Bruce Bekkar, MD

Extreme weather takes many forms: massive hurricanes, overwhelming floods, prolonged and severe droughts- but few are as harmful to as many as extreme heat. We know that high temperatures hurt some more than others: outdoor workers, those in urban heat islands, people without access to air conditioning, or those with medical conditions like asthma and cardiopulmonary disease; recent evidence also suggests heat is linked to bad birth outcomes. 

At the recent ecoAmerica National Health and Climate Forum, I was invited to present some thoughts about self-care for those of us engaged in the climate fight.  I believe we must continuously invest in ourselves to do our best work now and to maintain this commitment over time.

The May 2022 installment of the Let’s Talk Climate series highlights the critical importance of healthy pregnancies and sound minds as we navigate our environmental challenges.  Dr. Cathy Jordan explains how climate change endangers the mental wellbeing of ourselves and our children, and Climate for Health Fellow Bruce Bekkar provides an update on threats to healthy birth outcomes from heat and air pollution.  They conclude on a hopeful note, highlighting how we can access the healing powers of nature and other ways to protect patients, ourselves and our families from climate change.

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, a panel of climate champions from across the US joined us to share their unique approaches to local action that centers equity. From bringing students together from medical schools around the country and internationally to demand climate-centered curricula, to academics collaborating with national non-profits and grass-roots activists, their stories illustrate the power of engaging where you live.

The 11th annual American Climate Leadership Summit has just completed, featuring dynamic and inspiring leaders from climate-centered nonprofits, local and national political offices, faith organizations, media, researchers, and student groups. Day 3 was the National Health + Climate Forum, providing updates on both physical and mental impacts, equity, and actions health professionals are taking to better care for patients and motivate policymakers to make needed changes.

Engaging with our climate emergency can feel overwhelming at times.  To do our best work, we all need to prioritize self-care every day.  Bruce Bekkar, MD, provides 10 ideas to help us all care for ourselves to care for the planet.

Last September, JAMA Network Open (JNO), the online, open-access version of one of the country’s most highly regarded medical journals, put out a “call for papers” about the health impacts of climate change.  They noted a particular interest in research…