I am aware of four book reviews. The details of three are below.
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By Prof Mark L Wahlqvist Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015
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By Prof Alistair Woodward The Lancet 2015 "Climate change & health;what health professionals might do about it"
ccgh_review_lancet_2015.pdf | |
File Size: | 601 kb |
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There is a 4th review, published in Choice ( a journal for US librarians). It was negative. Currently I cannot find it - but my attempt to publish a rebuttal is below. Choice did indicate it might be published in 2016
I was pleased CHOICE selected my edited book to review, but dismayed by the reviewer’s biased tone, shown for example by placing inverted commas around the words “climate change”. Would the reviewer put “air pollution” or “HIV/AIDS” in inverted commas? Climate change is just as real, just as important, and is now just as accepted as those issues. Your reviewer’s dismissal of about 150,000 words written by several dozen world experts in climate change and health is unlikely to be influenced by this short letter, but I hope this may trigger some of your other readers to reflect more deeply on this profound problem.
The reviewer seems to dismiss the risk to occupational health from a “low, single-digit increase in global average air temperature.” This shows a failure to understand statistical tails. An increased average temperature means a higher risk of extreme heat events. A recent report led by the former UK chief scientist, Sir David King, states that future heat stress could be lethal even for individuals resting in the shade. While that is unlikely with the 0.85°C of average warming so far observed, it becomes significant for a global temperature rise of around 5°C, especially in already hot areas such as northern India.
Contrary to the assertion of the reviewer that the book used simplistic causal models, many chapters stressed that climate change does not act alone, but as a “risk multiplier”. Other risks especially relevant to global health, and heightened by climate change, include mass migration, food insecurity and conflict.
There is increasing acceptance of the reality and multi-dimensional challenge of climate change at the highest scientific levels including in the US, such as by recent US Energy Secretary, Nobel Laureate Steven Chu. I hope discerning librarians seek opinions other than that of Professor Wyman.
I was pleased CHOICE selected my edited book to review, but dismayed by the reviewer’s biased tone, shown for example by placing inverted commas around the words “climate change”. Would the reviewer put “air pollution” or “HIV/AIDS” in inverted commas? Climate change is just as real, just as important, and is now just as accepted as those issues. Your reviewer’s dismissal of about 150,000 words written by several dozen world experts in climate change and health is unlikely to be influenced by this short letter, but I hope this may trigger some of your other readers to reflect more deeply on this profound problem.
The reviewer seems to dismiss the risk to occupational health from a “low, single-digit increase in global average air temperature.” This shows a failure to understand statistical tails. An increased average temperature means a higher risk of extreme heat events. A recent report led by the former UK chief scientist, Sir David King, states that future heat stress could be lethal even for individuals resting in the shade. While that is unlikely with the 0.85°C of average warming so far observed, it becomes significant for a global temperature rise of around 5°C, especially in already hot areas such as northern India.
Contrary to the assertion of the reviewer that the book used simplistic causal models, many chapters stressed that climate change does not act alone, but as a “risk multiplier”. Other risks especially relevant to global health, and heightened by climate change, include mass migration, food insecurity and conflict.
There is increasing acceptance of the reality and multi-dimensional challenge of climate change at the highest scientific levels including in the US, such as by recent US Energy Secretary, Nobel Laureate Steven Chu. I hope discerning librarians seek opinions other than that of Professor Wyman.