Amanda Li Joins the ecoAmerica, Climate for Health Team
Joining ecoAmerica from Seattle, Washington, I am thrilled to begin working with the Climate for Health program as an APHA and Kaiser Permanente Community Health Fellow.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, I have lived in Seattle for four years and have now truly embraced the beauty of Washington, despite the dark and rainy winters. After having spent almost all my life along the West Coast of the U.S., I have seen how climate change can have powerful impacts on communities and health systems. When I was in high school, I became more knowledgeable about and interested in the environment and our changing climate in my biology and environmental science classes. This led me to major in Environmental Studies-Biology at Whitman College where I pursued my passion for protecting the natural world.
After graduation, I had the opportunity to broaden my worldview by joining the Peace Corps. I served as a Youth Development Volunteer in Eswatini, teaching health and career development skills to secondary school students. It was in this role that I was first drawn to the field of public health and saw how it was connected to all aspects of our lives. In light of this experience, I then went back to school for my Masters of Public Health from the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. While working toward my degree, I actively sought opportunities to gain experiences in a wide breadth of topic areas. These included HIV, telehealth, rural health, cardiovascular diseases, and health policy. All the while, I centered the importance of incorporating the principles of health equity and anti-colonization in all areas of public health. My diverse experiences have taught me how to see the connections between seemingly disconnected factors and that effective communication, particularly with communities and populations, is essential to all public health efforts.
Our changing climate is a public health threat that requires utilizing a health equity lens. I was drawn to ecoAmerica’s work because of their climate justice values and their focus on what can be done, rather than solely highlighting our country’s shortcomings in climate work. Instead, there are gaps we can fill and communities to mobilize and uplift to create a healthier world. Utilizing a climate justice and health equity mindset is an active practice, one that takes into account our social and political context and history to ensure resources and support are allocated appropriately. I used to think my pursuit of a public health career was a divergence from my environmental passions and interests. But I now see that our climate, environment, and health are deeply interrelated.
I look forward to working closely with Climate for Health partners in supporting health professionals to better integrate climate change related issues in their work, empowering individuals to advocate on climate change issues they care about, and increasing visibility of everyday solutions to the effects of climate change. In beginning this next step of my professional and personal journey, I am inspired by those who are entrenched in this work. As a Fellow, I am not only excited to contribute to the already impactful programs at ecoAmerica, but I am dedicated to learning from those around me to elevate the work I do. Having been stationed at the intersection of the environment and health throughout my educational path, I feel motivated to dive deeply into this opportunity and further coalesce these passions.
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About the Author
Amanda Li is an APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Fellow placed with ecoAmerica’s Climate for Health program.
Additional Resources
Apply or Nominate: American Climate Leadership Awards 2025
Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023