Ventura County Public Health sponsored a discussion on climate change on April 7 which featured Dr. Chris Funk as one of five panelists fielding questions about “Our health in the balance: What can we do?” The event, held in the Ventura Government Center, was organized as part of National Public Health Week, April 7-13, 2008. Steve Bennett, Ventura County supervisor; Dr. Dan Jordan, a Research Psychologist for Ventura County Public Health; Chris Stephens, Director of the Resource Management Agency; Mike Villegas of the Ventura County air Pollution District; and Dr. Funk, an Associate Researcher with our Climate Hazards Group, answered questions from the public such as “how is global warming affecting our health?”, “what can we do now to make a difference?”, and “What are our next steps? What can we do both as individuals and as part of a larger agency, organization, or institution?”
Chris, the Climate Hazards Group, and the Department of Geography do a heck of a lot to address such problems, but, typically, Chris played down the importance of his work by quipping: “They aired a bit on KEYT, and my mommy saw me on TV—which pretty much means I’ve fulfilled my purpose on the planet.” TV air time or not, CHG researchers, under the direction of Joel Michaelsen, are addressing critical issues of our times, and their dedication, research, and expertise have had major impacts on international policies. It’s an honor and a privilege to work for a department that produces such professional and humanitarian efforts.
