Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health, will speak about climate change and public health at the 2016 Nebraska Conservation Summit, Climate Change Impacts, on Dec. 7, at the Ahmanson Ballroom, Harper Center, Creighton University.
The summit will feature 15 of Nebraska’s top climate experts. Among the topics that will be discussed are:
- “An Overview of Climate Change’s Impacts on Nebraska.”
- “National Security in the Era of Climate Change”
- “Climate Change and Ecosystems”
- “Nebraska’s Agricultural Economy: Impacts of Climate Change”
- “Water and Climate Change”
- “Climate Smart Solutions: Building Blocks and Actions”
As the world’s temperatures continue to rise, climate experts report that we are on pace to set a new record — the past three years will be the hottest on record.
The Environmental Protection Agency states that projected increases in temperature and more frequent droughts will further stress the region’s primary water supply, the Ogallala Aquifer. Changes in water availability are likely to impact agriculture and habitats.
Nebraska’s top climate experts and two state legislators have been encouraging the state to develop an action plan.
Dr. Khan, former assistant surgeon general, has focused on health security, global health and emerging infectious diseases in his professional career. For 23 years, he was a senior director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which he joined as a disease detective.
At the CDC, Dr. Khan led and responded to numerous high profile domestic and international public health emergencies, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, monkeypox, avian influenza, Rift Valley fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. He has authored numerous papers and publications and consulted extensively for multiple U.S. organizations, ministries of health and the World Health Organization. Dr. Khan is the author of “The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind’s Gravest Dangers.”
The evening keynote address will be delivered by the Honorable Dennis McGinn, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy since 2013. McGinn develops department-wide policies, procedures, advocacy and strategic plans. He also oversees all Department of the Navy functions and programs related to installations, safety, energy and environment.
The event is hosted by the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters and the Nebraska Conservation Education Fund. Register here.