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Clima variability and climate change: health risks for human beings in Middle-Europe?; Klimavariabilitaet und Klimaaenderungen: Risiko fuer die Gesundheit des Menschen in Mitteleuropa?

Abstract

Health risks of environmental loads usually are considered next to the sources, i.e. at a local or at maximum regional scale. However, due to their long lifespan the greenhouse gases acting in the climate system are globally distributed. Thus for the first time in history of mankind we are faced with possible health impacts of a man-made global change of the environment. The expected health risks of a change in climate are in order and quality outside of existing experience, and they are no longer locally limited, but affect the entire mankind. However, the impacts depend on numerous socio-economic, technological, infrastructural, geographic, and climatological conditions. Frequently there are indirect impacts, e.g. by disruptions in the ecology of pathogens and their vectors, in food production or in fresh water supply. Further possible impacts have to be attributed to heat waves and warmer winters; droughts, floods, heavy storms and other weather disasters; decreased food production; sea level rise; air pollution and aeroallergens; increase in UV-radiation due to stratospheric ozone depletion; socio-economic faults. An assessment of human health impacts is complicated due to numerous uncertainties, e.g. the unknown economic, political, and technological response of society, e.g. to health relevant environmental predictors, the adaptability  More>>
Authors:
Jendritzky, G [1] 
  1. Deutscher Wetterdienst (Germany). Geschaeftsfeld Medizin Meteorologie
Publication Date:
Oct 01, 2000
Product Type:
Technical Report
Reference Number:
EDB-01:024513
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Oct 2000; Related Information: In: 70th anniversary of Prof. Dr. Albrecht Kessler. Commemorative publication, Prof. Dr. Albrecht Kessler zum 70. Geburtstag. Festschrift, Berichte des Meteorologischen Institutes der Universitaet Freiburg v. 5, by Mayer, H. [ed.], 250 pages.
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; HEALTH HAZARDS; GLOBAL ASPECTS; RISK ASSESSMENT; SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; FOOD INDUSTRY; NATURAL DISASTERS; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; SEA LEVEL
OSTI ID:
20141187
Research Organizations:
Freiburg Univ. (Germany). Meteorologisches Inst.
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
German
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISSN 1435-618X; TRN: DE01G2012
Availability:
Available from TIB Hannover
Submitting Site:
DE
Size:
page(s) 35-42
Announcement Date:
Mar 17, 2001

Citation Formats

Jendritzky, G. Clima variability and climate change: health risks for human beings in Middle-Europe?; Klimavariabilitaet und Klimaaenderungen: Risiko fuer die Gesundheit des Menschen in Mitteleuropa?. Germany: N. p., 2000. Web.
Jendritzky, G. Clima variability and climate change: health risks for human beings in Middle-Europe?; Klimavariabilitaet und Klimaaenderungen: Risiko fuer die Gesundheit des Menschen in Mitteleuropa?. Germany.
Jendritzky, G. 2000. "Clima variability and climate change: health risks for human beings in Middle-Europe?; Klimavariabilitaet und Klimaaenderungen: Risiko fuer die Gesundheit des Menschen in Mitteleuropa?" Germany.
@misc{etde_20141187,
title = {Clima variability and climate change: health risks for human beings in Middle-Europe?; Klimavariabilitaet und Klimaaenderungen: Risiko fuer die Gesundheit des Menschen in Mitteleuropa?}
author = {Jendritzky, G}
abstractNote = {Health risks of environmental loads usually are considered next to the sources, i.e. at a local or at maximum regional scale. However, due to their long lifespan the greenhouse gases acting in the climate system are globally distributed. Thus for the first time in history of mankind we are faced with possible health impacts of a man-made global change of the environment. The expected health risks of a change in climate are in order and quality outside of existing experience, and they are no longer locally limited, but affect the entire mankind. However, the impacts depend on numerous socio-economic, technological, infrastructural, geographic, and climatological conditions. Frequently there are indirect impacts, e.g. by disruptions in the ecology of pathogens and their vectors, in food production or in fresh water supply. Further possible impacts have to be attributed to heat waves and warmer winters; droughts, floods, heavy storms and other weather disasters; decreased food production; sea level rise; air pollution and aeroallergens; increase in UV-radiation due to stratospheric ozone depletion; socio-economic faults. An assessment of human health impacts is complicated due to numerous uncertainties, e.g. the unknown economic, political, and technological response of society, e.g. to health relevant environmental predictors, the adaptability of ecosystems and the human being itself, and the still absolutely unsufficient resolution of climate change predictions in space and time. Societies with good natural, technological and social resources will therefore show a lower vulnerability and a better ability to adapt. But usually such societies contribute per capita most to the greenhouse gas emission. Consequently such societies are primarily responsible to apply strictly the precautionary princziple of Agenda 21. (orig.) [German] Gesundheitsrisiken von Umweltbelastungen werden typischerweise in der Naehe der Quellen, d.h. in einem lokalen oder maximal regionalen Massstab betrachtet. Die im Klimasystem wirksamen Treibhausgase breiten sich jedoch aufgrund ihrer langen Lebensdauer global aus. Wir sehen uns deshalb zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte der Menschen mit den moeglichen Auswirkungen einer vom Menschen verursachten globalen Umweltveraenderung auf die Gesundheit konfrontiert. Gesundheitsrisiken einer Klimaaenderung sind damit grundsaetzlich nicht mehr lokal begrenzt. Allerdings haengen die Auswirkungen von zahlreichen sozio-oekonomischen, technologischen, infrastrukturellen, geographischen und klimatologischen Rahmenbedingungen ab. Aenderungen des Klimas wirken sich vielfach auf indirektem Weg aus, indem z.B. die Oekologie von Krankheitserregern und ihrer Uebertraegerorganismen, die Nahrungsproduktion oder Frischwasserversorgung gestoert wird. Weitere moegliche Auswirkungen ergeben sich durch Hitzewellen und waermere Winter; Duerren, Ueberschwemmungen, Stuerme und andere Wetterkatastrophen; von Vektoren sowie von wasser- und nahrungsmitteluebertragenen Infektionserkrankungen; verringerte Nahrungsmittelproduktion; Anstieg des Meeresspiegels; Luftverschmutzung und Luftallergene; Zunahme der UV-Strahlung durch die stratosphaerische Ozonabnahme; sozio-oekonomische Verwerfungen. Die Bewertung der Auswirkungen einer Klimaaenderung auf die Gesundheit des Menschen wird durch zahlreiche Unsicherheiten erschwert. Gesellschaften mit hohem Niveau von natuerlichen, technologischen und sozialen Ressourcen werden insgesamt wohl eine geringere Empfindlichkeit gegenueber klimainduzierten Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit aufweisen bzw. leichter Anpassungsstrategien zur Risikominimierung entwickeln. Weil solche Gesellschaften in aller Regel den hoechsten Pro-Kopf-Beitrag an der globalen Treibhausgasemission zu verantworten haben, ist hier in erster Linie die strikte Anwendung des Vorsorgeprinzips der Agenda 21 einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung einzufordern. (orig.)}
place = {Germany}
year = {2000}
month = {Oct}
}