Public Health Roles in Addressing Peak Oil, Based on Core Functions

Assessment

Engage in relevant surveillance and monitoring, including examining nutrition, food security, variation in ability to obtain healthy diets, related health outcomes, and food prices.

Evaluate the efficacy, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of the previously described interventions to adapt to peak oil.

Scrutinize proposed solutions for potential unintended consequences, communicate about these, and develop interventions to address these.

Conduct research including to develop and refine responses to peak oil health threats, improve adaptation, and identify costs and benefits of differing approaches.

Study and model food production and delivery system and impacts of policy decisions on health outputs associated with food.

Policy development

Amplify the public health voice in peak oil–relevant policy debates, including the Farm Bill (renewed every 4–5 years, most recently in 2008), climate policy, transportation policy, local planning policy, trade policy, and aid policy. Highlight the potential public health ramifications of inaction. Speak out through letters to the editor and in other venues. Strengthen coalitions of public health environmental, health policy, nutrition, chronic disease epidemiology, social and behavior, and other professionals to collaborate on policy development and advocacy.

Health departments and other public health professionals should collaborate with planners and local stakeholders on planning and emergency planning efforts relevant to peak oil adaptation and allocating adequate food and petroleum reserves.

Monitor and, where appropriate, challenge food and agribusiness industry actions.

Convene bodies to grapple with equity concerns in food allocation, in face of not only peak oil but also potential concurrent economic dislocation. Mechanisms of reallocation might include rationing, expanded food assistance programs, expanded funds for community food production, distribution networks, and funds for home production.

Assurance

Educate about how to obtain healthy diets with available foods.

Communicate about energy impacts of varying food choices, including developing peak oil–adapted dietary messages. Inform, educate, motivate, and empower the public regarding dietary change—especially where change is both health-promoting and environment protecting.

Ensure a competent public health workforce, including providing training in agricultural policy and other functions needed to address new realities.

Mobilize community and regional partnerships including food policy councils to identify and address food system concerns.