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EXPERTS:   WILDFIRE PROBLEM IN THE U.S. TO GROW AND LEAD TO MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IF GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT ADDRESSED

Worsening of Adult Asthma, Acute Respiratory Illness in Children Expected;
No Let Up in Fires, Health Woes Until Climate-Changes Issues Are Resolved

WASHINGTON, D.C.—July 2, 2003
The long, hot summer of wildfires expected in 2003 will pale in comparison to future years when droughts fueled by unchecked global warming touch off more wildfires and a rise in related public health problems, according to a warning today from two experts from the Harvard Medical School and Duke University speaking for the nonprofit Civil Society Institute.

"The rise of U.S. wildfires is turning global warming into a real and direct health threat for American adults and children," said Paul R. Epstein, M.D., associate director, Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. "The chief concern has to be that global warming, if left unchecked, will mean more intense weather extremes, including drought. The resulting—and worsening—wildfire problems in the United States could well mean a steadily increasing toll in the related health problems."

Epstein cautioned that, as wildfires grow, so too will the ill health effects associated with the more extensive fire-related haze pollution. What Epstein foresees is the occurrence in the United States of health problems already documented in other nations with serious wildfire problems. The most likely illnesses to be inflicted or aggravated by spreading wildfire pollution include asthma, chronic lung disease, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, including acute respiratory illness in children. Epstein noted that there is even an increased risk of carcinogenesis due to the toxic chemicals that are released and dispersed into the atmosphere when houses are incinerated in wildfires.

In 2002, over 7.3 million acres of U.S. forest burned. But, due in large part to global warming, the stage is now set for wildfires to rage out of control to an extent not seen before, according to Professor William H. Schlesinger, dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

He said: "Global warming is causing much of the world's water to evaporate, leaving dry vulnerable forests. In addition to this development, the United State's fire-suppression campaign of the late 20th century left us with a hefty fuel load in the forests by extinguishing all these naturally burning fires, we've halted the natural fire cycle of the forests. Now, they're primed to ignite. There already are wildfires burning this summer in five Western states—and that's just as we are getting into the summer months."

While the most apparent health dangers are suffered by those who fight fires or who otherwise find themselves caught in the blaze, the acute health impacts from wildfire haze pollution also extend to individuals not in the immediate vicinity of the flames.   Dr. Epstein noted that there is extensive evidence that chronic wildfire haze pollution leads to ill health effects:

• Major fires in 1997 in Southeast Asia produced the kind of health problems that now could be more common in the U.S. due to wildfires. During the drought-driven fires in Malaysia, there was a two- to three-fold increase in outpatient visits for respiratory disease and a 14 percent decrease in the reported lung function of school children.

• In 1997, fires in Alta Foresta, Brazil, resulted in a 20-fold increase in outpatient visits for respiratory diseases.

• There also is evidence from the U.S. of major health impacts suffered by civilians in the wake of wildfires and other blazes. In the summer of 2002, the Heyman fire in Colorado led to a jump in respiratory illness in Denver and the surrounding area. According to the Denver Board of Health, these health problems persisted well into the fall. After 1998 wildfires in Florida, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported significant increases in emergency room visits for asthma (up 91 percent), bronchitis (up 132 percent) and chest pain (up 37 percent).

Americans who live hundreds or even thousands of miles away from wildfires may be taking false comfort in the notion that it is too distant a problem to affect their health, according to Dr. Epstein.

He said: "Even those miles from a fire may end up suffering from health problems after inhaling particulates—microscopic pieces of ash or burned wood found in wildfire smoke. There is some evidence from developing nations that smoke from fires, as with dust from drought and desertification, can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles and cause adverse health problems. This area requires more study. But the preliminary data suggests that this may be a health problem for many Americans who are nowhere near the wildfires."

Professor Schlesinger emphasized that the factors now in place will make it difficult for major progress to be achieved in reducing wildfires in the near future.

He explained: "The most important thing for the public to understand about this is that our nation needs to curb its emissions of carbon dioxide. We are altering the climate of the planet to a point never before seen. Limiting the amount of carbon dioxide we produce and release into the world's atmosphere through fossil-fuel burning cars, along with coal and oil energy, would greatly assist in slowing down our unstable and abruptly changing ecosystem. There will be no relief from the drought that fuels the wildfires until our nation's leaders get serious about curbs on CO2 emissions."

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ABOUT THE CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTE:
Based in Newton, MA, the Civil Society Institute is a non-profit organization that focuses on five areas of critical need: kids and learning, health care reform, science policy and regenerative medicine, economic change and climate change and global security. Visit the Civil Society Institute on the Web at www.civilsocietyinstitute.org.

CONTACT: Stephanie Kendall, (703) 276-3254 or skendall@hastingsgroup.com.

TV STATIONS: Copies of a related video news release (VNR) are available upon request. Nationwide, the VNR will be rebroadcast on Thursday, July 3, 2003, from 1-1: 15 p.m. EDT on C-Band, AMC 2, Transponder 11, DL 3920, Audio 6.2/6.8. For more information about the VNR, contact Stephanie Kendall, (703) 276-3254 or skendall@hastingsgroup.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of a related July 2, 2003 news event will be available on the Web as of 6 p.m. on July 2, 2003 at www.hastingsgroup.com/Wildfire.html.


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