This week I hosted a ‘Hoon’ on Substack Live previewing The Reality of Everything symposium to be held at Victoria University of Wellington on June 26, which will examine the interconnected crises of climate change, energy, water & food constraints, economic instability & public health.

I was joined by regular Hoon guest Cathrine Dyer, substacker and symposium facilitator Catherine Knight, conference speaker and epidemiologist Professor Alistair Woodward from the University of Auckland, and fellow public health specialist Associate Professor Caroline Shaw from the University of Otago.

We started by talking about the need for the Symposium and referring to the National Emergency Briefing held in the UK last year, including an address by Professor Hugh Montgomery, a Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at University College London. The video of his address is below via Youtube.

We talked about the intersection of public health and climate change, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to public health in the face of climate, resource and economic crises.

We talked about tobacco control as a precedent for health policy, the social determinants of health, and the benefits of e-bikes. The conversation concludes with recommendations for policymakers to prioritize health and well-being in climate action.

Here’s Catherine’s substack post announcing the conference.

And a follow-up post with the latest details.

Here’s the chapters in the video above:

00:00 Introduction to the Reality of Everything Symposium

02:43 Understanding the Interconnected Crises

05:36 Climate Change and Health Risks

07:18 Tobacco Control as a Model for Climate Action

11:41 Social Determinants of Health and Climate Change

15:29 Transport, Health, and Climate Change Solutions

18:10 Rethinking Emergencies and Public Health

19:05 Transport Policies and Health Implications

21:20 Access Over Infrastructure: A New Perspective

22:19 The Hidden Health Costs of Transport

24:23 E-Bikes: A Healthier Alternative

25:34 Policy Solutions for Health and Climate Change

29:18 Public Health as Climate Action

31:48The Economic Case for Climate Action

Thank you Susan St John, Mike Joy, Paul Singh, Melanie, Brian Rathbone, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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A Hoon on The Reality of Everything Symposium, interconnected crises & Public Health