Pollution, climate change, and childhood asthma in Australia

Global warming has consequences for our health, and the impact will only be exacerbated by inaction

As outlined in the recent Lancet Commission report,1 environmental pollution in its broadest sense is a major contributor to global mortality, morbidity, and burden of disease. One major message of the report was that pollution does not receive the attention, research funding, or policy intervention that it warrants. The impact of pollution on health is compounded by climate change;2 for instance, global warming is expected to result in deterioration of air quality, magnifying the adverse health effects of air pollution.3 The potential impact of climate change on health has recently attracted greater attention, stimulating the American College of Physicians to recommend direct action by physicians: engaging in environmentally sustainable practices that reduce carbon emissions; supporting efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change; and educating the public, their colleagues, and lawmakers about the health risks of climate change.4