Town Hall Seattle event: Howard Frumkin with Joseph Winters -- A roadmap for protecting nature to protect ourselves

It’s no secret that human health and the health of Earth’s systems — in particular, the air, water, biodiversity, and climate — are inextricably linked. It’s also no secret that Earth’s systems are changing in ways that can feel daunting and unwieldy. But with all great change comes great opportunity, and the emerging field of Planetary Health offers glimmers of hope rooted in actions, strategies, and a deepened understanding of our interconnectedness.

In Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves, editor and University of Washington professor Howard Frumkin brings together a comprehensive collection of topics to guide our understanding of how a changing environment affects our health. With contributions by dozens of authors, the book covers a wide range of health impacts that include food and nutrition, infectious disease, non-communicable disease, mental health, and more. But the goal of the book isn’t to deliver a message of doom; it also offers optimistic strategies to combat the ill effects of environmental changes, such as controlling toxic exposures, investing in clean energy, and improving urban design, among others. Together, the two dichotomies illustrate how an interconnected approach to public health can benefit both people and the planet. In person in the Town Hall Forum, Frumkin talks about the field of Planetary Health, our changing environment, its impact on everyone from health professionals to students — and far beyond.