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NOTICE: The conference that is the subject of this summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
The Institute of Medicine was chartered in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to enlist distinguished members of the appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. In this, the Institute acts under both the Academy's 1863 congressional charter responsibility to be an adviser to the federal government and its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
This summary was prepared by Paul Phelps for the Institute of Medicine. It summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred during a 2-day conference (September 11–12, 1995) that was organized and conducted in a collaborative effort between the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), with support from several member agencies of the NSTC. The views summarized in this report are those of the conference participants and do not represent the views of the NSTC or the Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences. This summary was reviewed for accuracy by the chairs of the individual sessions of the conference and by the chairs of the breakout group panels.
Funding for the conference was provided by the National Academy of Sciences, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for International Development, and the Department of Energy.
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The serpent has been a symbol of long life, healing, and knowledge among almost all cultures and religions since the beginning of recorded history. The image adopted as a logotype by the Institute of Medicine is based on a relief carving from ancient Greece, now held by the Staatlichemusseen in Berlin.
Acknowledgments
The Conference on Human Health and Global Climate Change that is the subject of this summary was the product of a collaborative effort between the Institute of Medicine, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and the National Research Council's Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Board on Sustainable Development, and Polar Research Board. It would not have been possible without the concerted efforts and contributions of many individuals and organizations. The conference planners and organizers are listed in Appendix B, including the NSTC Working Group, the sponsoring agencies, the IOM/NAS Steering Committee, and the responsible staff. The conference speakers, background paper authors, and session chairs deserve special recognition and thanks for their efforts and are listed in Appendix C. The approximately 300 conference participants were an important part of this activity, especially in stimulating discussion, providing ideas, and developing the strategies that were the products of the individual working group panels. These individuals are included in the list of conference registrants in Appendix C.
Of particular note, Eric Chivian, Bob Shope, and Mary Wilson are acknowledged for their contribution in both raising and discussing these issues with Vice President Albert Gore, Jr., in the formative stages of the conference's development and for their participation in the conference itself. We also would like to acknowledge Vice President Gore for his initiative in requesting that this conference take place, and for his contribution as a participant and speaker.