Resources

Indoor air quality guidelines: household fuel combustion

The WHO released a guideline for household fuel combustion to help public health policy-makers, as well as specialists working on energy, environmental and other issues, understand best approaches to reducing household air pollution —  an environmental health risk in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO Quantitative Risk Assessment

The WHO released an updated report to the Assessment released in 2000. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is estimated to cause approximately 250,000 excess deaths per year. Of these, 38,000 is expected to be due to heat exposure in elderly people, 48,000 due to diarrhea, 60,000 due to malaria, and 95,000 due to childhood undernutrition.

Climate Change in New York State

Released in 2011, “Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation” is a 600-page report presenting projected changes in climate for seven geographic regions of the state, ranging from the coasts of Long Island to the mountains of the Adirondacks and the farms of Western New York.

This 2014 update to the climate chapter of the original report presents refined projections for the seven regions based on additional and newer models, updated methods and science, and new emissions scenarios. The study fine-tunes projections for variables such as sea level rise and extreme events like downpours and heat waves. This update also extends the projections through 2100.

In general, the updated study confirmed and refined previous projections:

• Sea level could rise significantly, permanently flooding some areas and increasing the likelihood of damage to coastal infrastructure from storm surge, including roads and bridges.
• Inland and upstate, heavy downpours and subsequent flooding are expected to increase. In the winter, more rainstorms in place of snow are expected.
• While winters will be milder, summers are expected to see more extreme and longer heat waves, with more droughts as well.

International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report

Released between September 2013 and November 2014, this is the most comprehensive report on the current scientific knowledge of climate change.

• Working Group I report: “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis“

• Working Group II report: “Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability“

• Working Group III report: “Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change“

• Synthesis Report: To be released in October

Third National Climate Assessment (NCA) Report

Released in May 2014, this report is produced under the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The Federal government is responsible for producing these reports through the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). This report integrates scientific knowledge and establishes consistent methods to evaluate the climate. It is used to inform the nation on the current state of the climate as well as future trends, in helping the government, citizens, communities, and businesses to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly plans.

Assessing Health Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Guide for Health Departments

Released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this report introduces the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework developed by the CDC and helps health departments prepare for and respond to climate change. The first step of BRACE deals with assessing health vulnerabilities associated with climate impacts. This report suggests steps that health departments can take to assess health vulnerabilities associated with climate change.