Is the Environment Trying to Kill Us?

When we think about climate change we tend to think of polar bears and penguins, but we should be thinking about people. Climate Change is described in the leading medical journal as an ‘unacceptable and potentially catastrophic risk to human health’, which threatens to ‘undermine the last half-century of advances in public health’. Many populations are already experiencing the effects, with an estimated 5 million deaths worldwide per year. Come along to find out how climate change affects our health and what you can do about it.

Nanoscience is a broad field which deals with structures and reactions at the nano-scale, i.e. in the order of a millionth of a mm. Nanoparticles occur naturally in air, water, and soils, but may also be produced specifically for a range of emerging scientific and engineering applications, as so-called engineered nanoparticles. This talk will explore the nano-realm, and how we can use small science to deal with big environmental problems – shifting from nano-scale geoscience to practical technologies for pollution treatment and other environmental applications.