The potential impact of global environmental change on population health

Abstract

Due to rapid industrial changes and increased pressure of people on fragile ecosystems, large-scale environmental perturbations have been occurring on Earth. Major current environmental problems that can be expected to have a substantial effect on human health include human-induced climate change and stratosphere ozone depletion, because they threaten the ecological support systems on which human life depends. The most serious potential consequence of global environmental change is the erosion of Earth's life-support systems. The public health assessments of the present and future anthropogenic damage to the biosphere have important implications for human health and wellbeing. Medical practitioners have an important role to play in this field.