HOW Global Change is Affecting Exposure to Environmental Contaminants and Your Health
A special guest presentation by Elsie Sunderland, SEAS and HSPH Professor. Sponsored by the Harvard Alumni for Global Development (HAGD) with support from the Harvard Alumni Association.
The Harvard Alumni for Global Development invites you to an enlightening presentation on global change.
When: May 22nd at 6:30 pm
Where: OpenGov Hub (1110 Vermont Ave. NW 5th Floor Washington, DC)
RSVP for this event at https://goo.gl/forms/p9st0OB65MwQ0jZE2, and email any questions that you have to hagd.dc@gmail.com.
Presentation summary: The concept of global change encompasses both shifts in natural ecosystems as well as human driven alternations of the environment. This includes industrial emissions of environmental toxins and how these chemicals interact with natural ecosystems. Many of the 87,000 compounds used for consumer and industrial applications have been identified as carcinogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, immunotoxins, and obesogens. Emerging research suggests global scale efforts to reduce toxins can result in dramatic and rapid reductions in pollution, wildlife concentrations, and human exposures. However, this needs to be evaluated against the backdrop of changing global ecosystems. Over the short term, our diet has a dramatic impact on exposures to environmental chemicals and provides each individual with a tangible link to environmental quality. This presentation will discuss food choices in the context of exposures to environmental toxins and sustainability in an era of global change.