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Human Bioclimatology pp 161–177Cite as

Climate and Human Mortality: Relationships and Mitigating Measures

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Part of the book series: Advances in Bioclimatology ((ADVS BIOCLIMAT.,volume 5))

Abstract

The impact of climate on human mortality has become a topic of increasing discussion in light of numerous deaths due to heat during the summer of 1995, and the possible impact of a global warming on such mortality (Haines et al. 1993; McMichael 1993; Kalkstein 1995). However, there are numerous uncertainties involving climate/mortality relationships. For example, what is the magnitude of winter weather-related mortality as compared to summer? If the globe warms, will decreases in cold-related mortality compensate for any summer increases? How do confounding social factors, such as increasing air conditioning use, impact heat-related mortality? Are developing countries more affected than developed? Can we acclimatize to global warming? These questions and others will be discussed within this chapter, which will concentrate on how mortality rates are affected by the weather.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Climatic Research, Department of Geography, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, USA

    L. S. Kalkstein

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  1. L. S. Kalkstein
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geographical Science and Planning, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Andris Auliciems

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kalkstein, L.S. (1998). Climate and Human Mortality: Relationships and Mitigating Measures. In: Auliciems, A. (eds) Human Bioclimatology. Advances in Bioclimatology, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80419-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80419-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-80421-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-80419-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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