Oral

This special event will honor the legacy of the late Dr. Paul Epstein, cofounder and long-time associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Paul Epstein made important contributions to the fields of Climate Change, Public Health, Human Rights, and Environmental Health. This session will feature three of the most prominent Public Health thinkers in the United States: Dr. Richard Jackson, UCLA, Dr. Robert Lawrence, John Hopkins University and Howard Frumkin, University of Washington and the moderator is Dan Ferber, PhD Coauthor/journalist/ professor, University of Indiana. The session will examine the full range of Dr. Epstein’s work on environmental and public health issues associated with the adverse impacts of climate change. The panelists will discuss Dr. Epstein’s human health rights history, his work with the private sector on climate risk and his outreach efforts to educate congress and the executive branch, on energy and public health concerns. The session will also discuss his most recent publication, Changing Planet Changing Health. PURPOSE: A tribute to Dr. Paul Epstein, who died in November 2011, will include panelists to discuss the many contributions Paul made to global environmental health by bridging the gap between climate change, environmental health, public knowledge and civic engagement. The panelists will also discuss how to move Dr. Epstein’s work forward. RELEVANCE: In a remarkable career of committed public service, Dr. Paul Epstein promoted human rights, social justice, environmental and public health. Efforts in all of these areas are needed to promote prevention and wellness across the lifespan--the theme of the conference.

Session Objectives: Assess the contributions Dr. Paul Epstein made to the fields of environmental and human health impacts of climate change especially on vulnerable populations. Explain the intersection between the private sectors stake in Climate Risk assessments and public health benefits. Analyze a list of recommendations and guidelines of public policy engagement that Dr. Epstein developed.