Category News
New Article in the Journal of Environmental Health, “Staying Cool in a Changing Climate: Caring for Health in Extreme Heat”
Are We Preparing the US Healthcare System for Climate Change?
New Article in the Journal of Environmental Health, “The Climate World Is Changing, So Can We”
Let’s Talk Climate: ClimateRx
Reflections on COP27
It is an understatement to say that attending the United Nations Convention of Parties conference, also known as COP can be an overwhelming and humbling experience. Now in its 27th year, stakeholders gather from every part of the world to…
Let’s Talk Climate: How Kaiser Permanente is Leading and Engaging on Climate Solutions
Addressing climate change to be a top global priority for world leaders
This past month, I attended my first United Nations General Assembly in New York. As a UN Liaison for Sigma Nursing, I was granted special access to the assembly hall where world leaders gathered to discuss challenges we face as…
The United Nations, Climate Change, Environmental Health, and You
Action as an Antidote
The caption on one of my favorite cartoons reads: ”My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.” Published in the New Yorker in 2017, David Sipress aptly describes the endless stream of bad…
Healthy Babies Bright Futures for Climate Action
One in six American children have a neurological disability spanning from autism to IQ loss to ADHD. Diverse experts agree that before and after birth exposures to toxic chemicals and pollutants significantly increase kids’ risks for developing a neurodevelopmental disorder.…
Let’s Talk Climate: Climate & Crisis Preparedness
September is National Preparedness Month and we are all aware of the growing risks. We are in the peak of hurricane season for the East Coast & Gulf South, a long wildfire season for much of the West, and deadly…
Remembering Hurricane Katrina
Last week marked the 17th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the failure of levees in New Orleans, and the flooding of much of the city. I was a college student in New Orleans in 2005 and when I think about Katrina…
New Let’s Talk Climate Episode Now Available: “The Heat is On”
Take A Moment
Climate Changes Mental Health
Eco-Anxiety: A Call to Action to Address the Mental Health Implications of Climate Change
Recording now available, “Nurses Leading on Climate Locally,” Climate for Health
Every Person, Everywhere: Climate and Health at the Top of the World
Recording now available, “Why Protecting Mothers and Minds Matters in a Changing Climate,” Climate for Health
Recording now available, “Climate Action is Where You Are,” Climate for Health
New Policy Statement Positions NACCHO as a Key Leader in Addressing Local-Level Health Impacts of Climate Change
Must See Health Sessions
Mothers, Daughters, and Intergenerational Climate Action
Building a More Inclusive Climate Movement: Climate Change and Disabilities
Recording Now Available, “Climate Change and Mental Health: Research to Action”
New Article in the Journal of Environmental Health, “Climate Change: Everyone, Every Day”
Recording Now Available: “Climate, Health, and Art: Climate Creators to Watch in 2022”
My Experience Hosting a Small Town Climate Strike: Breaking the Intergenerational Divide
Local Action: My Reason for Climate & Health Optimism in 2022
Recording Now Available: “Welcoming 2022 with Climate Optimism”
Climate Action for Better Health: My Top 3 Resolutions for 2022
Climate and health: reflections and resolutions
Recording Now Available, “From Global to Local: What Does Planetary Health Mean for Me?”
Raise the Flag for Clean Air in Montana
“What causes dirty air?” asks the guest lecturer in a rural Montana classroom. “Fires” replied one student. “Cars” says another, quietly. “Fossil fuels” states another, confidently. Members of Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate are going into schools and…
Watch Now, “Climate Action for Women’s Health & Better Birth Outcomes”
Tribal Resiliency is Leading the Way for Climate Change Adaptation… Again
To Remain or Retreat? A Consideration of Climate Migration in Hawai’i
Mental Health and Our Changing Climate
Saving our Wetlands: A Climate Solution to Improve Community Health
Recording Available Now, “Advocating for Children’s Health: Tools from the 2021 Lancet Countdown”
Climate Impacts Children’s Mental Health: Tools for Support
Pediatric Health Societies Support Youth Leadership on Bold Climate Action
Climate Solutions Benefit Children in Environmental Justice Communities
Phoenix Plants Hedges to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure for Kids
A climate advocacy tool you’re not yet using – but should be!
