Critical Condition: Human Health and the Environment (MIT Press)
by By Chivian, Eric, M.D., McCally, Michael, and Hu, Howard (CON)
Category: Science , Environmental Science

For the first time in human history we are altering the basic physiology of the planet, yet until now there has been no single source that summarizes the medical consequences of this environmental crisis for human beings. Critical Condition provides a comprehensive, easy-to-follow review of this most critical and yet most negelected subject in the environmental debate. It brings together the best medical information available about global environmental degradation, including the effects on human health of war and military preparation, global warming, ozone depletion, species extinction, and loss of biodiversity—matters that are generally not addressed in the literature of environmental health. Underlying these contributions are three major themes: that the habitat is an important determinant of human health, that prevention of human illness must involve protection of the environment and preservation of ecosystems, and that well-informed physicians can and should communicate with the public and policy makers about environmental hazards.