issuesComplex, interconnected issues must be dealt with rapidly and effectively if we are to achieve a resilient future.
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Wandering Home
While the last sixty years have brought many astounding advances in public health and healthcare, in many ways our health has actually gotten worse. Our air and our waterways are generally cleaner, but our own bodies are now filled with chemicals and toxins. We've made driving safer, but we also now drive so much — and walk and bike so little — that adult and childhood obesity have become national epidemics.
The big global sustainability crises also threaten our health in various ways. Climate change promises to bring more extreme weather events, floods and droughts, destroying essential agricultural land and increasing the spread of infectious diseases. Rising costs for fuel will hinder access to health services, and may jeopardize emergency services in some places. Economic crises push people out of jobs, making it harder for them to maintain their health. Looking at the big environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world today, the threats to public health and our health systems hit closest to home.
Post Carbon Institute Public Health Fellow Brian Schwartz is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he is also currently Co-Director of the Program on Global Sustainability and Health.
In this short video, Brian discusses what inspired him to devote his life to public health and how the realization that energy resources are finite led him to a deeper understanding of what will be the largest public health challenges in the future.
[Excerpt] How do you solve a problem like David Miller? According to the Chicago Tribune, he is the Illinois representative who last month, with little fanfare and notice at the time, attempted … >>
All it takes is a snowstorm or two to remind us how dependent we have become on government at all levels. Sitting at home waiting for the plows should remind the more perceptive among us that we … >>
Why should we care about climate chaos and global warming? Because, among other risky outcomes, they may seriously harm our health. Scientists around the world are in agreement that global … >>
A must-read collection by some of the world’s most provocative thinkers on the key issues shaping our new century. Receive a 20% discount for ordering early.
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what is pci?Founded in 2003, Post Carbon Institute is leading the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world. The Institute has gathered 29 of the world's leading experts on a wide range of interdependent social and scientific issues.
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take actionJoin the party! - 10/10/10
Circle 10/10/10 on your calendar. That’s the date. We’re calling it a Global Work Party, with emphasis on both 'work' and 'party'. We want to send a message to politicians: if we can get to work on climate change, you can get to work too. You can sign up to host a local event at www.350.org/oct10, or search for an event to join at www.350.org/map.
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