New piece in the Journal of Environmental Health, “Local Action, National Impact”
Recording Now Available: How Doctors are Treating Patients by Treating Climate Change
Children’s Environmental Health Day Proclamations: A Tool for Climate Action
Back to School: Nursing Leadership on Climate Solutions in the Classroom
HHS Establishes the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity
New Resource from Trust for America’s Health, “Climate Change & Health: Assessing State Preparedness”
Want Doctors to Practice Planetary Health? Teach Advocacy Better. Here’s How…
New Let’s Talk Climate episode, “Climate Change & Health Equity: Addressing Local Air Pollution”
New initiative at University of Colorado connects climate, work, and health
Climate Advocates: Ten Tips for Self Care
New storytelling guide for health care professionals taking climate action
Recording Available: “Live from NEHA’s AEC: Together a Safer and Healthier Tomorrow”
Climate Solutions Last Longer than the News Cycle
National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum 2020: Summary of Conference Proceedings Key Actions
Recording Now Available, “Disabilities & Disasters: A Path to More Inclusive Climate Solutions”
NEHA Climate and Health Program: Climate and Health Fact Sheets
Recording Available for, “Mothers Know Best: Practical Advice for Climate Action”
The Impacts of Extreme Weather Events on Child Mental Health
Grief and Hope in a Changing Climate
The Biden-Harris Administration’s First 100 Days: How Did they Fare on Climate, Health, and Equity?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
New Podcast from the National Recreation and Park Association: Addressing Issues at the Intersection of Climate and Health
Denial: Our Biggest Environmental Health Threat?
Want more clean energy? Focus on people, not technology
NEW: More than 100 Health Professionals and Organizations Support Recommendations on Climate, Health & Equity for HHS
This Earth Day, Let’s #RemodelforResilience
Earth Day has become synonymous with spring. Spring flowers, spring cleaning, spring faith traditions like Passover and Easter, and now Earth Day – a celebration of the human endeavor to ensure that spring will continue to bring hope and joy…
Join Us: National Health + Climate Forum at ACLS 2021
Coming out of a year of multiple crises and a decisive election, 2021 is our moment to forge a path forward to a stable climate starting with ambitious American leadership on solutions. The American Climate Leadership Summit (ACLS 2021), celebrating its 10th year,will bring game-changing future-shaping…
COVID-19 and Climate Change: The Need for Equitable Solutions
The global climate crisis has challenged the COVID-19 response, further underlining the disproportionate impact of climate change on health. Communities vulnerable to climate related health impacts are the same who are experiencing higher COVID-19 mortality, and the synergistic effects of…
Climate of Health and Hope: New Opportunities for Public Health Professionals
A growing number of public health professionals find themselves responding to the urgent health impacts of climate change, whether they are prepared for this work, or not. We co-hosted this Let’s Talk Climate episode with the American Public Health Association’s…
We Need Climate Solutions that Prioritize Black Births
The recent winter storm, Uri, ravaged the southern U.S. leaving many families huddled together in a desperate search for warmth, electricity and potable water. In Texas, Uri left over 4 million people without electricity and clean water for nearly two…
New Research from ecoAmerica: Health Surpasses Jobs in Climate Action Support
ecoAmerica’s latest survey finds “health” at the top of the list of motivations for climate solutions — raking even higher than “jobs”. Twelve months of battling the COVID-19 pandemic may be influencing perspectives, however, the reality is that climate change…
Recording Now Available, “Health at the Root of Climate Justice”
Our health and our families’ health motivate us to act on ambitious and equitable climate solutions. Health is also at the root of climate justice. Black and Brown communities often contribute the least to climate pollution but suffer disproportionately from…
Reflections: Federal Action on Environmental Justice
This year is the 30th anniversary of the 1991 People of Color Environmental Summit, where the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice were set forth. These principles, preceded by the 1987 Toxic Waste and Race Report and followed by the creation…
It’s About People
As we enter a new presidency, a new era, and a new decade, we are still so divided on so many issues. In a time when we actually have science and technology to effectively research and understand the way that…
The Office of Children’s Health Protection is a vital part of EPA’s Mission
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose mission is to protect human health and the environment, sets and enforces regulations to ensure safe environments where we work, learn, play, and pray. When regulations are set to protect the most vulnerable among…
Talk About Climate Change, It Makes a Difference
When talking about climate change, I often ponder how to reach out to more audiences, how to cross barriers, how to carry the compelling message that the climate emergency deserves. I wonder if I am making a difference, if my…
Climate, Health, and Equity Recommendations for the Biden-Harris Administration
Health and medical experts agree that climate change is a health emergency – one of the greatest threats to human health that America has ever faced. Our nation’s health professionals are witnessing the health harms of climate change now, and…
Recording Now Available, “Hindsight is 2020: Our Climate & Health Goals for 2021”
Last week, we hosted the first health-focused Let’s Talk Climate episode this year, Hindsight is 2020: Our Climate & Health Goals for 2021. As a new administration takes the helm, we discussed opportunities to support health professional leadership and center…
New Year, New Attitude Towards Climate
As I look forward to a new year, I cannot forget all that has arisen this past year. From wildfires to COVID-19 to the presidential election, 2020 was far from boring. Instead, it opened my eyes to the unexpected and…
