Public health-related impacts of climate change in California : white paper

This report focuses on public health impacts associated with climate change. Summer temperatures in California under scenarios of future climate change are projected to increase by 2°C to 7°C (3.6°F to 12.6°F) by the year 2100. Increases will be accompanied by longer, more frequent, and more severe extreme heat conditions. These increases are expected to affect human health directly through heat-related mortality, and indirectly through air pollution, potential effects on various infectious diseases, and wildfires. By the end-of-century, the likelihood of extreme heat is projected to be 2-4 times greater under the climate change scenarios examined. For an increasingly urbanized population, extreme heat waves create a significant risk of adverse health effects and heat-related mortality.