Bruce Agnew

About the author: Bruce Agnew is a science writer based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Most scientists who have participated in recent climatological studies agree that global warming will affect the world's ecosystems and weather patterns. In addition, rising temperatures and increased precipitation are likely to have detrimental effects on human health. Extreme weather can cause injuries and deaths, interrupt food production, and contaminate water supplies. Changing climatic conditions might enable infectious tropical diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, and Ebola to spread into new geographical areas. Refugees fleeing from famine, rising sea levels, or weather-damaged regions could move into already crowded locales, straining public health and sanitation capabilities. The nations of the world must find ways to address these climate-related public health challenges.

Most climatologists now believe that the Earth's atmosphere is warming, but no one knows how...