New NEHA Climate Change Position Statement
The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) has published a new Climate Change Position Statement in 2020. Through its second published climate change position statement, NEHA recognizes climate change as a worldwide environmental health challenge that impacts the health and safety…
Supporting Youth-Led Climate Action in San Marcos, CA
Can I tell you how happy I am that I found the Climate for Health Ambassadors program? I was environmentally conscious, hoping others felt the same way, wanted to learn more and how I could take action. Enter stage right:…
New Climate Change & Health Report Assesses States’ Preparedness
This week, Trust for America’s Health and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a new report, Climate Change & Health: Assessing State Preparedness. The report assessed all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their level…
New Lancet Countdown Report Recommends Swift Action to Achieve Health Equity through Climate Action
On December 2, the 2020 global report of the Lancet Countdown on Health & Climate Change was released, along with the Policy Brief for the U.S. Each year, the Lancet Countdown tracks more than 43 indicators on links between health…
ecoAmerica’s newest piece in NEHA’s Journal of Environmental Health
ecoAmerica’s most recent contribution to the National Environmental Health Association’s Journal of Environmental Health was published in the December 2020 issue, “Ambition, Restoration, and Justice: A Path Forward on Climate Solutions.” Working at the intersections where people live, work, learn,…
Two Climate for Health Leadership Circle Members Call for a National Institute of Climate Change and Health
In a recent opinion piece in Scientific American, Drs. Howard Frumkin and Richard J. Jackson make the case for creating a National Institute of Climate Change and Health. “It would deliver needed insights to protect the public from the ravages of…
Fight or Flight? Ideas on Building Resilient Communities
Since moving away from California eight years ago, I’ve longed to come back home. I spent the first 18 years of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area hiking, running, swimming, camping, skiing…basically taking advantage of all the outdoor…
Blooming Large: Tracking the Health Risks of Harmful Algae in a Tribal Community
The Salish Sea spans through what is currently known as Washington State and British Columbia and is blessed with an abundance of resources that have sustained the indigenous peoples since time immemorial. Coast Salish tribes continue to inhabit these regions…
Climate Ready Tribes Spotlight: Pala Band of Mission Indians
The United States is home to more than 570 individual federally-recognized Indian tribes. Each one of these distinct Tribal nations is facing the challenge of adapting to the effects of climate change. Tribes are disproportionately impacted not only by the…
Watch Now, “Ambassadors in Action: Health Advocacy for Climate Solutions”
On our most recent Let’s Talk Climate episode, we were joined by Dr. Neelu Tummala, an ear, nose, and throat physician and clinical assistant professor of surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is…
Southeast Alaska Tribes Face Climate Change with Partnership
Southeast Alaska is a place like no other. Coastal brown bears stalk the shores, old growth forests grow tall and salmon serve as the lifeblood of the region. It is home to the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people, who have…
Introducing the National Indian Health Board Climate Ready Tribes Initiative
Every summer when I was a child, my father took my brother and me over to our Blackfeet reservation near Browning, Montana, for a big family reunion. While I looked forward to seeing my elders and cousins, horseback riding, and…
Watch the Recording, “Vote Kids: Climate Change and the 2020 Election”
As we prepare to enter the voting booth this Election Day, partisan politics may dominate the headlines, but there are far more important issues at stake. Top of mind for many will be the climate health emergency, its effect on…
Safe Water for Families
My commute to Manati, a town located in the northwestern part of the island of Puerto Rico, was a time of relaxation away from the San Juan metro area. Those 30 miles of highway between tree-blanketed mountains and valleys were…
Dr. Plastic Picker: How I decided to go All In on Climate Solutions
Plogging is jogging while picking trash. Plalking is walking while litter-picking. Plurfing is gathering plastic while surfing. #fillabag is when you find a bag and fill it with trash. There is an entire lexicon and culture within the Instagram trash…
Using Tools We Have to Ensure a Healthy Environment for Children
Last summer, one of my patients, a 10-year-old boy I’ll call James, came to see me for a sports physical before starting a summer sports camp through a local community recreation center. James is obese, and also has asthma and…
It’s Time to Wake Up to Threat of Climate Change, and to Act
As pediatricians and trainees, we have all experienced moral awakenings that have compelled us to take action to protect children. As I step outside each day in San Francisco during the pandemic, putting on my mask reminds me of a…
Climate Action for Children’s Health
As a Pediatrician, I am well-versed in providing guidance to families to keep their kids healthy. Cut back on sugary drinks. At least 1 hour of physical activity per day. Limit screen time. Brush your teeth. The more time I…
Opportunities for Pediatric Leadership: Wildfire Smoke a Growing Threat to Vulnerable Children
Halloween. Daylights Savings. Wildfire smoke. Evacuations. Power outages. All of these things are associated with transitions from summer to fall in Northern California. This year alone more than 3.5 million acres have burned, and we’re still in the midst of…
A Pediatrician’s Journey into Climate Advocacy
I am a pediatrician and I advocate on behalf of America’s greatest resource – our children. The first patient that died under my care was an infant who stopped breathing in his sleep. He was rushed to the hospital with…
