*Hello to SDOH participants in Canada*
If you are concerned about Climate Change and Health Adaptation and
related policies - we hope you will join in the discussions and share
the information amongst your colleagues.
Please note: no registration fees, no travel costs, no greenhouse gas
emissions.
D. Bonnenfant, CHNET-Works! Animateur, Community Health Research Unit,
University of Ottawa
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*CHNET-Works! a project of Community Health Research Unit, University of
Ottawa is pleased to announce a Fireside Chat (FREE pan-Canadian
discussions via a telephone/internet conference for community health
professionals and issue related sectors)*
*For more information and to register: *www.chnet-works.ca and click on
Fireside Chats

*WHY ADAPT? A critical analysis of climate change adaptation options for
public health in Canada*
*Date/time:* Friday, March 27, 2009 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern Time

The impacts of climate change in Canadian communities, as elsewhere,
pose new and growing challenges not only because of unmitigated global
warming but also due to the failure of governments at every level in
Canada to address the root causes of poverty. People with low
socio-economic status, and racial minorities bear a disproportionate
burden of environmentally-related ill-health on both local and global
scales (Health Canada 2003; Howze 2004; Spengler 2002). Therefore,
addressing the underlying factors that cause vulnerability should be a
primary feature of adaptation policy. But it's not. Work on adaptation
so far has focused on responding to the physical impacts of climate
change, rather than sufficiently addressing the underlying factors that
cause vulnerability to it.

Using a critical analysis of adaptation through Foucault’s theory of
governmentality, this presentation will attempt to demonstrate how
adaptation has been driven more by a governmental rationality tied to
the ability of governments to promote aspects of laissez-faire
capitalism (Litfin, 2000), than on protecting those most vulnerable to
impacts. The future course of adaptation policy in public health, hence,
will require a monumental paradigm shift by adequately addressing the
underlying causes of vulnerability through a community development
process based in the principles of health promotion - enabling people to
increase control over, and to improve, their health through healthy
public policies, supportive environments, and community actions. (WHO, 1986)

*Advisor on Tap:*
*Mark Pajot,* Research and Policy Analyst, Environmental Health Division
Peel Public Health

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