Impact of climate change topic of U of A talk

The keynote speaker, Professor Kacey Ernst, will describe what she sees as “the serious health challenges faced by people in parts of the world — including Arizona — that are becoming hotter, drier and more prone to hazards such as wildfires and dust storms, said a UA news release on the event.

Ernst chairs UA’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Zuckerman College of Public Health.

“Climate change fundamentally threatens human health in multiple ways, including heatwaves, storms and floods, disruptions to water and food systems, and communicable diseases,” the World Health Organization says. Climate risks are appearing faster and are more severe than previously expected, with 3.6 billion people already living in areas highly susceptible to climate change, the organization says.

Following Ernst’s talk will be a panel discussion on interactions between climate and health, featuring medical experts from UA’s College of Medicine — Tucson.

The symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Saturday, May 4. Go to https://arizona.zoom.us/j/88148739448 to watch a live stream of the event.

The UA isn’t releasing the symposium’s location because of limited seating there.