Department of Environmental Health
We’re leading the global charge to understand and solve the world’s most pressing environmental health challenges. Learn how we can make an impact together.
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News
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Confronting climate change from the factory, the classroom, and beyond
Tackling the consequences of climate change requires an all-hands-on-deck effort, drawing on expertise from a wide range of disciplines and people, according to a panel of Harvard University experts.
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Wildfire risk requires proactive strategies, says U.S. commission
Amid more frequent, intense, destructive, and deadly wildfires in the U.S., a federally appointed commission recommends developing more proactive strategies that make communities and landscapes more resilient and adaptable to the threat.
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Microplastics may disproportionately harm vulnerable communities
Harvard Chan School research scientist Mary Johnson says that vulnerable communities are particularly impacted by microplastics.
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Hair product safety could depend on where you live
Hair products sold in neighborhoods that are poorer or that have a higher percentage of residents of color were more likely to contain higher levels of hazardous chemicals than products sold in predominantly white and affluent areas, according to a study from researchers at Harvard Chan School.
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Outfitting school buildings for extreme heat ‘not that hard,’ says expert
Harvard Chan School’s Joseph Allen says that retrofitting old school buildings to better handle the realities of extreme heat and other climate change-related issues is “not that hard.”
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New methodology reveals health, climate impacts of reducing buildings’ energy use
Increasing energy efficiency in buildings can save money—and it can also decrease the carbon emissions and air pollution that lead to climate change and health harms. But the climate and health benefits of reducing buildings’ energy consumption are rarely quantified. Now, researchers from Harvard Chan School, Boston University, and Oregon State University have developed a new method for calculating the health and climate impacts of these energy savings.
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Preserving biodiversity for planetary, human health
Liz Willetts, visiting scholar and planetary health policy director in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health, explains the importance of nations aligning their biodiversity policies to optimize outcomes for both biodiversity and health.
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Assessing football players’ health beyond neurodegenerative disease
At a Harvard Chan School seminar, Marc Weisskopf shared his research about head injuries in National Football League players, highlighting the players’ risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as conditions other than neurodegenerative disease that can lead to cognitive issues.
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Social media influencers, faculty connect to improve mental health content
Two dozen social media influencers who post regularly on mental health—with a combined audience of 20 million—have been able to connect with Harvard Chan faculty and experts on effective communication as part of the Harvard Chan School Creators Summit on Mental Health.
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Outdoor air pollution may increase non-lung cancer risk in older adults
Chronic exposure to fine particulate air pollutants and nitrogen dioxide may increase non-lung cancer risk in older adults, according to a study led by Harvard Chan School. In a cohort study of millions of Medicare beneficiaries, the researchers found that exposures to PM2.5 and NO2 over a 10-year period increased the risk of developing colorectal and prostate cancers. The researchers also found that even low levels of air pollution exposure may make people particularly susceptible to developing these cancers, in addition to breast and endometrial cancers.
