Public health experts decry Trump's decision to withdraw from Paris accord

Public health officials have condemned the president's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris accord on global climate change, warning that a warmer planet will increase pollution, hasten the spread of infectious disease and raise the prevalence of certain cancers, among other health concerns, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The countries who signed onto the Paris accords of 2015 have agreed to a goal of keeping the earth's temperature within 2 degrees Celsius — 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit — of pre-industrial levels. The U.S. would have been required to lower its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which President Donald Trump said would cost millions of American jobs.

Numerous public health officials and experts gave the LA Times statements on their reaction to President Trump's decision Thursday.

"Today's reckless decision is further abdication of leadership at the federal level to protect public health. … The science is clear," said Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association. "Climate change is happening and it's affecting our health. A changing climate affects our food supply, the spread of infectious disease, our water systems and air quality, and much more. All have significant impacts on human health."

Harold P. Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said, "Climate change is already harming the health of people in the United States and worldwide through degraded air quality, heat waves, droughts, extreme storms, disease outbreaks and more. Unchecked climate change is a global health crisis that threatens to reverse decades of health gains worldwide, with serious consequences for our children and generations to come," according to the report.

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