Presenter:  Alan Lando Moderator:  Lois Hamilton

Impacts of climate change on public health are often overlooked.  Millions, primarily from lower-income countries, already have been displaced.  Between 2030 and 2050 climate change is projected to cause 250,000 additional deaths each year due to malaria, malnutrition, diarrhea, and heat stress.  Effects of climate change are uneven with some areas affected far more than others, but all are at risk.  Access to safe water will become substantially less.  Air quality is increasingly being affected.  Additional human health effects include higher rates of asthma and allergies, skin cancer and cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and reduced mental health.  This talk will summarize public health impacts of climate change but also consider scenarios for reducing harm and for working toward a better and more sustainable future.

Alan Lando is a long-time member of Groveland UU Fellowship.  He is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota having recently retired following a 50-year career in academia.  His major research focused on effective treatments for tobacco addiction.  In recent years he has been heavily engaged in advocacy for global tobacco reduction.