TAILIEUCHUNG - FEBRUARY 2008 Policy Brief: ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Empirical studies which explicitly examine the link between popula- tion and pollution in a systematic quantitative manner are very few in number. Cramer (1998, 2002) and Cramer and Cheney (2000) examine the impact of population levels on air pollution in California and conclude that population is closely associated with some sources of emissions but not with others. Cramer’s and Cramer and Cheney’s focus on a single state in a developed country is interesting, but it also means that the global impli- cations of their work are uncertain. Dietz and Rosa (1997) and York, Rosa and Dietz (2003a, b) focus on carbon dioxide emissions and energy use and, in the. | OECD FEBRUARY 2008 ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT Health and the Environment How does pollution affect health What does environmental degradation cost our health What environmental policies are needed Where do we go from here For further information For further reading Where to contact us Introduction How much does the environment affect human health Are air pollution and tainted water shortening our lives and those of our children These questions have aroused increasing interest in recent years particularly since the adoption of Agenda 21 at the UN Conference on Environment and Development which drew the attention of policy makers to the links between health and the environment. Air pollution is one obvious environmental health threat in OECD countries contributing to a number of illnesses such as asthma and in some cases leading to premature death. Of particular concern is the fact that children are more vulnerable to air pollution than adults and increased rates of infant mortality have been recorded in highly polluted areas. Concerns about the impact of air pollution on health and the economy have resulted in measures to mitigate emissions of the most harmful pollutants such as particle pollution acids organic chemicals metals and soil or dust particles and ozone which affects the respiratory system. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions the health impacts of air pollution are not likely to decrease in the years ahead unless appropriate action is taken. Water is another key environmental health issue - unsafe drinking water and untreated waste water kill thousands of people a year most of them children. Other health issues associated with emerging environmental hazards such as chemical products will also need to be addressed. Chemical products are used in virtually every man-made product and play an important role in the everyday life of people around the world. However harmful .

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