Presenter Bio: Mark H. Ereth
Mark H. Ereth, MD, Physician, Scientist, Inventor, TED speaker. Mark serves as Emeritus Professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Chief Medical Officer for SecureAire Technologies, LLC. and is a member of the ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee, Dr. Ereth is an internationally known expert in anesthesiology, and blood transfusion, and cardiopulmonary bypass and a frequent speaker at medical schools and hospitals around the world. His career has been marked by innovation and collaboration. In 25 years at the Mayo Clinic, he provided anesthesia and critical care to over 20,000 patients, directed a multi-disciplinary research group, and authored more than one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts. He holds multiple patents for medical devices, and for the past five years has focused his energy on Indoor Air Quality. He presented his second TEDx talk entitled 'One Less...' at the U Tulsa TEDx conference asking viewers to reduce their combustion footprint in order to save lives. Mark also co-founded Cheetah Development, a non-profit based on a novel method of funding, Micro-Venture Capital.
Presentation Description:
This year alone over 10 million people will die from the same pathogen that is choking our planet. Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic we’re now facing the non-infectious killer known as air pollution. It’s all around us and we’re all responsible.
This discussion will review the nature of combustion and pollution related diseases, examine methods to safely ventilate indoor air spaces in the context of ambient air pollution, and discuss simple, practical, and effective means to counter combustion.
Humans and our planet are suffocating because of hyper-consumerism and irreverent combustion. Energy demands continually increase, dependence on fossil fuels heats our planet, and transportation liberates massive amounts of dangerous particulate matter from combustion and brake dust. Add to this volatile organic compounds and chemicals produced during manufacturing and you end up breathing toxic air. In some ways we’ve all been using the atmosphere as a waste dump site…through our consumption and actions, we are all responsible for sending billions of tons of pollutants into the sky every day.
Particulate air pollution is directly responsible for over 25% of all heart attacks, strokes, lung diseases, and fully 16% of all dementia. Intrauterine, newborn, toddler, and childhood exposures can impact lung and immune function...sometimes for a lifetime. Indoor air pollution significantly alters cognitive function and learning especially in vulnerable school age children.
We’ll review the latest guidelines and methods to safely ventilate indoor air spaces in the context of outdoor air pollution. We’ll examine real-world results of the newest technology on the breathing zone air within hospitals, health clubs, and agricultural facilities.
Lastly, the presentation will review personal, community, governmental, and global practices to combat the origins of indoor air quality threats. The closing will include a challenge to the audience to enhance air security for all.