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Sustainability
Decisions by individuals, communities and society at large have the capacity to reduce adverse impacts on human and ecological health. The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health is immersed in multidisciplinary activities to expand and evaluate the scientific evidence base to inform sustainable decision-making. Some topics of focus include:
- Urban Sustainability – Many decisions can be made to curtail demand for water, materials and energy in urban environments. For example, the US federal government must comply with executive mandates to reduce energy and water consumption at federal facilities. Also, pesticides are ubiquitous in urban environments, and we are evaluating their potential endocrine-disrupting impacts. We work with the US Green Building Council and others to identify building designs and practices that are healthy for occupants and also reduce the environmental impact over the life cycle of the building.
- Food Systems – Healthy food is a basic need for a healthy population. Yet developing sustainable food systems faces multiple challenges such as creating equitable access to clean water, and reducing heavy reliance on pesticides, fertilizers and fossil energy. Research in our department focuses on the hormone disrupting properties of pesticides, as well as the spread of infectious diseases and microbial resistance in contained animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and meat processing plants.
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation – Climate change is a major public health threat. Most models predict shifting ecosystems, insect and microbial species migration, changing tropical storm patterns, rising sea levels, and increasingly intense heat waves. Policies that shift reliance from fossil fuels or slow deforestation will help to mitigate the intensity of climate change. Researchers in our department are focusing on climate-relevant policies both locally and globally. One project is studying the sociopolitical aspects of energy decision making in Brazil, while another is evaluating how extreme climate events are affecting citizens and communities.