1. Climate Change & Sustainability Coordinator, Palm Beach County
4/24/2017
Climate Change – Human Health Considerations Palm Beach County Medical Society
Natalie Schneider
Climate Change & Sustainability Coordinator, Palm Beach County
September 18, 2015

2. Commitment and Leadership
4/24/2017
Commitment and Leadership
Building Community Resilience
by addressing
environmental sustainability and
climate change considerations
in its programs
and services.

3. What are we talking about?
4/24/2017
What are we talking about?
Climate change – the planet is warming, and over the last half century, this warming has been driven primarily by human activity— predominantly the burning of fossil fuels
Climate Resiliency – implementing adaptive measures to reduce a community’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
Sustainability – ensuring we have and will continue to have the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.

4. Impacts on Society Human health Agriculture and food security
4/24/2017
Impacts on Society
Human health
Agriculture and food security
Water supply
Ecosystems and the environment
Transportation
Energy
Flooding in Deer Run
due to Tropical Storm Isaac 2012

5. Threats to Southeast Florida
4/24/2017
Threats to Southeast Florida
Impacts to public and
private infrastructure
Impacts on water supplies
Compromised natural systems

6. Genesis of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact
4/24/2017
Genesis of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact
Shared recognition of regional vulnerabilities and challenges
Low-lying coastal community
Environment and economy shaped by water
Common airshed, watershed, climate, and natural resources
Regional transportation system
Concurrent, but uncoordinated efforts

7. Challenges Need to understand Impacts: Rate of sea level rise
4/24/2017
Challenges
Need to understand Impacts:
Rate of sea level rise
Changes in precipitation patterns
Temperatures increases
Need to operate in multiple timeframes:
Immediate: Compact Action Items
Long Term: Compact projections
Need to both adapt and mitigate:
Adapt: accommodate, retreat or protect
Mitigate: reduce greenhouse gasses and their production
Need to promote education and awareness:
Multiple departments and agencies
Multiple local governments
Multiple stakeholders

8. Unified SLR Projection
4/24/2017
Unified SLR Projection

9. Vulnerable Areas Regional Maps Assessment 1-, 2-, and 3-foot scenarios
4/24/2017
Vulnerable Areas
Regional Maps
1-, 2-, and 3-foot scenarios
Assessment
Water infrastructure
Bridges and roads
School and hospitals
Taxable real estate
Add Example Vulnerability map
of county or Good Sam inundation
here?
Potential inundation is much less in Palm Beach County than to counties to the south
Good Samaritan Hospital

10. Impacts on Human Health
4/24/2017
Impacts on Human Health

11. SE Florida Regional Climate Action Plan
4/24/2017
SE Florida Regional Climate Action Plan
Health Impact Assessment
Completed March 2014
Produced by Florida Public Health Institute (support from Urban Health Solutions, Broward County and the SEFRCCC)
Focus on 110 recommendations from the RCAP relating to SLR and heat waves and how would impact human health
Download at

12. What we are doing Regional Workshops Compact Working Groups
Stormwater Management
Transportation
State/Regional Collaborations
Resilient Redesign – Round II
Compact Working Groups
SLR Projection
Shoreline Resilience
Compact Structure
Climate Indicators
Municipal Workgroup
GHG Emissions Inventory
Partnership with Florida Climate Institute
2015 Summit hosted by
Monroe County

13. What can Health Professionals do
4/24/2017
What can Health Professionals do
Inform colleagues and the wider community
Set an example
Advocate
Seek innovative approaches
Sun Sentinel

14. Questions/Resources
4/24/2017
SEFRCCC – Regional Climate Action Plan – Health Impact Assessment
WHO - Training course for public health professionals on protecting our health from climate change
professionals/en/
National Climate Assessment – Human Health Chapter
human-health