Web Forum Archive

Parallel Paths: Carbon Footprints and Public Health —
How Taking on Climate Change Will Improve the Fight Against Chronic Disease

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - Noon – 1:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time

Chronic disease rates are increasing in epidemic proportions at the same time as the environment is also experiencing significant quality decline.  America’s love affair with automobiles, fast food and other modern conveniences are taking a toll on our health while our carbon footprint grows bigger along with our waistlines.  A panel of experts will examine some of the health issues and implications of urban sprawl and increasing pollution and will also consider some of the policy opportunities that new legislation and new coalitions offer.

Listeners will be able to participate by posing questions for the guest speakers and post their reactions and policy ideas via a live blog and instant messaging. The forum's interactive and participatory approach is the catalyst for an unprecedented process.  Your participation will help to build knowledge and share solutions based on your experience.  We hope that by offering the opportunity to incorporate the perspectives, experiences, and insights of all participants we will tap into the vast pools of knowledge where optimal solutions reside. 

The distinguished panel of government, community and academic activists includes:

• 
  

  Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH

  Deputy Director, California Department of Public Health Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

  Rick Cole

  City Manager, Ventura

  David Lighthall, PhD

  Senior Scientist, Central Valley Health Policy Institute, CSU-Fresno

  Alexandra Destler

  Provocateur

  Matthew Marsom

  Moderator

Download PDFs of Powerpoint Presentations Rudolph: Climate Change and Health Cole: Think Globally Act Regionally Lighthall: Fossil Fuel Nexus Destler: Climate Change Health Impacts

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Linda Rudolph, M.D., M.P.H., 57, of Oakland, is deputy director for the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the California Department of Public Health.  Since 2005, she has been the health officer and the director of public health for the city of Berkeley.  From 2001 to 2005, she served as chief medical officer for the California Department of Health Services and as a medical consultant in Medi-Cal Managed Care.  Prior to that, Rudolph served as the medical director for the division of workers compensation with the Department of Industrial Relations from 1993 to 2001 and executive medical director with the Industrial Medical Council from 1991 to 1993.  From 1982 to 1992, Rudolph served in various positions within the California Department of Health Services.

Rick Cole has been City Manager of Ventura since 2004, emphasizing accountability, a balanced budget, civic engagement and smart growth.

Called "one of Southern California's most visionary planning thinkers" by the Los Angeles Times, Cole is widely cited as an urban policy expert. He was honored by Governing Magazine as one of their nine "2006 Public Officials of the Year," the only City Manager in the nation to earn that distinction. Governing cited his "intense focus on the details that add up to a vital city." He currently serves as a member of the International City/County Managers Association Sustainability Advisory Committee and is a member of the American Planning Association, the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Urban Land Institute.

Cole previously served six years as City Manager of Azusa, California. Under Cole's leadership, Azusa was described as the "most improved city in the San Gabriel Valley" by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. He brings an unusual background to city management, having previously served as the Southern California Director of the Local Government Commission, Mayor of Pasadena, Executive Director of the West Hollywood Marketing Corporation and co-founder of the Pasadena Weekly newspaper.

David Lighthall is a Senior Scientist at the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, CSU-Fresno. David has an M.A. (Regional Development) and Ph.D. (Water Resources) in human geography from the University of Iowa. Reflecting his background in regional development and Valley residence, David advocates a synoptic approach to the long-term, sustainable development of the San Joaquin Valley via the integrated management of air, water, soil, and energy resources. His areas of research expertise include the agro-environmental policy, food systems analysis, water resource management, environmental health, technological risk, and air quality policy. His current research at CVHPI centers on environmental health with an emphasis on air quality policy in the San Joaquin Valley.

His M.A. research focused on the public health impacts of groundwater-borne synthetic chemicals generated by the chemical industry in Hyderabad, India. David’s Ph.D. dissertation and much of his subsequent published work examined the public health implications of water contamination from agricultural chemicals in the Corn Belt, the underlying causes of intensive agricultural chemical use, and public policy responses to water contamination from agricultural sources. He has extensive experience conducting agricultural field survey projects in the Corn Belt, the Southern High Plains, and California.

Alexandra Destler, is a consultant / Project Director at Public Health Institute, focusing on creating innovative leadership education programming as a powerful tool to advance environmental sustainability in organizations and industries; cross sector partnership development focused on shared vision and sustainability issues; assessing and adapting mental models and worldviews; and changing the way people think about health and the environment.

Matthew Marsom is Public Health Institute’s Director of Public Policy.

By broadening discussions to all sectors of business, government and advocates that directly or indirectly impact the nation's health, Dialogue4Health takes a unique approach to public health issues. A project at the Public Health Institute, Dialogue4Health's series of Web-based Forums offers an opportunity for building consensus and collaboration across channels to fundamentally understand and address key health issues.

• DIALOGUE4HEALTH HOME
• ABOUT US
• PREVENTION AND HEALTH REFORM
• PHI PROJECTS
• PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS
• WEB FORUMS
• CONNECT WITH D4H MEMBERS
• PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE WEBSITE



Join Our Email List Email:




Search the Dialogue4Health website

Copyright © 2010 - Public Health Institute