Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to global health. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased the temperature of the Earth by over 1.5 °C and caused sea levels to rise by over 24 cm since the beginning of the 20th century. 2024 was the warmest year on record and the last 10 hotte...

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Main Authors: Mark Maslin, Raina D. Ramnath, Gavin I. Welsh, Sanjay M. Sisodiya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Future Healthcare Journal
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664525000190
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author Mark Maslin
Raina D. Ramnath
Gavin I. Welsh
Sanjay M. Sisodiya
author_facet Mark Maslin
Raina D. Ramnath
Gavin I. Welsh
Sanjay M. Sisodiya
author_sort Mark Maslin
collection DOAJ
description The climate crisis is the greatest threat to global health. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased the temperature of the Earth by over 1.5 °C and caused sea levels to rise by over 24 cm since the beginning of the 20th century. 2024 was the warmest year on record and the last 10 hottest years have all occurred in the last 10 years. Climate models suggest that global surface temperature could rise between 1.5 °C and 5.5 °C compared with the pre-industrial period by 2100, and sea-level rise could be between 0.5 m and 1.3 m. Climate change is already causing significant shifts in weather patterns and an increase in extreme weather events around the world, including droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods. These are having an impact on the spread of infectious diseases and the severity of non-infectious diseases. Climate change is already causing food and water insecurity, increasing levels of malnourishment and the burden of disease. The unpredictable impacts of climate change and the perceived inaction from local, national and international leaders, is creating anxiety that is contributing to deteriorating mental health, particularly in young people. The health impacts of climate change will increase in the future if nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emission. We need action to deal with the climate crisis while improving the health, security and income of the very poorest people in our global society. We must plan for a net zero world that provides healthy, safe and low environmental impact lives for 10 billion people by 2050.
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spelling doaj-art-9464c99a945d40d19e0b9c8969c85eb02025-08-20T01:55:41ZengElsevierFuture Healthcare Journal2514-66452025-03-0112110024010.1016/j.fhj.2025.100240Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisisMark Maslin0Raina D. Ramnath1Gavin I. Welsh2Sanjay M. Sisodiya3Department of Geography, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK; Corresponding author.Bristol Renal, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, BSA 3NY, UKBristol Renal, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, BSA 3NY, UKDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UKThe climate crisis is the greatest threat to global health. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased the temperature of the Earth by over 1.5 °C and caused sea levels to rise by over 24 cm since the beginning of the 20th century. 2024 was the warmest year on record and the last 10 hottest years have all occurred in the last 10 years. Climate models suggest that global surface temperature could rise between 1.5 °C and 5.5 °C compared with the pre-industrial period by 2100, and sea-level rise could be between 0.5 m and 1.3 m. Climate change is already causing significant shifts in weather patterns and an increase in extreme weather events around the world, including droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods. These are having an impact on the spread of infectious diseases and the severity of non-infectious diseases. Climate change is already causing food and water insecurity, increasing levels of malnourishment and the burden of disease. The unpredictable impacts of climate change and the perceived inaction from local, national and international leaders, is creating anxiety that is contributing to deteriorating mental health, particularly in young people. The health impacts of climate change will increase in the future if nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emission. We need action to deal with the climate crisis while improving the health, security and income of the very poorest people in our global society. We must plan for a net zero world that provides healthy, safe and low environmental impact lives for 10 billion people by 2050.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664525000190
spellingShingle Mark Maslin
Raina D. Ramnath
Gavin I. Welsh
Sanjay M. Sisodiya
Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
Future Healthcare Journal
title Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
title_full Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
title_fullStr Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
title_full_unstemmed Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
title_short Understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
title_sort understanding the health impacts of the climate crisis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664525000190
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