Mailman School Partners Contribute to Historic Climate Summit in Copenhagen

The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), part of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, collaborates closely with Patrick Kinney, ScD, of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) and with the Mailman School’s recently established Program in Climate & Health. Directed by Dr. Kinney, the program promotes the climate change initiative highlighted by Dean Linda Fried as one of the School’s three new priority areas of focus. “By linking the Mailman School of Public Health’s cutting edge research capabilities to IRI's experience creating innovative interventions in developing countries,” Dr. Kinney notes, “we're beginning to make real progress in addressing the growing health threats due to climate change.”

United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen

On the occasion of the historic climate change summit in Copenhagen, the IRI has partnered with several other groups to produce two educational multimedia presentations in support of the summit’s goals. These presentations include:

A short video detailing the joint effort of several organizations to incorporate seasonal forecasts and other climate information into the humanitarian-preparedness and response operations of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This video was produced specifically for the Copenhagen summit where it is available to visitors and participants.
A guided video tour of Africa highlighting the collaborative efforts of the Mailman School and the IRI on the Meningitis Environmental Risk Information Technologies (MERIT) project. MERIT explores the key relationship between climate and lethal meningitis outbreaks in that area of the world.

According to Kiersten Jennings Chou, who worked with IRI staff and Google to create the MERIT tour: "It is a powerful tool to allow people around the world to visualize the impact of this devastating disease.” Jennings Chou is a former eighth-grade science teacher and recent graduate of Columbia University's Master’s Program in Climate and Society.

Visitors can also access an introductory tour by Al Gore, called "Confronting Climate Change" presented in Copenhagen's Bella Center on December 10 at the commencement of the summit.