![](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/839ea645-e757-425f-89cd-6fc0685cd3b8/53809264886_380b2a3a78_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&q=80&rect=0%2C205%2C5321%2C2995&w=800)
Urban Health Challenges and Solutions: The Role of Nature
Setup
Nature does not limit its influence only to rural populations. In cities around the world, dense living conditions, lack of green spaces, substandard housing, and poor sanitation allow rats and insects to proliferate and pollution to degrade health. But if certain urban characteristics help spread disease, others can curb it, including strategically placed trees, adaptable health systems, and a public health infrastructure that puts equity at its core.
Speakers
-
Kathy CorradiDirector of Rodent Mitigation for the Office of the Mayor in New York...
-
Vin GuptaMedical Analyst at NBC News and MSNBC
-
Aruni BhatnagarChief of the Division of Environmental Medicine at the University of L...
-
Samuel RamseyAssistant Professor of Entomology, University of Colorado Boulder
- 2024 Health
- Health
- Science
- Environment
Explore More
Health
![Meet 7 Women Leading the Way to a Brighter Climate Future](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/11e09403-1a70-4720-abb0-8c203f892106/GettyImages-1415703633.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=400&q=80&rect=738%2C0%2C3733%2C3733&w=400)
Women are crucial to the climate movement, but their voices are often underrepresented and their work goes under-supported. Meet just a few of the women from this year’s Aspen...
![10 Newsmaking Conversations from Aspen Ideas: Health 2024](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/58daefc2-333d-4d2e-b5b1-8ca0d98462be/240620_reception_001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=267&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C4000%2C2667&w=400)
From the debate over reproductive rights to the epidemic of gun violence to the youth mental health crisis, this year's Aspen Ideas: Health sessions tackled many of today's mo...
![Are We Alone Out There?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/336d1ff6-e32b-4ca0-9bac-94dacbf8959b/53825023100_e70fda2b21_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=1%2C526%2C7912%2C4451&w=400)
For as long as humans have looked at the skies, we’ve speculated about whether there is life in space. Scientists, the U.S. military and the CIA have all searched for proof of...
![Extreme Heat: The Silent Killer of Climate Change](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/b5e2e176-6cbe-4d92-b593-011e59139c36/6.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C97%2C4651%2C2616&w=400)
Heat is now the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S., killing more people than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. An environmental journalist and two city ch...
![There’s an Energy Transition Happening in Your Backyard](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/038a9839-e479-49fe-ab58-0fbb6194b7d8/energytransition.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=2293%2C0%2C3669%2C5503&w=400)
Every transition comes with tradeoffs, and even clean energy carries negative consequences. As they mine for critical minerals or build solar arrays on sensitive land, clean e...
![Sci-Fi or Reality? Talking Tomorrow’s Climate Tech](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/67c1104a-0ac3-459e-9a92-d199aebe8b33/53821312503_cbf498aa31_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C4651%2C2618&w=400)
It sounds like sci-fi: Scientists are beaming solar energy from space, subbing seaweed for plastic and brightening clouds to reflect sunlight to lower temperatures in a warmin...
![Amazon Presents: How AI is Transforming Health Care](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/88dd2ba6-9d8d-4355-911f-e75f1e164753/240627_ai_healthcare_013.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C208%2C4000%2C2250&w=400)
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing health care by improving patient navigation, telehealth and the speed of drug development. From enhancing patient and provider exper...
![Wolves at Our Doorstep](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/e1dea645-24a8-4bc1-bf3f-cabf0ac8e4c9/53821142190_64419f7b41_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C494%2C7690%2C4326&w=400)
*No food or service animals allowed in this session.* The creator of Fat Bear Week in Alaska gives insight on the importance of wildlife education, and then ecologists unpack...
