Waking up to the planetary health emergency webinar series - Webinar 1

Ecotoxicology: sitting on a time bomb

Professor Charles Tyler, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of Exeter

Charles Tyler is an internationally leading environmental scientist and an animal physiologist/environmental biologist who played a key role in developing the research field known as of endocrine disruption, which is a major issue of concern for both environmental and human health. His research spans a wide range of topics and includes the environmental impacts of chemicals and particles, microbiomes in health and disease, invasive species, and conservation of wildlife populations. His works employs various molecular and imaging techniques and the development of biosensors.   At the University of Exeter, Charles has been the Director Research and Deputy Head for Biosciences, and Academic Lead in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. He is now co-Director of the centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures (a partnership between the University of Exeter and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences), co-Director of the Great Western Water Security Alliance, co-Director of the RCUK-funded Aquaculture Research Collaborative Hub UK, and co-Director of the NERC FRESH DTP PhD training programme. Charles has received various awards for his work including the Beverton Medal for ground breaking research in fish biology from Fisheries Society of the British Isles (2012) and the Founders Award- the highest award given by the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry to an individual with an outstanding career in the environmental sciences (2015). He has published around 300 full peer reviewed research papers/book chapters, many with significant impact. Charles is passionate about wildlife and wildlife protection.

Learning outcomes

• Pollution is one of the greatest threats to human and wildlife health
• Many chemicals effects on health occur through disruption of hormone systems (endocrine disruption)
• Some chemicals are having population level effects on wildlife
• Zebrafish may offer a new model for the protection of human health

Water - friend or foe? How to build resilience to global threats

Professor David Butler, Professor of Water Engineering, University of Exeter

David Butler is the Head of Engineering and Professor of Water Engineering at the University of Exeter and is an internationally-leading researcher, teacher, manager and consultant in the water sector.  He has a bachelor’s degree in civil & structural engineering from Cardiff University, a master’s in public health engineering and a doctorate in environmental engineering, both from Imperial College London. He is a chartered civil engineer and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management and the International Water Association. At Exeter, he is a Director of the Centre for Water Systems, Director of the EPSRC WISE Centre for Doctoral Training, formerly Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering, Mathematics & Physical Sciences and before that Head of the Engineering discipline in the School of Engineering, Computer Science & Mathematics.

Learning outcomes

• Water is both our friend and foe, with unprecedented variability presenting the greatest global threat.
• Safe & SuRe provides a useful framework for linking threats to consequences and for identifying interventions to build resilience and sustainability.
• The framework is generic and has application beyond water.
• Rainwater harvesting provides one way of building local resilience to global water threats with great potential.

Riptide volume 13: Climate Matters

Climate Matters is the Riptide Journal’s thirteenth volume and was produced and published to coincide with the launch of the ‘Waking up to the planetary health emergency’ 2020 webinar series. A burning issue of our time – the climate crisis – is the central theme of this collection of short stories, poetry, images and science writing. Many of the contributors ponder the links between our relentless drive to consume, our disrespect for the natural world and its disastrous effect on the climate and the survival of humanity. In a range of ways they question the role that capitalism plays and the need for a redefinition of what constitutes a good life. COVID-19’s appearance during the selection process means the pandemic and issues of health – both individual and planetary – play their part in the whole.

Download a pdf copy of this publication here.

Recording

A recording of this session can be found on the GSI YouTube Channel.

Additional links and resources

• Paper from Global Challenges, Volume 1, Issue 1, pp.63-77, First Published: 17 June 2016, Open Access. Reliable, resilient and sustainable water management: the Safe & SuRe approach
• David Butler, Sarah Ward, Chris Sweetapple, Maryam Astaraie‐Imani, Kegong Diao, Raziyeh Farmani, Guangtao Fu. Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gch2.1010