Health and global warming

Moral of the story: There are very real health effects to global warming that are rarely discussed in the news.  These should be an important part of the global warming discussion, as well as of the health discussion.  For example, obesity, public transport and climate change are integrally related and should be discussed as such.  We need better organized cities with better transportation, food and clinical care options.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 6/3/2010

Health benefits of potential global warming policy rarely discussed.

In the Washington Post (6/2) "Ezra Klein" column, Kate Sheppard pointed out that "among the many positive outcomes of carbon-reduction policy often ignored when looking at the costs are the health benefits." For instance, "programs to reduce emissions, like providing better public transportation and improving urban planning, could...result in indirect healthcare savings, thanks to lower obesity rates and fewer respiratory and heart problems." Meanwhile, "kidney stones could increase by 30 percent or more in some areas of the US because of dehydration -- a problem that alone could cost the US healthcare system more than $1 billion per year." Such arguments, however, "rarely surface in the climate debate." In fact, "a forthcoming study...found that stories connecting health and global warming made up just five percent of the climate coverage in the New York Times and...the Washington Post."