Celebrating Children’s Health Month in October: Actions & Resources
Time is harder to keep track of these days, and we continue to face compounding crises assaulting our health, environment, democracy, and economy. But, just around the corner is that glimmer of hope we continue to look for. October starts…
Miami University (OH) Commits to a Sustainable Future on the Autumn Equinox
On September 22, 2020, the first day of autumn, an equinox occurred marking when the sun passed directly over the earth’s equator. Prior to and after today, day and night times will be uneven, but for today, day and night…
Insight into Climate Change & Local Preparedness Efforts with NACCHO
In the present moment, and mere days before World Environmental Health Day on September 26, the intersection between climate change and preparedness is, sadly, quite clear. Scientists have warned for years that climate change could and would worsen weather-related events.…
Recording Available: A Vote for Health is a Vote for Climate
In the midst of a global pandemic, with climate disasters raging across the country, many Americans are laser focused on one date: November 3. “The most important thing we can do in this point and time is vote for leaders…
Leading U.S. Health Organizations Call for Action on Mental Health and Climate Change
Last month, as part of American Climate Leadership Summit 2020, 17 national organizations publicly announced the Social Climate Leadership Group (SCLG), a newly formed effort to address the mental health aspects of climate change. The launch also included the group’s…
Perspectives on Climate Change, COVID-19, and Public Health from Utah
Path to Positive Utah and board member of our partner Utah Clean Energy Dr. Jeff Robison, the director of the Global, Rural, and Underserved Child Health Program at the University of Utah School of Medicine and a pediatric emergency medicine,…
Climate for Health Ambassadors Training at NACCHO 360
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) partnered with ecoAmerica to host a Climate for Health Ambassadors training on July 6, 2020. This training occurred as a pre-conference workshop during NACCHO’s Annual Conference (NACCHO 360). As climate change continues to…
Then and Now: Dismantling Systemic Racism for Equity
Although the recent swell of a global pandemic and exposure of the deep-rooted heinous incidents of police brutality have incited protests, triggered a wave of statements, goodwill, and diversity and inclusion efforts across corporate and institutional sectors, it is important…
Energy Justice: A Public Health Issue
On a recent Let’s Talk Climate episode, I sat down with Surili Patel from the American Public Health Association (APHA) to discuss one of their newest priorities, energy justice. As Surili reminded us, “If it’s harming people, it’s our problem.…
Taking action to improve health: Advocacy resources and success stories from health care sector
Health professionals have an ethical responsibility to take action to protect the health of our patients and communities. They have a unique opportunity to influence public opinion and policymaking in support of climate solutions as trusted messengers. Health Care Without…
Engaging the Health Sector in Climate Action
On this special episode of ecoAmerica’s Let’s Talk Climate series, I had a conversation with Gloria Barrera, RN, and Jerome Paulson, MD, about engaging their peers, community, and policymakers on climate action. This 20-minute episode is jam packed with advice…
Georgia Chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics Adopts a Resolution on Climate Change and Child Health
In February, the Georgia American Academy of Pediatrics’ Board of Directors voted to adopt a resolution on climate change and child health. The resolution, now available online, underscores how climate change is harming the health of children in Georgia and…
Vote for Children’s Environmental Health and Equity
Our children are our most valuable resources, yet their health and that of their families and communities have not been at the forefront of our nation’s policies and programs. Between a global pandemic, the climate crisis, crumbling infrastructure, underfunded public…
National Association of School Nurses joins Nursing Collaborative on Climate Change and Health to Advance Climate Solutions and Promote Child Health
“There is nothing more important to the health of our children than the health of our planet.” With this assertion, Janis Hogan, Maine’s National Association of School Nurses, (NASN), Director, captures the connection between the vision of NASN, that all…
NEW Research on Climate Change & Birth Outcomes
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…
Environmental Racism, Climate Justice, and Health
On June 11, I had the honor and privilege to engage in an energizing and powerful conversation about “Environmental Racism, Climate Justice, and Health” with Vernice Miller-Travis, Senior Vice President at the Metropolitan Group and environmental justice advocate. We started…
“Motherhood in a Changing Climate: Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes” Recording Now Available
We premiered our Let’s Talk Climate webcast series with a trio of speakers sharing information and insights on the impacts climate change is having on motherhood, pregnancy, and birth outcomes in a changing climate and what we can all do…
Children’s Health & Climate Change: A Moment of Reflection on Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics and ecoAmerica took a moment to reflect on our partnership and collaboration to protect children’s health through climate solutions. You can watch the virtual forum…
Anticipated Impacts of the Climate Crisis on Women’s Health: A Call to Action
Our fundamental mission as healthcare providers is to protect the health of our patients. While heroic worldwide efforts are underway to combat COVID-19, the greatest emerging threat to women’s health, indeed to the health of all people, is the global…
Greener Parks are a Quality of Life Benefit
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed how important local outdoor spaces are for comfort, activity and solitude. Many people are finding a new appreciation for their parks. It has never been more clear that neighborhood parks and green…
