"Communities in Inland Southern California and elsewhere should prepare for health problems caused by climate change, including an increase in infectious diseases such as West Nile virus, heat-related illnesses and asthma attacks brought on by smog and smoke from wildfires, scientists said Wednesday.

Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats facing the nation, yet few people are aware of how it can affect them, said Kim Knowlton, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York-based environmental action group.

The effects were detailed during a telephone briefing to unveil the group's Web tool, which allows users to see extreme weather patterns and potential climate-related health problems by ZIP code. The maps are available at www.nrdc.org/climatemaps." [2]

Janet Zimmerman reports for the Riverside Press-Enterprise August 3, 2011. [3]

SEE ALSO:

"Climate Change an Extra Burden for Native Americans, Study Says" (Green/NYT) [4]

"Record Warm Nighttime Temperatures: A Closer Look" (Climate Central)
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