The Climate Change Policy and Public Health Massive Open Online Course begins November 9. Here’s what you’ll learn.
Climate change is having and will continue to have a dramatic impact on global public health – from natural disasters and the increased spread of infectious disease to predicted crop losses and heat waves.
GHI Director Jonathan Patz, the John P. Holton Chair in Health and the Environment, leads the course that explores the impact of human activities on climate change and consequently public health, as well as the many real benefits to climate change mitigation. We will discover the multiple benefits – or co-benefits – provided by public policies and initiatives to reduce emissions. For example, protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gases can simultaneously improve human health.
In addition to providing evidence for climate change’s impact on human health, this course will explore three primary areas where co-benefits can be realized: renewable energy, agriculture and food, urban design and active transport. Please note: use of the term “urban” is relative; traits traditionally understood as “urban” can exist in many places, even if populations are not large.
“Climate Change Policy and Public Health” features input from experts across the globe. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the current scientific and political literature, and discuss course content with peers worldwide.
Course participants will be given a strong foundation in the core linkages between climate change, policy, and health. There will also be hands-on opportunities to develop skills in communicating the science and policy connections between climate change and public health.
The course will emphasize a way forward for all, one providing the most beneficial effects on both human health and the environment.
You can register for the MOOC here.
Discussion groups for UW-Madison community
UW-Madison faculty, staff and students who register for the MOOC are also invited to join a discussion group. The groups of eight to ten members will meet for an hour a week for four weeks, and participants receive a certificate upon completion. The sessions will be informal, with the format and structure decided by group members. A group member will also facilitate each session.