Introducing ecoAmerica’s Webcast Series: LET’S TALK CLIMATE
The must-attend, go-to webcast discussion for the most current and best thinking on climate change ecoAmerica is introducing Let’s Talk Climate to provide guidance and support to climate activists as they seek to expand public support and political resolve for equitable and…
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
The last few months have posed a unique challenge for all of us: stay away from each other in order to stay healthy. Physical distancing is the best method we have to combat the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. For many of…
New Resources from the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity
COVID-19 and the practice of physical distancing have recently challenged families and educators in unprecedented ways. Many caregivers and young people are feeling restless and disconnected, given the additional time indoors and at home. With thoughtful engagement, however, this additional…
Clinicians for Planetary Health: Community in the Time of COVID-19
Today we want to celebrate the amazing work being done by each and every one of you— whether you are on the frontlines of treating patients, educating your community, taking care of your family, or ramping up self-care. We want you to hear…
Climate Leadership Amidst COVID-19
We’re all trying to orient ourselves to a new world. We are amidst a fast-moving pandemic and economic contraction, and immediately concerned about our families and communities, and our future. As our perspectives are narrowed by the urgency of COVID-19,…
Changing Climate Concerns with Food Safety: Shellfish in Virginia
As the changing climate continues to challenge our planet, a most noticeable impact has affected our coastal waters. Ocean water temperatures are becoming warmer. Accordingly, aquatic life is threatened. We are seeing the negative impacts firsthand in the commonwealth of…
Now Available: “Mobilizing Action for Climate, Health, and Equity”
Climate for Health was thrilled to host the webinar, Mobilizing Action for Climate, Health, and Equity, as part of National Public Health Week 2020. We heard from health leaders from around the country working at the forefront of climate solutions.…
Earth Day is Everybody’s Movement: Announcing When the Earth Moves Video Premiere
When the Earth Moves reclaims the authentic story and original vision of Earth Day as a bipartisan and socially just environmental movement and highlights the need for people across generations and on both sides of the political aisle to play…
Leading a Call to Action: How Oregon Public Health Association brought partners together to declare climate change a public health emergency in Oregon
“More than 500 Oregon Health Leaders Declare Climate Change A Public Health Emergency” – this was the headline of a story playing on the local public radio as Oregon’s legislative session got under way earlier this year. In the upcoming…
Congratulations to the American Climate Leadership Awards Winners!
Thank you to all who joined us at the American Climate Leadership Awards Virtual Ceremony on March 25! Congratulations to the winner, CALPIRG Students, who worked on eight University of California campuses to win a UC-wide commitment to 100% renewable…
Tune In On Wednesday: American Climate Leadership Awards
Please join us for the American Climate Leadership Awards Virtual Ceremony this Wednesday, March 25, at 1pm ET via Zoom at received over 200 submissions for the American Climate Leadership Awards and narrowed it to 34 semifinalists, 10 finalists, including a…
How the National Environmental Health Association Is Walking the Talk on Climate and Health
Q: Share some recent ways that NEHA has been walking the talk on climate and health? A: The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) was honored to join the International Federation of Environmental Health in celebrating World Environmental Health Day(WEHD) in…
American Climate Leadership Summit 2020 Rescheduled
In the interest of our individual and collective health and wellbeing, ecoAmerica is rescheduling the American Climate Leadership Summit to August 26-27, 2020. Given current guidance on COVID-19, and the input from ACLS 2020 partners and speakers, we believe this…
Climate Change as a Priority for School Nurses
“I’ve made it a priority to advocate for healthy environments, and raise awareness on climate change as a school nurse and nursing professor. One of my professional goals for this year, as I take on a leadership role within IASN…
Climate for Health Ambassadors in Action: Climate Change Grand Rounds
Last week I gave a presentation entitled “The Health Effects of Climate Damage” for Grand Rounds in the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. I’m writing about the experience here to encourage others to do…
National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum
The National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum will bring together more than 100 leaders from organizations dedicated to children’s well-being to increase awareness, inspire action, and build capacity and collaboration to address climate change and children’s health. Hosted online…
CLIMATE Advances: Creating CHANGE In Government
Great news at the state level in the Commonwealth of Virginia: Changes are taking place in state government to address Climate. After a series of recent Town Hall meetings held across the state, the Governor issued an order for the…
New Resource Announcement: Climate for Health Moving Forward Guide
Climate change is the greatest health threat of our time, and in response, health professionals across the U.S. and around the world are stepping into leadership on climate solutions. Changes to our climate are already impacting communities. These changes reach…
Utah Climate for Health Ambassadors Training
Earlier this month, I attended the Climate for Health Ambassadors Training at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City. As someone who is heavily interested in learning more about the role that climate change and pollution have on the…
Faith, Health, and Climate: Finding Connections and Building Bridges
