Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: mmwrq@cdc.gov. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.
Notice to Readers: World Environment Day --- June 5, 2005
Please note:
An
erratum has been published for this article. To view the erratum, please
click here.
"Green Cities" is the theme of World Environment Day, June 5, 2005. This annual event, established by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1972, highlights environmental issues, encourages persons worldwide to participate in sustainable and equitable development, and promotes awareness of the importance of communities in changing
attitudes toward environmental concerns. San Francisco is the host city for World Environment Day 2005.
When roads and buildings replace natural land cover,
urban air temperatures can exceed those of the
surrounding countryside by as much as
41ºF (5ºC)
(1). Creation or preservation of green spaces in cities can mitigate this
so-called heat-island effect. Green areas in urban settings also produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and enhance air quality; provide storm water control; and provide habitat for urban wildlife. Well-managed urban settlements can support growing
urban populations by limiting their impact on the environment and improving their health. National and local policies
can discourage waste, encourage conservation, and promote sustainable solutions.
Ongoing activities at CDC contribute to best practices for environmental public health nationally and internationally. CDC aims to protect all communities from environmental threats and to promote health in places where persons live, work,
learn, and play. These activities include preventing lead poisoning, controlling asthma, reducing the health impact of natural and technological disasters, reducing exposure to toxic substances, preparing for emergencies involving radiation or radioactive materials, environmental public health tracking
(2), and using laboratory testing to determine exposures to chemicals in
the environment. CDC also provides information about environmental toxins and hazards
(3,4). CDC's environmental health activities are detailed at http://www.atsdr. cdc.gov and
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh. Additional information about
World Environment Day 2005 is available at http://www.wed2005.org.
CDC. Second national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services,
CDC; 2003. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/2nd.
Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply
endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of
the date of publication.
Disclaimer
All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from ASCII text
into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version.
Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the electronic PDF version and/or
the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables.
An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800.
Contact GPO for current prices.
**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to
mmwrq@cdc.gov.
