Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene.
Previous research demonstrates that low-income countries face higher risks than high-income countries from toxic pollution and climate change. However, the relationship between these two risks is little explored or tested, and efforts to address the risks are often independent and uncoordinated. We...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254060 |
| _version_ | 1819039230684299264 |
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| author | Richard Marcantonio Debra Javeline Sean Field Agustin Fuentes |
| author_facet | Richard Marcantonio Debra Javeline Sean Field Agustin Fuentes |
| author_sort | Richard Marcantonio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research demonstrates that low-income countries face higher risks than high-income countries from toxic pollution and climate change. However, the relationship between these two risks is little explored or tested, and efforts to address the risks are often independent and uncoordinated. We argue that the global risks from toxic pollution and climate change are highly correlated and should be jointly analyzed in order to inform and better target efforts to reduce or mitigate both risks. We provide such analysis for 176 countries and found a strong (rs = -0.798;95%CI -0.852, -0.727) and significant (p<0.0001) relationship between the distribution of climate risk and toxic pollution. We also found that inequities in pollution production, economic status, and institutional readiness are interconnected and exacerbate risk for countries already in the highest risk categories for both toxic and non-toxic (greenhouse gas) pollution. The findings have policy implications, including the use of the proposed Target assessment to decide where best to address toxic and non-toxic pollution simultaneously, based on the need to minimize human suffering and maximize return on effort. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:49:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a5cc9bd76f544285a5716841334c3c6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:49:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-a5cc9bd76f544285a5716841334c3c6d2022-12-21T19:09:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01167e025406010.1371/journal.pone.0254060Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene.Richard MarcantonioDebra JavelineSean FieldAgustin FuentesPrevious research demonstrates that low-income countries face higher risks than high-income countries from toxic pollution and climate change. However, the relationship between these two risks is little explored or tested, and efforts to address the risks are often independent and uncoordinated. We argue that the global risks from toxic pollution and climate change are highly correlated and should be jointly analyzed in order to inform and better target efforts to reduce or mitigate both risks. We provide such analysis for 176 countries and found a strong (rs = -0.798;95%CI -0.852, -0.727) and significant (p<0.0001) relationship between the distribution of climate risk and toxic pollution. We also found that inequities in pollution production, economic status, and institutional readiness are interconnected and exacerbate risk for countries already in the highest risk categories for both toxic and non-toxic (greenhouse gas) pollution. The findings have policy implications, including the use of the proposed Target assessment to decide where best to address toxic and non-toxic pollution simultaneously, based on the need to minimize human suffering and maximize return on effort.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254060 |
| spellingShingle | Richard Marcantonio Debra Javeline Sean Field Agustin Fuentes Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. PLoS ONE |
| title | Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. |
| title_full | Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. |
| title_fullStr | Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. |
| title_short | Global distribution and coincidence of pollution, climate impacts, and health risk in the Anthropocene. |
| title_sort | global distribution and coincidence of pollution climate impacts and health risk in the anthropocene |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254060 |
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