Editor’s note: Climate for Health and Blessed Tomorrow invited two leaders to share their thoughts on the intersections of faith and health in addressing climate change. Leah and Natasha share a conversation on the commonalities across faith and health in…
Give Babies A Fighting Chance
ecoAmerica’s Let’s Talk Climate: Messages to Motivate Americans encourages us to: The science that shows how the burning of fossil fuels is harming the development of babies’ brains can be used to meet all of those recommendations. Last year, Healthy…
The Moral Imperative to Improve Planetary Health Through Climate Solutions
While there may be different motivations and pathways, studies and scripture have led us to the same conclusion: faith and health leaders alike recognize the urgent moral imperative to act on climate change. People — our friends, families, and neighbors…
Every Child Has the Right to Thrive in a Healthy Environment
We love our children. And that comes with certain responsibilities. Providing them with clean air, clean water, and healthy sustainable communities with access to natural environments, where they can reach their optimal potential are some of those responsibilities. Unfortunately, the…
Responding to Climate Change Means Investing in School Health: #ChildrenAtTheCenter
While there are several sources of carbon emissions that contribute to global temperature rise, the buildings sector accounts for 39% of annual US carbon emissions and is undergoing rapid growth at unprecedented rates. From construction and revitalization to how much…
New Resource from PSR- Heat, Fire, Water: How Climate Change Has Created a Public Health Emergency
In a new white paper, Physicians for Social Responsibility Board Member, Dr. Alan Lockwood, has drawn on the content of the three major climate reports published in fall 2018 – the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the IPCC…
NEW Talking Points: Protect Clean Air, Protect Our Health
For almost 50 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment. In fact, before the EPA was established, rivers were on fire! The EPA works to ensure that we have…
APHA’s Climate Change and Health Needs Assessment
Climate change presents increasingly serious, complex challenges to the public’s health. In response to these challenges, the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity inspires action on climate and health, advances equitable climate policies, and galvanizes the public health field…
New Active Transportation and Climate Change Infographic from the American College of Sports Medicine
By biking, walking, and rolling you are improving your physical and mental health and addressing one of the biggest contributors to climate change – emissions from transportation. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to our changing climate, resulting in increasing temperatures and extreme weather.…
Climate for Health joins over 70 health and medical groups to launch The Call to Action on Climate, Health and Equity
Last week, we joined more than 70 health and medical groups to launch The Call to Action on Climate, Health and Equity: A Policy Action Agenda to protect the health and safety of all people in the U.S. From exposure to extreme weather…
Nurses Take Climate Action: MGH Institute of Health Professions joins the Nursing Collaborative on Climate Change and Health
Today the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) and Climate for Health announced that the Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health, a nurse-led initiative at MGH Institute of Health Professions graduate school in Boston, has become the first academic…
Resources from our Live Twitter Chat with Salud America! on Air Quality and Pollution
On Tuesday, June 11 Climate for Health co-hosted a live Tweetchat with Salud America! on the topic of air quality and pollution. We used the hashtag #SaludTues on Twitter to make the connections between air pollution, climate change, and our health and…
Taking action on climate change to improve public health
This July, the American Public Health Association is bringing students and early-career professionals from all over the country to Washington, D.C., to speak for health. We’ll be bringing this singular message to the Hill: climate change is the biggest threat…
Summer is Coming: Climate Change and Air Quality Resources for Parents and Kids
Summer means playing outside, swimming at the pool, and, according to the American Lung Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, unique climate impacts to children. Allergies, asthma, heat-related illness, and bug bites that can lead to illnesses like Lyme…
Turning Research into Action: Lessons from the American Climate Leadership Summit 2019
Climate change is a health emergency and requires collaboration across sectors; from healthcare professionals to research scientists, from urban planners to nonprofit organizations, from seasoned experts to students and young people. Because environmental health professionals work directly with communities and…
Asthma, Allergies, and Climate Change
I live in Washington, DC and every morning when I walk outside, there is a thin layer of pollen that has accumulated…everywhere! I have a little tingle in my throat and my eyes are itchy. I am not alone in my…
A Call for Clinicians to Act on Planetary Health
The Lancet, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals, published “A Call for Clinicians to Act on Planetary Health” on April 19, 2019, just ahead of Earth Day on April 22. This global call-to-action, led by the Planetary…
Promoting Maternal and Children’s Health: Women’s Health Nurses Fight Climate Change
While climate change affects human health in various ways, certain populations, such as pregnant women, the developing fetus, and children are more vulnerable to climate-related health risks. Breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution and/or exposure to more extreme heat and…
Evidence-based Advice for Talking about Climate Change
Talking to people about climate change can feel like a tightrope act. You need to snag their interest, and you want them to understand why it’s so urgent to take action. Yet if you are really frank about the extreme…
Climate change and health are inherently local: rural or urban, climate change impacts us all
