Sean Gallagher Speaks on Environment and Health in China and India

On Thursday, March 27, award-winning British photojournalist Sean Gallagher speaks on his multiple Pulitzer Center-supported reporting projects focused on the environment and public health in Asia, including his latest work out of India.

Gallagher's starting point in India is the country's rapid growth and breakneck development over the past 30 years juxtaposed against the extensive pollution from a range of industries. Chromium contamination, lead pollution and pesticide poisoning are leaving a toxic trail in rural and urban areas alike for the environment and the public. Millions are poisoned and killed each year; others have reduced neurological development, damaged immune systems, and long-term health problems. The number of people affected is comparable to those affected by HIV/AIDS, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a non-profit that studies solutions to problems caused by toxic pollution. Gallagher's short documentary on the subject screens at the 2014 Environmental Film Festival of the Nation's Capital on Tuesday, March 25.

Gallagher also focuses his lens on environmental issues in China, where he is based. He has undertaken a multi-part series on climate change in the region, considering issues of disappearing wetlands, fragile forests and desertification. The Pulitzer Center produced with Gallagher Meltdown, an ebook using beautiful images, engaging storytelling and other multimedia elements as a way to make sense of the enormous scale of China's environmental problems.

Thursday, March 27
12-1 pm
George Mason University
Edwin Meese III Conference Room
Mason Hall D023
Fairfax, VA

The event is sponsored by the Pulitzer Center and George Mason University Department of Communication, Society of Professional Journalists,
and Student Media.