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2008-2009 Climate Science Seminars
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Ths page records some of the events in this series scheduled for 2008 and 2009. More recent information is to be found under UPCOMING SEMINARS. Our offices are located in the Federal Triangle (bordered by Constitution Ave., 12th Street, Pennsylvania Ave., and 14th St., NW, Washington, DC.
NOTE to non-EPA attendees: EPA Security requires that ALL non-EPA (federal and non-federal) visitors have a contact name and phone number in order to enter any EPA building. If you are not an EPA employee and would like to attend the seminar, send an e-mail to PASURKA.CARL@EPA.GOV at least two business days prior to the seminar. If you have questions, contact Carl Pasurka (202-566-2275) unless otherwise noted below. If you have questions on the day of the seminar, contact Carl Pasurka at 571-276-5028 (cell phone) unless another contact is listed below. Carl recommends that non-EPA attendees bring their cell phones and his cell phone number in case problems arise the day of the seminar.
A teleconference connection (only audio) can be established for these seminars. If you are interested, send Carl Pasurka an e-mail message by COB of the preceding Friday.
November 18, 2008 (2:00 pm), 4th Floor Conference Room, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
Human Health Impacts of and Public Health Responses to Climate Change
Kristie L. Ebi (independent consultant with ESS, LLC)
EPA Contact for this seminar: Neil Stiber, phone: 202-564-1573, E-mail: stiber.neil@epa.gov
Abstract:
Climate change is projected to have far-reaching effects on human health and well-being. Heatwaves and other extreme weather events (e.g., floods, droughts, and windstorms) directly affect millions of people and cause billions of dollars of damage annually. There is a growing consensus that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will likely increase over coming decades as a consequence of climate change, suggesting that the associated health impacts also could increase. Indirectly, climate can affect health through affecting the number of people at risk of malnutrition, as well as through alterations in the geographic range and intensity of transmission of vectorborne, zoonotic, and food- and waterborne diseases, and changes in the prevalence of diseases associated with air pollutants and aeroallergens. Climate change has begun to alter natural systems, increasing the incidence and geographic range of some vectorborne and zoonotic diseases. Additional climate change is projected to significantly increase the number of people at risk of major causes of ill health, particularly malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and other vectorborne diseases. Climate also can impact population health through climate-induced economic dislocation and environmental decline.
Public health has experience in coping with climate-sensitive health outcomes; the present state of public health reflects (among many other factors) the success or otherwise of the policies and measures designed to reduce climate-related risks. Climate change will make more difficult the control of a wide range of climate-sensitive health outcomes. Therefore, policies need to explicitly consider these risks in order to maintain current levels of control. In most cases, the primary response will be to enhance current health risk management activities. Although there are uncertainties about future climate change, failure to invest in adaptation may leave communities and nations poorly prepared, thus increasing the probability of severe adverse consequences. Equally, mitigation strategies, policies, and measures are needed to rapidly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, to improve health today and to prevent health impacts in future decades. Policy makers need to understand the potential impacts of climate change, the effectiveness of current adaptation and mitigation policies, and the range of choices available for enhancement of current or development of new policies and measures.
Global Sea Level Rise
Carl Wunsch (MIT)
Abstract:
Like many aspects of climate change, the problem of determining, describing, and understanding shifts in "sea level" proves to be far more complicated and interesting than summary sound bites suggest. Something is now known of the spatial patterns of sea level change and they are very complex, showing major regions of falling sea surface over large areas. Although the best estimates of the global average all show a positive rate of rise, partitioning the rise between heating/cooling and the addition/subtraction of fresh water lies at the very edge of modern oceanographic observational and modeling techniques. The eventual societal costs of sea level rise, whether accelerated or stable at present estimated rates, are huge and to a large extent appear inexorable. The charts used by Dr. Wunsch in his presentation can be found here.
Dr. Wunsch is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physical Oceanography at MIT. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has authored or co-authored about 225 scientific papers and four books