Images, photos, and news coverage of climate change impacts tend to zoom in on the urban consequences- flooding in the streets after a large rain event, destruction of buildings and gas stations during a hurricane, cars buried under mountains of…
Nurses utilize ecoAmerica’s research to inform outreach on climate change and health in the Nurses Climate Challenge
Throughout the years, nurses have played a vital role in addressing the many environmental hazards that affect human health. From advocating for safe workplace conditions to implementing community lead prevention initiatives to supporting policies to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke,…
Turning Climate Panic Into Progress: Your Talking Points
If Americans are hearing anything about climate change, it is likely the bad news. Our planet and its oceans are warming faster than predicted, causing billion-dollar weather disasters, a myriad of health impacts, climate refugees and more, with little time…
Climate Attitudes Differ in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Living
Climate change impacts all Americans, but presents itself differently in every corner of the U.S., ranging from hurricanes to droughts, superstorms and Nor’easters. To inspire more Americans to engage on the issue, we need to meet them where they live…
New Hope for Action: Key Republican Climate Attitudes Shift
As we transition into 2019 and welcome a new Congress, there is renewed hope for climate action. While political gridlock remains the greatest impediment to bold climate solutions, there is a shift in partisan attitudes in favor of progress in…
NEHA’s Declaration on 100% Clean Energy by 2030
As part of the National Environmental Health Association’s partnership with Climate for Health, we are addressing climate change through clean energy solutions. NEHA’s Board of Directors approved a declaration on 100% clean energy by 2030. Carbon pollution is warming our…
Climate Priorities for the New U.S. Congress
Last month’s election results sent a clear message: Americans consider climate change a top priority, and they want elected office holders to act. As the 116th Congress prepares to be sworn into office next month, many Americans are rightly questioning…
Climate Change is Making Headlines: How to Talk About it
Starting meaningful conversations about climate change with our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and policymakers has been a challenge in the past. How do you bring up the topic? How do you have a productive discussion? Recent headlines about reports from the…
Serving Up Climate Conversations for Thanksgiving
It’s that time of year again. Pumpkins are being carved, meals are being prepared, and most importantly, families are gathering. Thanksgiving is a time to catch up with loved ones, feast, and be thankful. Given the many extreme weather events…
72% of Americans Say Climate Solutions Should be a Higher Priority
Last month, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their special report outlining the consequence of a changing climate, and the measures necessary to avert the most dangerous scenarios. The report is a collaborative effort of 91…
OUR FUTURE V. THE UNITED STATES
October is traditionally celebrated as children’s health month. This is a time to bring attention to health issues unique to children as they grow, and work to improve the environments they’re growing in, to make them safer and healthier. It takes…
Climate as a Voting Issue, Part 2: A Majority of Americans Would Vote for a Climate Candidate
With elections just around the corner, and recent news coverage about politicians talking about climate change, Americans are beginning to think about the candidates and issues they will have the opportunity to vote on this November. Part of the mix of concerns…
NEHA and Climate for Health Release New Video Addressing Climate Change Impacts & Solutions
The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), in partnership with Climate for Health, a program of ecoAmerica, has developed a five-minute video featuring NEHA members’ success stories addressing climate change impacts and solutions. Environmental health professionals and members of NEHA’s Climate Change Committee from Cambridge,…
Voting and Climate Change: Talking Points
The midterm elections are just around the corner, and many Americans are beginning to have political discussions with their friends and families, colleagues, and communities. Amongst a myriad of voting concerns is climate change. And, even though it might not be…
Put Children’s Environmental Health at the Center This Election Season
Extreme weather conditions linked to climate change have impacted the environment, economy, and health of communities throughout the world. Recently in the U.S. alone there has been flooding in Texas and Philadelphia, droughts in parts of Arizona and New Mexico,…
Children’s Health Protection is a Critical Measure of Success in Addressing Climate Change
The voices of health professionals on climate solutions have been steadily rising and the health sector is stepping up to mitigate our own climate impact as an integral part of our commitment to improve human health. On September 12, 2018,…
Climate as a Voting Issue, Part 1: September American Climate Perspectives Survey
This election season has been filled with reports showing the widening partisan divide in America. Opinion gaps are growing on topics such as poor and disadvantaged communities, the size of government, corporations, military, immigration or other key social issues. Climate…
Climate change and the built environment: it’s time to make changes
Louisiana is known as a sportsman’s paradise, Florida is vacationland and, as we all know, everything is bigger in Texas. Unfortunately, that can be a problem, as some of the things that have been bigger lately have threatened vacation spots,…
Climate Change Can Bring Us Together: 5 Simple Rules for Climate Advocacy
Everywhere we turn it seems we bump up against something political. The news we watch, the athletes we support and even the restaurants where we eat are all increasingly viewed through the lens of partisan politics. Climate change has been…
Are Americans Connecting Severe Weather to Climate Change?
