Abstract
In today’s modern world, air pollution and climate change are major contributors to mortality in many countries in the Pacific Rim. Much is now known about why air pollution and climate change have occurred, as well as the devastating negative impacts they have on human and planetary health. That effort is the focus of this case study. National and international efforts have had impact. This chapter outlines leadership in air pollution and climate change from multiple stakeholders, including researchers, government officials, and the international community. In the future, more efforts are needed in evidence-based advocacy to address these global health challenges. Climate change demands a response at a global scale and relies upon international research collaborations and energetic and skillful leadership at the science-policy interface.
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Appendices
Discussion Questions
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1.
What are some general pathways for using scientific evidence to develop policy? How can individual researchers lead for change?
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2.
What has been the role of air pollution researchers in improving air quality?
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3.
What should researchers do when their research and their integrity is questioned?
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4.
How has the translation of research findings to policymakers and the public been important in terms of air pollution and climate change policies?
Follow-Up Reading
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Cohen, A., Brauer, M., Burnett, R., Anderson, H., Frostad, J., Estep, K., Forouzanfar, M. (2017). Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution: An analysis of data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2015. The Lancet, 389(10082), 1907–1918.
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Watts, N., Amann, M., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Belesova, K., Bouley, T., Boykoff, M., Costello, A. (2018). The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: From 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. The Lancet, 391(10120), 581–630.
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Woodward, A., Smith, K., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Chadee, D., Honda, Y., Liu, Q., Haines, A. (2014). Climate change and health: On the latest IPCC report. The Lancet, 383(9924), 1185–1189.
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Wu, C., Woodward, A., Li, Y., Kan, H., Balasubramanian, R., Latif, M., Samet, J. (2017). Regulation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Pacific Rim: Perspectives from the APRU Global Health Program. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 10(9), 1039–1049.
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Samet, J., Woodward, A. (2019). Air Pollution and Climate Change. In: Withers, M., McCool, J. (eds) Global Health Leadership. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95633-6_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95633-6_9
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