Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas-Implications for Policy Makers

Andy Haines, Anthony J McMichael, Kirk R Smith, Ian Roberts, James Woodcock, Anil Markandya, Ben G Armstrong, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Alan D Dangour, Michael Davies, Nigel Bruce, Cathryn Tonne, Mark Barrett, Paul Wilkinson. "Public Health Benefits of Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse-Gas Emissions: Overview and Implications for Policy Makers." Lancet (2009) 374: 2104-14, http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T1B-4XSTPDR-B-1&_cdi=4886&_user=1822432&_pii=S0140673609617591&_origin=search&_zone=rslt_list_item&_coverDate=01%2F01%2F2010&_sk=996250292&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkWb&md5=32f0d3504c0f20c9a9e1e9f044911cbe&ie=/sdarticle.pdf.

This article discusses the health benefits of converting to renewable energy sources for household energy, transport, food and agriculture, and electricity generation. The authors point out that while developed countries contribute more carbon emissions than underdeveloped countries, underdeveloped countries must still play their part in reducing emissions by using better cookstoves. The authors explain further that if people have a better awareness of the health benefits resulting from converting to renewable sources of energy, motivation to convert will increase. Overall, people are more aware of the cost issues but do not relate health benefits to using renewable energy. The authors explain policy  makers need to do a better job informing public of the health benefits too. The benefits of informing public about health benefits as well as climate protection will reduce incidences of respiratory infections, heart disease and other infections. When people can relate the health benefits as well as climate protection it will result in wider acceptance of conversion to renewable sources of energy.

This article is very good in supporting my research question. It supports the idea that public awareness is not adequate regarding the health consequences to continued use of traditional energy. It also supports my hypothesis that people are more aware of climate protection and costs of renewable energy than health benefits and if they could relate them together desire for change would increase.