The Air We Breathe: An Atlantic Summit

April 20, 2017
Chicago

Smog and air pollution trigger millions of hospital visits and health problems for Americans each year. And indoors, the air we breathe can be up to five times more polluted due to harmful chemicals and poor ventilation. The quality of our air comes at an economic cost. Breathing polluted air is shown to reduce cognitive function affecting our offices, schools and homes.

At its inaugural summit on air, The Atlantic explored the state of air in America and spotlighted ideas and strategies for making the air we breathe cleaner – and our citizens healthier.

Watch full session videos

Tweet #AtlanticAirSummit

To view photos from this event, please visit our Facebook page

Speakers

Joel Africk* Chief Executive Officer Respiratory Health Association @RespHealth
Joseph Allen Director of Healthy Buildings Program and Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science, Department of Environmental Health Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health @j_g_allen
Rudy Anderson* Associate Executive Director CHEST Foundation @ACCPChest
William Becker Executive Director National Association of Clean Air Agencies
Ron Brownstein Senior Editor The Atlantic @ronbrownstein
Kristi Bruno* Director of Communications, Media and Marketing American College of Chest Physicians @accpchest
Charlie Catlett Director, Array of Things Project; Director, Urban Center for Computation and Data; Senior Computer Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago @CeC
Joie Chen Journalist and Contributor AtlanticLIVE @joiechen
Chris Draft Former NFL Linebacker; Founder and President Chris Draft Family Foundation @chrisdraft
Danielle DuMerer Acting Commissioner and Chief Information Officer Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology @danielledumerer
Jill Feldman Lung Cancer Survivor @jillfeldman4
Judy Frydland Commissioner Chicago Department of Buildings @ChicagoDOB
Ruchi Gupta Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine @ruchisgupta
John Howington Chairman of Thoracic Surgery; Co-Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program Saint Thomas Health @StThomas_Health
Greta Johnsen Weekend Anchor/Reporter, Co-Host WBEZ, Nerdette Podcast @gretamjohnsen
Julie Morita Commissioner Chicago Department of Public Health @ChiPublicHealth
Jay Peters* Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UTHSCSA School of Medicine; Trustee, CHEST Foundation
Carol Ross Barney President, Design Principal and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects Ross Barney Architects @r_barc
Tom Skilling Chief Meteorologist WGN-TV @Skilling
Kimberly Wasserman-Nieto Executive Director Little Village Environmental Justice Organization @LVEJO
Harold Wimmer National President and CEO American Lung Association @HaroldWimmer
Tonya Winders CEO and President Allergy & Asthma Network @AllergyAsthmaHQ
Donald Wuebbles Harry E. Preble Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign @DAS_Illinois

Agenda

Note: All times are CT

Thursday, April 20
8:30 a.m.WelcomeMargaret Low, President, AtlanticLIVE
8:35 a.m.How Clean is Our Air?William Becker, Executive Director, National Association of Clean Air Agencies
Harold Wimmer, National President and CEO, American Lung Association
Tonya Winders, President and CEO, Allergy and Asthma Network
With Ron Brownstein, Senior Editor, The Atlantic
9:00 a.m.Chicago's StoryJulie Morita, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health
With Joie Chen, Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
9:15 a.m.Indoor Air: A Design ChallengeJoseph Allen, Director of Healthy Buildings Program and Assistant Professor of Exposure Assessment Science, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Carol Ross Barney, Founder and President, Ross Barney Architects
Judy Frydland, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Buildings
With Joie Chen, AtlanticLIVE
9:40 a.m.Underwriter Perspective produced by CHEST Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim**Joel Africk, President and Chief Executive Officer, Respiratory Health Association
Rudy Anderson, Associate Executive Director, CHEST Foundation
Jay Peters, Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Trustee, CHEST Foundation
With Kristi Bruno, Director of Communications, Media and Marketing, American College of Chest Physicians
9:50 a.m.The Geography of AsthmaRuchi Gupta, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
Kimberly Wasserman-Nieto, Executive Director, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
With Ron Brownstein,The Atlantic
10:15 a.m.Weather and the Changing ClimateTom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV
Donald Wuebbles, Harry E. Preble Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
With Greta Johnsen, Weekend Anchor/Reporter, WBEZ 91.5 Chicago
10:40 a.m.The Lung Cancer Connection Chris Draft, Former NFL Linebacker, Founder and President of Chris Draft Family Foundation
Jill Feldman, Lung Cancer Survivor
John Howington, Chairman of Thoracic Surgery; Co-Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program, Saint Thomas Health
With Joie Chen, AtlanticLIVE
11:10 a.m.What Can Data Teach Us?Charlie Catlett, Director, Array of Things Project; Director, Urban Center for Computation and Data; Senior Computer Scientist Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago
Danielle DuMerer, Acting Commissioner and Chief Information Officer, Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology
With Greta Johnsen, WBEZ
11:30 a.m.Closing ThoughtsMargaret Low, AtlanticLIVE

Underwriters

Presenting Level

Supporting Level

Upcoming Events

Economy/Business

Power of Purpose
- November 19, 2019
- New York City
How can business be a force for good?
Renewal Summit: Los Angeles
- November 21, 2019
- Los Angeles
In L.A., a thriving metropolis that is home to a rich diversity of people from all walks of life, we’ll ask: what will it take to ensure quality of life and greater opportunity for all area residents?
Other

Innovators Lab: San Francisco
- December 3, 2019
- San Francisco, CA, California
What does it take to stay on top?

See All Upcoming Events

*This speaker is participating in a session that is produced by CHEST Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim, and not by The Atlantic's editorial team.

**This session is produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic's editorial team.