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Taking Ohio's Temperature: Assessing Local Health Impacts of Climate Change

Pond with Adjacent Forest in the Summer
February 19, 2015
All Day
WOSU@COSI, 333 W. Broad St.

Presented by Health Science Frontiers

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced that 2014 was globally among the top three warmest years since record-keeping began. However, what does this change in global climate mean locally for Ohio and Ohioans in the long-term?

According to 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment, Ohio is likely to experience more extreme heatwaves, increased heavy rain downpours, and flooding that will significantly worsen both local air and water quality. Climate change will also likely worsen existing environmental problems to harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

How will these environmental changes impact human health in Ohio? Scientists and health experts warn that lower air quality may worsen asthma and increase respiratory diseases and infections. Lower water quality may also boost rates of infectious insect and water-borne diseases. Drinking water supplies may also be threatened, as recently happened in Toledo last year, as toxic algal blooms occurring in Lake Erie and inland water reservoirs occur more frequently.

So how do we adapt to these new climate conditions? What health precautions do we need to take? How do we communicate and educate Ohioans about these health risks? Please join us for a public conversation on these topics and more with a panel of local and national health, risk, and climate experts, including:

  • Edward Maibach, Professor and Director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University
  • David Bromwich, Professor of Geography and Senior Research Scientist at the OSU Byrd Polar Research Center
  • Jeffrey Reutter, Director, Ohio State Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory
  • Richard Hicks, Director, Office of Health Planning at Columbus Public Health

The panel will be moderated by a WOSU journalist. The event is free and open to the general public with seating beginning at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be able to participate in the panel discussion during the Q and A session. Free parking vouchers will be distributed at the event. Please RSVP your attendance to science_forum@osu.edu by February 18, 2015.