![Presented by GE Vernova: It’s Electrifying! Tech and Climate Reshape Everything, Everywhere, All at Once](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/a3e37e2c-0596-4e40-ac71-5a6f22b8749d/240626_electrifying_006.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=1111%2C0%2C1778%2C2667&w=400)
Even as the clean energy transition is underway, AI and global development are demanding more energy than ever. What’s the best plan to bring massive amounts of zero- and low-...
![Mount Sinai Presents: Brain-Computer Interface Revolution](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/1f033dc8-4086-4ae8-9f58-448c89ffc1df/240625_braincomputer_009.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C207%2C4000%2C2250&w=400)
Brain-computer interfaces show potential to restore function to people impacted by incurable neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury...
![New Leash on Life: Is Dog Longevity the Key to Ours?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/0f295343-3b10-40c3-8312-5a0c4af71e36/53816698821_21be040805_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C430%2C8256%2C4644&w=400)
Scientists are developing life-extending drugs for dogs, and new advancements could bring them to market by 2025. Two leaders working to slow the aging process for Fido discus...
![Creating a World With People on the Spectrum](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/8283e9fe-6c1f-4f23-babe-0006cbcedd33/53816186173_f986a725ce_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=1%2C177%2C4616%2C2597&w=400)
Neurodivergent people make up 15% to 20% of the global population, and visionaries are busy trying to foster welcoming environments in areas like adaptive sports, fashion des...
![Climate of Hope](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/7a778d45-9072-483d-bc15-ec7c61ffac34/53817220503_5fae6aa65a_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=2581%2C0%2C2070%2C3101&w=400)
Amid the stark realities of our planet's degradation, there are bright glimmers of hope in conservation efforts around the world. Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier use mas...
![Prudential Financial Presents: What Living to 100 Means for Work and Wealth](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/fceaec56-d6ae-43f2-9e24-6983a3cdfe40/workandhealth.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C485%2C4651%2C2616&w=400)
Across the globe, humans are living and working longer than ever — and today’s systems, governments and businesses aren’t prepared. Examine how we can reimagine work, wealth a...
![The $38 Trillion Dollar Question](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/3778bfb8-3af0-4481-bb4b-dbe117272b39/johnkerry.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C688%2C5504%2C3096&w=400)
In a recent op-ed, former U.S. climate envoy and secretary of state John Kerry declared that rich countries are failing to respond to the climate crisis. If extreme weather wi...
![Allstate Presents: Not a Drill — Transitioning to a Lower-Carbon World](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/d611c6df-e56f-4503-80aa-920b24aa3f29/240624_lowercarbonworld_020.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C207%2C4000%2C2250&w=400)
As society focuses on mitigating human climate impact, economies shift away from carbon-based energy sources — which impacts individuals, businesses and governments. Beyond su...
![Are We Ready For Pandemic X?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/05b0d43e-1ff9-4d23-9735-aee253157755/53814590409_91983fd81a_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=600&q=80&rect=2293%2C0%2C3669%2C5503&w=400)
Given what we learned from the global turbulence from COVID-19, are we any more prepared for the next pandemic? Author and journalist Michael Lewis and Adar Poonawalla, CEO of...
![Is There a Future for Oil and Gas?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/3e0697fb-a5cc-41dc-b779-80f908d2f843/53813710096_1115f4aea8_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C312%2C6000%2C3375&w=400)
Renewables are on the rise, but so is fossil fuel consumption as global development demands more and more. Does the oil and gas industry have a role in reaching net-zero goals...
![Francis Collins on Science and Faith](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/6bfedb4f-4e98-45ef-a03c-fdc78698e0d5/53811234024_81d87a8491_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C5843%2C3289&w=400)
Few people are more deeply steeped in science than Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and the groundbreaking Human Genome Project, and forme...
![Opening Session](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/1f2484f0-d150-44fd-b0ae-ec935f872503/53812209110_c88799a760_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C178%2C4565%2C2568&w=400)
Part 1. Contrary to Popular Opinion — Bill Maher in Real Time: The iconoclastic host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” sits down with Tina Brown to talk about calling out...