The Health Practitioner's Guide to Climate Change: Diagnosis and Cure

by Jenny Griffiths (Editor), Mala Rao (Editor), Fiona Adshead (Editor), Allison Thorpe (Editor)

Overview

Highly commended in the Public Health category, BMA Medical Awards 2010

There are enormous health benefits from tackling climate change. This is the first book to set out what health practitioners can do to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, to make health services sustainable, and to design healthy, sustainable communities.

The book:
- provides an introduction for health practitioners and students to climate change and its current and future health impacts
- describes the relationship between health and the environment
- gives facts and figures on greenhouse gas emissions
- sets out the huge benefits to health of acting on climate change
- explains what health practitioners can do - at home, at work and in their organizations, and
- shows how you can support action in communities, nationally and globally.

Essential reading for:
- health professionals, local government, built environment professionals
- students across all sectors of health, medicine and public administration
- community and voluntary sector, NGOs
- the business community involved in private healthcare.

The Health Practitioner's Guide to Climate Change is written by an authoritative group of authors from key organisations in the field, including the Met Office, the Faculty of Public Health, Natural England, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Climate and Health Council, the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, the Health Protection Agency, the University of the West of England, Sustrans and the National Social Marketing Centre.

Sponsored by The National Heart Forum and the National Social Marketing Centre.

Foreword by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781136573446
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Jenny Griffiths is a former health service manager and chief executive who now works independently.

Mala Rao is Director of the first Indian Institute of Public Health, based in Hyderabad.

Fiona Adshead was previously the deputy chief medical officer in the Department of Health for England and the chief government adviser on Health Inequalities.

Allison Thorpe is a Senior Research Associate at Brunel University.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part I: Information

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions - The Hard Facts

2. Climate Change is Deadly - The Health Impacts of Climate Change

3. Health and the Natural Environment

4. The Health Benefits of Action on Climate Change

Part II: Action

5. Leadership: How to Influence National and International Policy

6. How to Help to Plan a Healthy, Sustainable, Low-carbon Community

7. How You Can Make a Real Difference

8. How to Help People to Change Behaviour

9. How to Take Action in the Community

10. How to Help Organisations to Take Action

11. How Health Services Can Act

12. How to Prepare for the Health Effects of Climate Change

Resources section

Editorial Reviews

'A wake-up call for doctors and other health professionals' Professor Ian Gilmore, President, Royal College of Physicians 'Climate change is the greatest public health disaster facing us today and one that requires action at local, national and international level - Only by firm and decisive action now - can we, as a global community, hope to avert or mitigate an impending public health catastrophe of immense proportions.' Presidents of the Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the British Medical Journal 'This comprehensive book is a valuable resource to help NHS leaders get a firm understanding of the issues and challenges ahead.' Steve Barnett, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation 'The health of the planet and the health of people are inseparable. This guide makes this vital connection.' Dr Vandana Shiva, renowned environmentalist and author 'By thinking holistically, nurses as trusted professionals can be a powerful voice in limiting climate change, a serious threat to human health.' Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing 'This book ...will be invaluable to Directors of Public Health and other public health practitioners in their efforts to highlight the pressing need to conserve global resources and to use them in ways which limit adverse environmental impacts such as climate change.' Dr Frank Atherton, President, Association of Directors of Public Health 'The focus of this book on health and the threats that climate change poses to it must be embedded in the political debate, in strategies to change how we live and in how we plan for the future.' Stephen Battersby, President, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health 'This is an excellent book and worthwhile reading for every health professional including managers at the top of organisations for a very reasonable price. Our local politicians should also read a copy.' The Ulster Medical Journal 'The editors have skilfully constructed a very readable and interesting book on a topic that cannot fail to arrest the attention of even the most cynical climate change observer.' Occupational Medicine

From the Publisher