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.
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“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.
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