2011 Summit: Incorporating Public and Environmental Health into Sustainable Solutions

2011 Environmental Health Summit

November 7-8, 2011

North Carolina Biotechnology Center

Research Triangle Park, NC

There is an increased emphasis on sustainability, which has been defined as “improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems.” The three pillars of sustainability are the economy, society and the environment, and to achieve sustainability there is a natural interaction among these three pillars. Of increasing importance and focus are the impacts of population growth, rapid urbanization and globalization on public health and quality of life. There is increasing concern that sustainability be achieved in an equitable or “just” manner. This summit will provide decision-makers in the public and private sectors an overview of existing and emerging tools and methods to evaluate sustainability as it relates to public health, with particular emphasis on products, the built environment and energy production.