[Climate change, disease and public health]

Abstract

Infectious diseases, malnutrition, et cetera will all become more common as the earth gets warmer and the climate becomes more unstable. Even though obesity, type II diabetes and coronary artery disease do not result from climate change, they do share causes with climate change. The production of livestock in agriculture, for example, is an important source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as a source of many of our most energy-rich foods. Physicians and medical societies should therefore contribute to the public debate about climate change and what to do about it.