IAQ.net Resources

Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health 174 CLIMATE CHANGE, THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT, AND HEALTH Synthesis Generally speaking, alterations in outdoor environmental conditions may affect indoor exposures to pests by changing the habitable range of creatures known to invade indoor environments or by changing indoor environmental conditions or behavior in ways that drive them indoors. Buildings and building-maintenance practices that work well for one set of environmental conditions may not protect against infestations under other conditions. Termite infestations, for example, are less common in northern parts of the United States, and buildings and building codes there do not always require termite-prevention measures (Peterson, 2010). If termite ranges move northward, it may lead both to increased property damage and to occupant exposure to pesticides unless anticipatory maintenance and regulatory changes are made. CONCLUSIONS Several of the key findings of the 2001 National Research Council report Under the Weather: Climate, Ecosystems, and Infectious Diseases remain pertinent and bear repeating. They are excerpted and quoted below; additional explanatory detail is available in that report. Key Findings Regarding Linkages Between Climate and Infectious Diseases from the Report Under the Weather: Climate, Ecosystems, and Infectious Diseases • • • • • W eather fluctuations and seasonal-to-interannual climate variability influence many infectious diseases. O bservational and modeling studies showing an association between climatic variations and disease incidence must be interpreted cautiously. C limate change may affect the evolution and emergence of infectious diseases. T he relationships between climate and infectious disease are often highly dependent upon local-scale parameters and there are potential pitfalls in extrapolating climate and disease relationships from one spatial/temporal scale to another. T he potential disease impacts of global climate change remain highly uncertain. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

• Front Matter
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Background
• 3 Government and Private-Sector Involvement in Climate Change, Indoor Environment, and Health Issues
• 4 Air Quality
• 5 Dampness, Moisture, and Flooding
• 6 Infectious Agents and Pests
• 7 Thermal Stress
• 8 Building Ventilation, Weatherization, and Energy Use
• 9 Key Findings, Guiding Principles, and Priority Issues for Action
• Appendix A: Public Meeting Agendas
• Appendix B: Environmental Protection Agency Contractor Reports on Climate-Change, Indoor-Environment, and Health Topics
• Appendix C: Biographic Sketches of Committee Members and Staff
• Blank Page
• Blank Page