As 2020 opens the doors to a new decade, the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) shines a spotlight on the connections between global environmental challenges and human health as a new member of the Planetary Health Alliance.
The Planetary Health Alliance is a consortium of over 200 universities, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, and government entities from around the world committed to understanding and addressing global environmental change and its health impacts.
As a member organization, ISEN will facilitate new opportunities for students and faculty to share Northwestern’s strengths with the global community through research and education, and to interface with members of the organization in new ways.
“There are multifaceted challenges across disciplines to address as we work toward a healthier planet for people and nature,” noted Demetria Giannisis, ISEN’s Managing Director. “ISEN is ideally positioned to bring diverse resources to the effort and we are enthusiastic about the potential for effective collaborations through the Planetary Health Alliance as we work together to elevate this important issue.”
ISEN spans disciplines to advance transformative research, interdisciplinary education, and stakeholder engagement. For example, ISEN’s Program on Plastics, Ecosystems, and Public Health (PEPH) is a multi-institutional research network, inviting scientists to collaborate to develop solutions across materials development, ecosystem interactions, and human health impacts. In addition, ISEN’s Ubben Program on Climate and Carbon Science invites researchers to address the impacts of climate change on interconnected systems, communities, and public health.
“When you can make something tangible and talk about actual health impacts, those sort of metrics resonate and they really put a relatable face on a pretty challenging subject,” said Daniel Horton, assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern. Horton and Ubben postdoctoral research fellow Jordan Schnell are studying the electrification of transportation and the co-benefits for people and the environment in various adaptation scenarios and geographies. In a study published in the journal Atmospheric Environment in April 2019, they found that an increase in the use of electric passenger vehicles in the United States means reduced carbon emissions and cleaner air for most locations in the country. Although the Clean Air Act in the US has been a success, noted Horton, air pollution is still a significant human health issue in the US and around the world. “It’s nice to work on the solution side of things but also educate that it’s still a big problem and that solutions matter,” added Schnell.
Sera Young, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Northwestern researches household water insecurity, a threat to human health and well-being globally. Going beyond standard analyses of water availability, she quantifies water access and use using the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale. The HWISE Scale, which she developed with collaborators from around the world in the HWISE-Research Collaborative Network quantifies experiences with water insecurity in an equivalent way across different geographic, cultural, political, and financial settings. “The more you think about water, the more you realize how fundamental it is. It touches every aspect of life,” said Young. In 2020, she and her collaborators are partnering with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Gallup World Poll to implement the HWISE scale to benchmark household water insecurity in all of Africa and India. Using the scale, “we can start to understand how water insecurity shapes many phenomena-- from political stability, to migration, happiness and quality of life,” added Young.
“Planetary health is a global issue,” noted Giannisis. “From Northwestern to points around the world, we are aligned as we work together to elevate these critical issues and prepare future leaders to tackle emerging challenges.”
