Published on Thursday, April 10, 2008 by Associated Press
CDC Foresees Health Risks Because of Climate Change
by H. Josef Hebert
A top government health official said Wednesday that climate change is expected to have a significant impact on health in the next few decades, with certain regions of the country – and the elderly and children – most vulnerable to increased problems.0410 08
Howard Frumkin, a senior official of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave a detailed summary on the likely health consequences of global warming at a congressional hearing. But he refrained from giving an opinion on whether carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas, should be regulated as a danger to public health.
“The CDC doesn’t have a position on … EPA’s regulatory decisions,” said Frumkin, determined to avoid getting embroiled in the contentious issue over whether the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate CO{-2} under the federal Clean Air Act.