Paris Climate Accord Represents Major Opportunity, Says UW Researcher

A University of Wisconsin researcher on global health says the Paris climate change agreement that about 175 nations signed last Friday represents a great opportunity to save lives.

The treaty aims to hold any gain in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius. President Barack Obama administration’s main plan to limit U.S. greenhouse gases, the Clean Power Plan, faces a legal challenge from Wisconsin and other states.

Jonathan Patz of the UW Global Health Institute told a Madison conference Monday that the burning of fossil fuels releases harmful particles and chemicals that can kill people in the short term.

“Burning less of this dirty energy has an immediate benefit and can save 7 million lives every year around the world,” said Patz.

He said a relatively small investment in reducing emissions could lead to much lower health care costs.