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Climate Change: Overview of Data Sources, Observed and Predicted Temperature Changes, and Impacts on Public and Environmental Health

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Global Climate Change and Public Health

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM,volume 7))

Abstract

This chapter addresses the societal and the environmental impacts of climate change related to increasing surface temperatures on air quality and forest health. Increasing temperatures at and near the earth’s surface, due to both a warming climate and urban heat island effects, have been shown to increase ground-level ozone concentrations in cities across the U.S. In terms of forest health, elevated surface air temperatures and increased water stress are raising the possibility that forests world-wide are increasingly responding to warming climate conditions, which may lead to widespread tree mortality. The importance of climate datasets is also addressed, specifically as it relates to understanding the observed and predicted changes in surface temperatures at the global, regional and local scale.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Air and Rare Plants, USDA Forest Service, 2150A Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA

    David H. Levinson M.S., Ph.D.

  2. Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 1731 Research Park Drive, Davis, CA, 95618, USA

    Christopher J. Fettig M.S., Ph.D.

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  1. David H. Levinson M.S., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to David H. Levinson M.S., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. John Muir Institute of the Environment University of California, Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine Center for Health & the Environment, Davis, California, USA

    Kent E. Pinkerton

  2. and Environmental Medicine New York University School of Medicine, Div. of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine; Depts. of Medicine,, New York, New York, USA

    William N. Rom

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Levinson, D.H., Fettig, C.J. (2014). Climate Change: Overview of Data Sources, Observed and Predicted Temperature Changes, and Impacts on Public and Environmental Health. In: Pinkerton, K., Rom, W. (eds) Global Climate Change and Public Health. Respiratory Medicine, vol 7. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8417-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8417-2_3

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