251104 Environmental justice & climate justice: Listening to the most vulnerable

Monday, October 31, 2011: 2:45 PM

Sacoby Wilson, MS, PhD , Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
     
Climate change is increasing heat, air pollution, flooding events, changing landscapes, putting food supplies at risk, altering pest dynamics and pesticide applications and exposures in our communities. Communities of color and the economically disadvantaged bear the greatest burden of health risks associated with climate change. Dr. Wilson will discuss his research on built environment disparities and climate justice as they apply to climate change and public health vulnerabilities today and in the future at the community level. In addition, he will discuss his research using Geographic Information Systems to map communities vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to underlying economic, health, and healthcare disparities. He will also provide insight into the perception of communities of color and economically disadvantaged populations about the issue of climate change particularly what policies and laws should be implemented and mitigation and adaptation strategies that will be most beneficial to populations and communities that are and will be differentially burdened by the negative effects of climate change.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe how vulnerable communities will be differentially burden by climate change 2) Discuss how Geographic Information Systems can be used to map differences in vulnerability and risk related to climate change. 3) Explain the concerns of underserved and disadvantaged populations about climate change and policies to reduce the impacts of climate change on their communities.

Keywords: Climate Change, Environmental Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an environmental health scientist who performs research on vulnerable communities particularly on topics of environmental justice and environmental health disparities. I am also performing work to understand the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations particularly underserved communities of color.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Investigating climate-health vulnerability
See more of: Environment