Your Health and a Changing Climate: Newsletter - Volume 1

Outreach Activities

Health Canada Lecture Series

On October 22, 2003, Dr. Dieter Riedel, Health Canada and Mr. Denis Bourque, Environment Canada, made a joint presentation, sponsored by CCHO and C-CIARN Health, entitled Your Health and a Changing Climate to a wide audience of Health Canada representatives and others with an interest in the health effects of weather and climate. Dr. Riedel is the author of the soon-to-be-released health chapter of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Perspective being published by Natural Resources Canada.

Dr. Riedel pointed out that even with measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is inevitable. Its effects will have economic, social, and environmental impacts on Canada which, in turn, will influence the health and well-being of Canadians. Using examples of recent studies of climate and weather related events affecting human health, earth images obtained by satellites, and technological developments that will allow the health sector to incorporate weather data into health care planning, the presentation provided a better understanding of the range of health issues that could be influenced by climate change and variability and the need to prepare for the changes that will result.

>>> For more information, contact: marcia_armstrong@hc-sc.gc.ca

Lectures on Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Health

Dr. Gordon McBean, scientific advisor to C-CIARN Health's Extreme Weather Events Research Network, hosted by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, spoke to interested groups at the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia (organized by C-CIARN BC) about the alarming increase in the impacts on people, property and the environment from extreme weather events associated with natural disasters. The social and health effects arising from these events have caused major stress on Canadians, causing both physical injury and psychological trauma. To date, our understanding of the full health impacts of these disasters is limited. To confront this reality, more research is required to develop the foundation of scientific evidence concerning the health and social impacts of extreme weather-related events.

>>> For more information, visit:
http://www.iclr.org/research/research_network.htm

Open Meeting --Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change -- Montreal October 16-18, 2003

Following a decade of sustained interdisciplinary research on the human dimensions of global change, this meeting was designed to examine: transitions and change; governance, markets and ethics; and poverty and security. The theme of this meeting was "Taking Stock and Moving Forward" and climate change was an important component of many of the sessions.

The New Brunswick Lung Association and their International Centre for Air Quality and Health, host of C-CIARN Health's Research Network on Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health (visit www.climateairhealth.ca) presented a poster entitled "Using meteorological and air quality monitoring data to understand community health impacts of air pollution" C-CIARN Health and CCHO had a joint booth at this conference and shared information on the health impacts of climate change with an audience of international researchers.

>>> For more information, visit:
http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/openmeeting/

Network for Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (NERAM) International Colloquium -- Rome, Italy, November 5-7 , 2003.

The objective of the Colloquium Strategies for Clean Air and Health was to examine health effective policy options for air quality management in North America and Europe based on currently available scientific information on: strategies for risk management and risk reduction; exposure and health effects, and; air quality modeling over time and space.

Dr. Peter Berry, CCHO, presented a poster entitled "The Air We Breathe: Climate Change and Health & Well-being in Canada" prepared by Dr. Berry and Dr. Dieter Riedel. The poster provided an overview of climate change and air quality in Canada, and briefly described the effects of mitigation efforts on air quality and the work of Health Canada in the national climate change and health assessment.

>>> For more information, contact: peter_berry@hc-sc.gc.ca or visit:
www.irr-neram.ca or http://airnet.iras.uu.nl.