​As a part of Earth Day, we want to increase the awareness of current environmental issues. Many environmental issues will have a significant adverse impact on public health in the coming decades. Climate change, driven largely by the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, is threatening to change the planet we call home. The effects of climate change have already been observed in loss of sea ice, rising sea level, heat wave intensity and duration, and increased ocean acidity, among others. Access to clean air, water, and land is also a growing concern throughout the world as these resources become overburdened by environmental pollution. Poor air and water quality contribute significantly to human morbidity and mortality as well as environmental degradation. If you would like to learn more about the current issues facing the environment, please check out some of these sites:

• International Earth Day Campaign

• EPA – Climate Change

• NASA – Climate Change

• Student Conservation Association

• National Geographic Education Resources

• World Wildlife Fund & Earth Hour

• Audubon Naturalist Society

Here are some options for kids:

• NIEHS Kids Section

• EPA Kids Activities