Estimates show the if all Americans between 10 and 74 walk for half an hour each day instead of driving, it would cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 64 million tons saving 6.5 billions of gasoline and shed over three billion pounds of calories.
Dr. Howard Frumkin, director of the CDC - National Center for Environmental Health says the agency is planning to launch a public promotion on the benefits of everyday exercise in the fight against obesity and global warming.
He said, "A simple intervention like walking to school is a climate change intervention, an obesity intervention, a diabetes intervention, a safety intervention. That's the sweet spot."
Frumkin adds that climate change is also contributing to worsening public health issues.
Records from the World Health Organization show that at least 160,000 people died of malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition and drowning from floods in 2000. Public health and climate scientists said these problems worsened by global warming. Officials predict that in the future those numbers will be higher.
Dr. Georges Benjamin said the American Public Health Association will try to point the relation between obesity and climate change solutions.
"This may present the greatest public health opportunity that we've had in a century," said Dr. Jonathan Patz, health sciences professor of University of Wisconsin and president of the International Association for Ecology and Health.
Patz and Frumkin said the getting people our of the car and walk is key to this campaign.
