Annual Environmental Lecture Series at AU returns Nov. 9, featuring Perry Gottesfeld

ASHLAND, Ohio – Perry Gottesfeld, executive director of Occupational Knowledge International, is the featured guest for the first of Ashland University’s 2022-23 Environmental Lecture Series on Wednesday night, Nov. 9. He will present “The Global Health Implications of the Transition to Clean Electric Vehicles,” starting at 7:30 p.m., in the Trustees Room at the John C. Myers Convocation Center.

The event is free and open to the public, though participants also have the option to attend virtually.

With major auto companies committing to shift exclusively to electric vehicle production, Gottesfeld will examine human health implications from the expected increase in mining and smelting needed to supply the growing demand for key metal inputs. For example, recycling lithium-ion batteries is unlikely to alleviate metal supply constraints in the short-term, but doing so is necessary to reduce the carbon footprint and avoid further environmental harm. He will also look at the health benefits electrical vehicles provide with regard to reduced air pollution.

Gottesfeld, who holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkley, founded the San Francisco-based OK International in 1999. It is a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving public health and the environment in developing countries through innovative strategies to reduce exposures to hazardous materials, such as industrial pollutants. It works in partnership with governments, businesses and other NGOs to address inequities in environmental standards, providing technical assistance, training and certification programs.

More information about the 2022-23 Environmental Lecture Series, including dates and speakers during the spring semester, is available here.

This lecture series is possible thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, and is co-sponsored by the AU Honors Program and the department of environmental science. Past series have been supported by AU and grants from the Lubrizol Foundation, GTE Foundation and the Fran and Warren Rupp Foundation.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.