Throughout the country, Americans are noticing something different about the weather. The seasons feel warmer, wildfires seem worse, and floods and hurricanes are more severe. But when they turn on the news or pick up their newspapers, there is little…
Extreme Weather and Climate Change: Talking Points
Whether Americans are looking out their windows, or turning on the local news, we are increasingly confronted by severe weather events — unprecedented droughts, storms, floods and heatwaves are being seen and felt nationwide and around the world. The impact…
Public Health Impacts of Extreme Weather Associated with Climate Change
Nurses approach health from a holistic and comprehensive viewpoint. That holistic view of health is foundational to advocacy work I do as a member of several nursing and public health associations. Although climate change (CC) truly is a global challenge,…
Three Takeaways on Nuclear Power Survey
Within the climate community, one of the greatest areas of debate is the role of nuclear energy in the mix of climate solutions. Nuclear power already accounts for nearly 20% of America’s power supply, and there are growing voices of…
July is Climate Change & Children’s Health Month
ecoAmerica and Climate for Health are joining the Children’s Environmental Health Network to put #ChildrenAtTheCenter. In January, CEHN launched a monthly education-to-action series as part of the Children’s Environmental Health Movement. The origin of the CEH Movement, which also includes…
Health Leaders Explore Opportunities to Increase Climate Change Mitigation and Advocacy
Download Summary On May 15, ecoAmerica and Climate for Health convened more than 50 health leaders for the National Climate and Health Leadership Forum, co-hosted by the American Psychological Association (APA) in Washington, D.C. APA’s CEO, Dr. Arthur Evans, welcomed…
Humans Have a Right to Clean Air and a Healthy Climate
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all people are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Whenever any technological process becomes destructive of these…
Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Health: Making the Connection
As nurses, we know that clean air is essential for human health. Yet many people in the United States are living in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. According to the American Lung Association’s most recent State of the…
2018 June American Climate Perspectives: Mid-Year Summary
Americans’ attitudes on climate are changing, and the change is in a positive direction. To better understand how these views are evolving, and what that may mean, ecoAmerica has pulled together the most recent public opinion survey data from some…
Now Available: June Talking Points
Download Talking Points The discourse around a warming world often gets hung up on politics, but what Americans really care about — and want to hear about— are the challenges and opportunities that climate change has for their families and…
NEHA Members’ Climate and Health Awareness: Challenges, Growth, and Solutions
Addressing climate change can be overwhelming and daunting. However, NEHA and its Climate Change Program are up for the challenge. NEHA is meeting this task through its climate change website, which offers climate and health resources addressing: air quality, built…
A Closer Look: the Influence of Health and Faith on Climate
Are Americans looking to leaders outside of the political arena for guidance on climate change? ecoAmerica and Lake Research Partners set out to find this answer in the May 2018 American Climate Perspective Survey (ACPS). The ACPS found that there…
Climate changes tribal and indigenous health
Climate change is today’s greatest public health challenge. While all of us will experience the health impacts of climate change, some groups, including tribal communities, are particularly vulnerable. Climate justice requires ensuring fair treatment of all people — regardless of race, gender…
Visualizing Environmental & Climate Injustice in Rockport, Texas
I often struggle to instill in undergraduate nursing students the concept of inequity and why this is an important concept to understand for their nursing practice. I use the well-known slide of equality/equity of youth looking at a baseball game as…
Now Available: April Talking Points
A clean energy future is within our grasp. We can have locally-made energy from the wind and the sun that ensures our air is clean and our water is healthy. Communities across America are learning that smart investments in clean energy protect…
Examining what impacts biking behavior beyond the bike lane: Climate and health co-benefits
We’ve all heard the expression, “If you build it, they will come.” Does it apply to bike lanes and cyclists? If we paint some lanes on the side of the road will we be overrun with cyclists? Is it really…
Accelerating Health Leadership on Climate Solutions: New Polling Results Indicate Americans’ Changing Attitudes
Isaac Newton’s third law of motion is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Recalling our physics lessons might give us some insight into Pew’s January 2018 polling results, which found a seven point increase in just the…
Collective nursing leadership: Addressing climate change now and in the future
Since the start of our profession, nurses have made the connection between a healthy environment and improved health. Having clean air to breathe and clean water to drink are essential for human health and a key component to disease prevention.…
Honoring Our Heritage, Leaving a Legacy: Environmental Health and Climate Change
“Legacy” is defined, in part, as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past.” We often think about legacies in personal terms associated with our children—what will our legacy be to them when we are…
Now Available: February Talking Points
Health professionals have always been on the front lines of caring for their patients and advocating for solutions to America’s most pressing public health concerns. Today, as climate change delivers record-breaking storms, droughts, and increased pollution, health leaders are stepping…
A Path to Positive on Climate in 2018
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season…
1 Year In: Poll Finds Trump Stirring Climate Attitudes, Action
Most of what Americans heard from the Trump Administration in its first year focused on dismissing climate change as a human-made problem, undermining the legitimacy of news organizations covering the issue, and announcements about regulation rollbacks and exiting the Paris…
Welcome to Climate Talking Points! Your New Tools
It can be hard to have a positive discussion on climate change. It is a complex issue. Many of us are in our ideological information bubbles or struck by seemingly conflicting information. As we enter 2018, passions are high on…
ACLS 2017 Recommendations Report: Taking Up the Health Mantle
It’s here! The Recommendations Report from the 2017 American Climate Leadership Summit, “Taking Up the Mantle,” was published at the close of last year. On October 25 and 26, our parent organization, ecoAmerica, brought together 300 diverse national leaders from across sectors and society…