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Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal Health cobenefits and transportation-related reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the San Francisco Bay area

Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal

Maizlish N, Woodcock J, Co S, Ostro B, Fanai A, Fairley D
2013
American Journal of Public Health. 103 (4): 703-709

OBJECTIVES: We quantified health benefits of transportation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). METHODS: Statistics on travel patterns and injuries, physical activity, fine particulate matter, and GHGE in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, were input to a model that calculated the health impacts of walking and bicycling short distances usually traveled by car or driving low-emission automobiles. We measured the change in disease burden in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) based on dose-response relationships and the distributions of physical activity, particulate matter, and traffic injuries. RESULTS: Increasing median daily walking and bicycling from 4 to 22 minutes reduced the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes by 14% (32,466 DALYs), increased the traffic injury burden by 39% (5907 DALYS), and decreased GHGE by 14%. Low-carbon driving reduced GHGE by 33.5% and cardiorespiratory disease burden by less than 1%. CONCLUSIONS: Increased physical activity associated with active transport could generate a large net improvement in population health. Measures would be needed to minimize pedestrian and bicyclist injuries. Together, active transport and low-carbon driving could achieve GHGE reductions sufficient for California to meet legislative mandates.

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Resource Description

    Air Pollution
    • Air Pollution: Particulate Matter
    Ocean/Coastal
    United States
    Cardiovascular Impact, Injury, Morbidity/Mortality, Respiratory Impact
    • Cardiovascular Impact, Injury, Morbidity/Mortality, Respiratory Impact: Other Cardiovascular Impact, Specify
    • Cardiovascular Impact, Injury, Morbidity/Mortality, Respiratory Impact: Other Respiratory Impact, Specify
      • Other Respiratory Impact, Specify: non-malignant respiratory disease, not specified
      Respiratory Condition (other)
    Exposure Change Prediction, Outcome Change Prediction
    Long-Term (>10 years)
    Research Article
    Mitigation
    • Mitigation : Adaptation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm
    • Mitigation : Mitigation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm
    Other Climate Change Scenario, Specify
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