Lancet Commission Report Finds Climate Change Already Harming Health; Reinforces Need for Immediate Climate Action

A new report released today, 2017 Report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, finds that climate change currently harms human health worldwide, leading to increased exposure to heatwaves, increased allergy risks, changes in the spread of diseases, and other threats. American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold P. Wimmer issued the following statement in response:

"The 2017 Report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change (The Lancet report) points again to the urgency of combating climate change to prevent a global public health crisis. The report emphasizes the scale of the threats to human health – and makes clear that reducing dangerous climate pollution is critical to protect health and save lives.

"Over the past few months in the United States, devastating wildfires and hurricanes, intensified by changing climate patterns, have harmed health and taken lives. The Lancet report points to the growing evidence of increased risk as a result of the delayed response to climate change.

"Fortunately, The Lancet report underscores the opportunity to significantly advance public health by taking bold action to address climate change. But the time to act is now, to avoid the worst health impacts of climate change. Leaders at every level of government must take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Communities must prepare to protect their citizens from the ongoing threats.

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must listen to this latest warning and implement strong tools, including many already in place, to fight climate change and protect the health and safety of all Americans. We urge EPA to halt its efforts to repeal the Clean Power Plan, weaken the current greenhouse gas standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles and roll back other measures to address climate change. The evidence is clear that rolling back policies to address climate change threatens the health of millions of Americans."