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Global warming is hot news. As I write, the UN climate change conference has just opened in Copenhagen. Diplomats from 192 nations are discussing a treaty to protect the world from calamitous climate change. Among the key issues will be: how much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases and how much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions? Although I do not know how the negotiations will end, I hope that the leaders will agree that protecting health and well-being is one of the main objectives of the new treaty.

Much has been learned in the past decade about the effects of climate change on health. Its effects on child health are less well studied. Most of the estimates of impact on child health have been made for developing countries in tropical regions, where the impact of climate change is expected to be greatest. Far fewer studies have been conducted focusing on its impact on children living in the United States. This issue summarizes the current state of knowledge and describes some actions that can be taken by pediatricians and others who care for children.

As countries struggle with the decisions regarding how to reduce their emissions, each of us can advise our patients about ways to take action. There are a variety of practical ways for families and individuals to make a difference, and actions that mitigate climate change have many other benefits, or co-benefits. For example, we can inform patients that car travel is the single biggest contributor to our individual CO₂ emissions, so they might want to consider the benefits of choosing alternative modes of transportation. Taking the bus or train, or riding a bicycle to work or school a few days each week instead of driving the car can have a variety of cobenefits. Less traffic on the road results in reduced carbon emissions, lower concentrations of airborne particulate matter, ozone and noise, fewer traffic-related injuries and deaths, and increased physical activity. This can be a great way to save money and reduce overweight and obesity.

For years pediatricians have advised parents of young children to set the hot water heater at 120 Fahrenheit. Not only does this action reduce scald burns but it has the added benefit of reducing CO₂ emissions. Thus, there is reason to recommend it even for families with grown children. If patients are interested in learning more about what they can do daily to reduce their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, they can calculate their “carbon footprint” by visiting the web site http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/calculator/ind_calculator.html.