EDITOR'S CHOICE - Climate change: things we can do

摘要

Those of us who've been banging on about the threat of climate change to human health for longer than we care to remember should take heart. Hot on the heels of the Pope's encyclical on the environment, we have an encyclical of a different kind, from the Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change. Pope Francis's intervention is as unusual as it is welcome (http://bit.ly/ldul5vP). While previous papal encyclicals have been directed mainly at Roman Catholics, Pope Francis seeks to "enter into a dialogue with all people about our common home." Basing his strongly worded comments explicitly on environmental science, he says that "the planet is reaching breaking point" and urges courageous action.