Source: BBC Radio 4: Today Programme
URL: N/A
Date: 23/06/2015
Event: Anthony Costello on climate change: "Yeah, we do think it's a medical emergency"
Credit: BBC Radio 4
People:
Mishal Husain: The health gains of the last 50 years could be catastrophically undermined by climate change - that's the warning from the Lancet Climate Health Commission, set up by the medical journal. Its co-chair is Professor Anthony Costello, the Director of University College London's Institute for Global Health - good morning.
Anthony Costello: Good morning.
Mishal Husain: And you're calling this a "medical emergency".
Anthony Costello: Yeah, we do think it's a medical emergency. I mean, climate change is happening here and now, carbon pollution rates mean future forecasts right now of over 4 degrees of warming this century - that's double the safe level. And that carries unacceptably high - potentially catastrophic - health risks. Um, a twelve-fold increase in heatwave risk, potentially, this century, um, species loss leading to changing patterns of epidemics, food and water insecurity, storms, massive population migration, potentially, and of course conflict.
Mishal Husain: But you're not just talking about what is at stake, if things carry on as they are and aren't tackled, you're also talking about undermining or rolling back the health gains of the last 50 years - explain what you mean by that.
Anthony Costello: Well, we're actually arguing that there is a good-news story to this. We're saying that climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century. If we allow ourselves to go to 4 degrees - and we've only got 10-15 years to really get carbon pollution levels back on track - then we do risk all the gains of the last 50 years. But almost everything that you want to do for climate change - whether it's active transport, cycling, walking, reducing air pollution, having healthier diets - will cut heart attacks, will cut strokes, diabetes, cancer, lung disease, depression and anxiety - so, enormous gains here and that carries with it financial gains, as well.
Mishal Husain: Is that proven? That tackling climate change would help with depression and anxiety?
Anthony Costello: Cycling certainly would, regular exercise will. And if we do these things, if we protect green spaces, if we insulate our homes, if we changed to renewable electricity contracts. Seven million people a year are dying from the effects of air pollution. We cleaned it up, in the '50s and '60s in London - you go to any Asian city and the biggest issue on the local political agenda is air pollution.
Mishal Husain: But what about one example where the climate imperative has gone in one direction and the health imperative went in another - diesel cars, for example.
Anthony Costello: Yeah.
Mishal Husain: Encouraged, because more fuel-efficient - they're going to reduce carbon emissions. Turns out, really bad for our health.
Anthony Costello: Exactly, and we know now that coal is bad - we're saying that we've got to phase out coal quickly, and there will be immediate health gains. But what we know now is we've got renewables. We've got, um, you know, lots of sun - if you look in Africa, 50% of hospitals there have no regular energy supply. Most households don't. They have plenty of sunshine. We can do so much more to promote renewables, to get rid of, erm, coal power, to promote green cities and, you know, let's do it - 80% of your listeners want to do this, they want to be sustainable, and they should realise there are health benefits. And there's a huge unpaid health bill, here. The IMF estimate that 5.3 trillion dollars a year are spent on the costs of air pollution and climate change. We can cut those costs.
Mishal Husain: Professor Anthony Costello, thank you very much.