Transcript Natalie Schneider, AICP - Palm Beach County Medical Society

Natalie Schneider
Climate Change & Sustainability Coordinator, Palm Beach County
September 18, 2015
Building Community Resilience
by addressing
environmental sustainability and
climate change considerations
in its programs
and services.
 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.
 Human
health
 Agriculture and food security
 Water supply
 Ecosystems and the environment
 Transportation
 Energy
Flooding in Deer Run
due to Tropical Storm Isaac
2012
 Impacts
to public and
private infrastructure
 Impacts on water supplies
 Compromised natural
systems
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

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
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
www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org
 Regional
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Workshops
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
12
 Inform
colleagues and the wider community
 Set an example
 Advocate
 Seek innovative approaches
Sun Sentinel
– Regional Climate Action Plan –
Health Impact Assessment
SEFRCCC
http://southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org
WHO
- Training course for public health
professionals on protecting our health from
climate change
http://www.who.int/globalchange/training/health_
professionals/en/
Climate Assessment – Human
Health Chapter
National
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/
human-health