Environmental Health

climate experts having a conversation

Climate Matters in Michigan

Pressing Realities for a State and a Region

Nearly fifty years after the 1970 Teach-In on the Environment, which began with a rally in Crisler Center, we invited five colleagues to discuss what climate change will mean for the state of Michigan’s environment and its people.

Seedlings in small pots ready for planting

Sustainable Food Systems for Public Health

Travertine Orndorff Garcia

Despite its interdisciplinary nature, public health tends to approach food systems problems in isolation. But occupational exposures, social determinants, personal behaviors, and chronic disease are interdependent, meaning food-systems solutions require deep, broad collaborations.

Volunteers and professionals distribute food to those affected by a crisis

Malnutrition in Humanitarian Crises: The Will to End a Preventable Disease

Muriel Bassil

Across the globe, armed conflicts and natural disasters create severe hunger and malnutrition for millions. In addition to the crisis itself, underlying causes of malnutrition should be front and center—food insecurity, inadequate care for women and children, insufficient health services, and unhealthy environments.

Hands sliding vegetable scraps from a cutting board into a compost bin

Trash to Treasure: The Incredible Benefits of Composting

Pahriya Ashrap and Amber Cathey

Composting cuts down on the amount of trash we produce and the costs of hauling it, enriches our soil, and sequesters carbon. Take another look at the natural process of composting and how it can help combat climate change and improve your home garden.

Lorem ipsum

One Family, Three Disciplines: An Intergenerational Conversation on Public Health

Michael Boehnke, Betsy Foxman, and Kevin Foxman Boehnke

We asked a family of public health researchers about big-picture changes in the field, how they decide which questions to pursue, and what they make of specialization in the sciences. Their conversation both lifts up and itself embodies the interdisciplinary nature of public health.

water pouring into cup

What Are PFAS and How Do They Affect Your Health?

Jarrod Eaton

Currently, 36 municipal drinking water sites in Michigan have been identified as having high levels of PFAS, a group of synthetic chemical pollutants used in a variety of consumer products. What are the known health effects of PFAS water contamination and what is the state doing to protect Michigan residents?