Climate Change, Health and Existential Risks to Civilization: A Comprehensive Review (1989⁻2013)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health Policy
• Climate Science

Background:

• Anthropogenic global warming presents substantial health risks, amplified by social and environmental factors.
• The first 25 years of scientific literature (1989-2013) on climate change and health are reviewed.
• This review assesses the identification of catastrophic, civilization-endangering health risks within this body of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review the scientific literature on climate change and health from 1989 to 2013.
• To evaluate the extent to which studies identified severe, systemic health risks associated with global warming.
• To analyze trends in the focus and citation of research concerning climate change and health.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar.
• Articles were systematically ranked on a three-point scale based on their discussion of global systemic health risks.
• Citation analysis was employed to assess research impact and trends.

Main Results:

• Out of 2143 reviewed papers, 72% (1546) were categorized as discussing limited systemic risk.
• Papers focusing on existential risks, though initially prominent, declined significantly by 1996.
• While the overall literature expanded, the focus on severe, civilization-level health impacts remained low.

Conclusions:

• The growth in climate change and health literature reflects increased awareness of its importance.
• Recognition of existential health risks from climate change is notably low in published research.
• Research predominantly addresses specific issues like infectious diseases and heat effects, rather than broader, interdisciplinary systemic risks.