We are all eager to slow the pace of our rising global temperatures. The reality is that our temperatures will continue to rise even as we combat climate change, and rising global temperatures will exact a terrible toll on our health and well-being.
While the impact will be most acutely felt in the poorer and hotter parts of the world, wealthy countries will also pay an exacting price. A city like Seattle, which does not have a heat adapting resilience already in place, will sustain far greater damage from scorching temperatures than a city like Houston. Poor people and those with preexisting conditions will be more likely to die from direct causes such as heatstroke, but also from indirect causes such as heart attacks brought on by days of extreme temperatures.
We can prevent needless death and suffering from the consequences of climate change if we plan for the rising temperature, and we need to start planning now. To help us prepare for climate change and the various public health consequences, we have asked Dr. Kristie Ebi to share her research on the impact of global warming and what to do about it, and Lauren Jenks to outline the steps that Washington State’s Department of Health is taking to address this looming public health crisis.
About the Speakers
Kristie L. Ebi is a Professor in the Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington. She has been conducting research and practice on the health risks of climate variability and change for nearly 25 years, focusing on understanding sources of vulnerability; estimating current and future health risks of climate change; designing adaptation policies and measures to reduce the risks of climate change in multi-stressor environments; and estimating the health benefits of mitigation policies. She has supported multiple countries in Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific in assessing their risks and implementing policies and programs. She has been an author on multiple national and international climate change assessments, including the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. Dr. Ebi’s scientific training includes an M.S. in toxicology and a Ph.D. and a Masters of Public Health in epidemiology, and two years of postgraduate research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Lauren Jenks, MPH, CHES, (she/her) is Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health at the Washington State Department of Health. She is passionate about public health, the environment, and racial equity. Lauren has a broad public health background and an interest in helping people develop in leadership and scientific literacy. Lauren cares deeply about people. She has a calm, assertive leadership style, with a focus on respect, trust, and continuous learning. She brings a deep understanding of public health data systems, using data for decision making, and evidence-based approaches and interventions. She tries to live her public health values by occasionally slowly jogging and commuting to work on an electric bicycle. At work and at home, she encourages people to act boldly, make a difference in the world, and to do so with a joyful heart. She lives in Olympia with her spouse, 13-year-old son, and 11-year-old daughter.