Global climate change and human health.

Global climate change is a vexing economic, environmental, and public health problem. Climatologists have documented a rise in global average temperature that is unprecedented since the Industrial Revolution. This temperature change correlates with increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases, which largely are of human origin. Global climate change is likely to profoundly affect global health. This article summarizes the science of climatology and global climate change caused by human actions and reviews potential health effects.