Symposium on Human Health and Global Climate Change.
Abstract
Observed changes in the Earth's climate over the past 100 years appear to be consistent with theoretical models of greenhouse warming, according to the participants in a recent scientific conference on Human Health and Global Climate Change, cosponsored by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and the Institute of Medicine (lOM). These models suggest that, without major changes in environmental policy, we could expect to see even greater changes in global climate over the next 100 years. These changes could produce alterations both in physical systems (e.g., higher temperatures, heavier rainfall, and rising sea level) and in ecosystems (e.g., forests, agriculture, marine ecologies, and the habitats of various insects and animals). In addition to the global changes associated with greenhouse warming, a continuing depletion of stratospheric ozone would increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's surface, causing increased rates of skin cancer, cataracts, and immune suppression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADB209063
Entities
People
- Valerie Setlow
Organizations
- National Academy of Sciences