sachs (Foreword by)

Overview

Climate change is now doing far more harm than marooning polar bears on melting chunks of ice—it is damaging the health of people around the world. Brilliantly connecting stories of real people with cutting-edge scientific and medical information, Changing Planet, Changing Health brings us to places like Mozambique, Honduras, and the United States for an eye-opening on-the-ground investigation of how climate change is altering patterns of disease. Written by a physician and world expert on climate and health and an award-winning science journalist, the book reveals the surprising links between global warming and cholera, malaria, lyme disease, asthma, and other health threats. In clear, accessible language, it also discusses topics including Climategate, cap-and-trade proposals, and the relationship between free markets and the climate crisis. Most importantly, Changing Planet, Changing Health delivers a suite of innovative solutions for shaping a healthy global economic order in the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520272637
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	04/04/2011
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Paul R. Epstein, MD, MPH, (1943–2011) was Associate Director of the Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard Medical School and a medical doctor trained in tropical health. He contributed to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Dan Ferber is a contributing correspondent for Science magazine. His feature articles have appeared in many publications, including Popular Science, Audubon, and Nature Conservancy.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Foreword by Jeffrey Sachs

Introduction
1 Mozambique
2 The Mosquito’s Bite
3 Sobering Predictions
4 Every Breath You Take
5 Harvest of Trouble
6 Sea Change
7 Forests in Trouble
8 Storms and Sickness
9 The Ailing Earth
10 Gaining Green by Going Green
11 Healthy Solutions
12 Of Rice and Tractors
13 Rewriting the Rules

Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"If ever there was a book that ought to be on everybody's reading bucket list this is it."—Booklist

"A harrowing look at the road ahead that should urge immediate, proactive change."—Kirkus Reviews

"Makes it clear that the health threats from climate change are here, and need immediate coordinated effort to keep in check."—E! the Environmental Magazine

"An eye-opener "—Publishers Weekly

"Because human health is 'the bottom line' at which the many adverse consequences of climate change will converge, Changing Planet, Changing Health is an excellent corrective for climate-change myopia."—Nature

Editorial Reviews

Because human health is 'the bottom line' at which the many adverse consequences of climate change will converge, Changing Planet, Changing Health is an excellent corrective for climate-change myopia.

Nature

This eye-opening book reveals how climate change alters patterns of disease and contributes to many of the world’s most serious human health threats.

Taste For Life Magazine

If ever there was a book that ought to be on everybody’s reading bucket list this is it. But read it now rather
than later, since health and global environment expert Epstein and award-winning science journalist Ferber
believe there is still, albeit limited, time to begin mitigating the effects of human actions on the changing
climate."

Booklist

An engaging book on climate change and public health.

American Scientist

"If ever there was a book that ought to be on everybody's reading bucket list this is it."--Booklist

"A harrowing look at the road ahead that should urge immediate, proactive change."--Kirkus Reviews

"Makes it clear that the health threats from climate change are here, and need immediate coordinated effort to keep in check."--E! the Environmental Magazine

"An eye-opener "--Publishers Weekly

"Because human health is 'the bottom line' at which the many adverse consequences of climate change will converge, Changing Planet, Changing Health is an excellent corrective for climate-change myopia."--Nature

From the Publisher

Throughout, this book emphasizes complex interactions and highlights unintended consequences. It identifies solutions—some drastic—and refutes, with impressive evidence, political/financial efforts to deny climate change and discredit climate scientists. . . . Highly Recommended.

CHOICE

Absorbing and informative.

National Catholic Reporter

This book provides a useful and interesting introduction to this still unsettled segment of the climate debate.

Natural Hazards Observer

Makes it clear that the health threats from climate change are here, and need immediate coordinated effort to keep in check.

E! The Environmental Magazine

Because human health is 'the bottom line' at which the many adverse consequences of climate change will converge, Changing Planet, Changing Health is an excellent corrective for climate-change myopia.

Nature Lib

“Absorbing and informative.

National Catholic Reporter - Rich Heffern

“If ever there was a book that ought to be on everybody’s reading bucket list this is it.

Booklist