Healthy Climate America
Hosted by Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and Executive Director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, this podcast focuses on how health professionals, policy makers, advocates, communicators, and activists are working to tackle the different sides of the greatest health crisis facing us today—climate change. The movement for climate and health justice is a broad one, and there are so many ways to fight for a healthier future. On Healthy Climate America, we’ll talk with infectious disease experts, mental health clinicians, labor advocates, and many others from all different sides of the climate movement. We’ll dis...
Live Episode: Stories of Self
Join us for our first ever live episode, recorded at the Consortium's Annual Convention. We'll hear from four storytellers who shared what inspired their journey in climate and health. Listen to the stories of Zayna Salveter, Anusha Govind, Burcin Ikiz, and Trisha Dalapati, and learn more about the power of storytelling to shape climate action.
Nature, Disease, and a Changing Planet
Host Lisa Patel sits down with Dr. Neil Vora for a conversation on the intersection of climate change and infectious disease. They explore how rising global temperatures and environmental disruption are fueling the emergence and spread of infectious diseases—including the increasing threat of spillover viruses jumping from animals to humans. Learn how nature-based solutions can bridge the gap between climate and health, and why addressing biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation is essential for our health.
Referenced this episode:
The Lancet: Nature-based solutions are essential for climate and health action
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Health Voices in the Courtroom: Supporting Youth in Held v. Montana
In August 2023, a group of brave young Montanans took a stand for their right to a healthy environment—and they won. Join Lisa as she speaks with Drs. Lori and Rob Byron, who contributed their medical expertise to this landmark case. Together, they delve into the impacts of climate change on Montana, explore how these inspiring youth used their voices in the courtroom, and share how doctors can apply their unique knowledge to advocate for climate action.
Referenced this episode:
Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate: https://www.montanahphc.org/
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How We Organize to Win for Climate and Health
In the past eight weeks, we’ve seen cuts to the federal workforce, a rolling back of environmental protections, and a host of other threats to our democratic institutions. Host Lisa Patel sits down with Daniel Hunter, founder of Choose Democracy, to talk about what a path forward looks like. How do we resist effectively to better protect our communities? What are our next steps? And how do we move from overwhelm to action?
Referenced this episode:
You can find more resources on Choose Democracy’s website: https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/
Threat Multiplier: Climate Change and National Security
Climate change isn’t just an environmental crisis—it’s a national security threat. Today, we’re diving into how climate change affects global stability and military preparedness. From extreme weather events to rising infectious diseases, the military has long recognized climate change as a “threat multiplier” with profound geopolitical consequences.
Join us as we talk with Sherri Goodman, Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center and Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate & Security. In her new book, Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security, she explores how military leaders are adapting to...
The End of Chevron: What It Means for Health and the Environment
Host Lisa Patel talks with John Walke, senior advocate at the NRDC, about the Supreme Court's elimination of Chevron deference—a move that shifts interpretation of regulations from agency experts to judges. At a time when the Trump administration is making broad, deregulatory moves, understanding the loss of Chevron Deference is all the more crucial.
Walke delves into the history, politics, and potential fallout, including the implications for environmental and public health protections, and shares how health professionals can speak up.
Referenced this episode
From NRDC: The Supre...
Building Momentum, Building a Movement: Advocacy Within Medical Societies
How do you inspire a major medical society to take on climate action? Dr. Jerry Abraham has some powerful insights. Join him and host Lisa Patel as they explore his path into climate advocacy, his dedication to climate justice and racial equity, and the strategic moves he's using to elevate climate change within his medical society.
Referenced this episode:
AMA’s declaration of climate change as a public health crisis: https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-adopts-new-policy-declaring-climate-change-public-health-crisis
Climate and Health Organizing Fellowship:
https://www.healthequity.challianc...
The False Promise of Natural Gas: Exploring LNG Advocacy
At just 12 years old, Dr. Laalitha Surapaneni's life was forever changed by a devastating explosion at a liquefied natural gas plant in her hometown. Now, as a leading advocate against LNG production, transportation, and infrastructure, Laalitha works to protect communities like hers from the dangers of fossil fuels. Join her and host Lisa Patel as they tackle the inequitable health impacts of LNG, dispel industry myths, and share effective advocacy strategies for health professionals.
You can submit your comment on the health harms of LNG to DOE here: https://www.votervoice.net/HP4C/Campaigns/119909/Res...
Gas Stoves & Indoor Air: The Health Risks We Need to Talk About
In this episode of Healthy Climate America, host Lisa Patel discusses the hidden health hazard of indoor air pollution with guest Brady Seals, lead author of a groundbreaking study linking gas stoves to increased pediatric asthma cases. Together, they break down the surprising role of gas stoves in indoor pollution, the political and social waves sparked by the study, and the practical steps we can all take to protect our health at home. Seals shares her unique journey from global work on clean cook stoves to advocating for electric and induction alternatives, highlighting the need for robust policies and...
From Anxiety to Action: Protecting Mental Health in a Changing Climate
In this episode of Healthy Climate America, host Lisa Patel speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital. They discuss the significant mental health toll climate change is having on children, including increased anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression. Dr. Pinsky shares her personal journey into climate work, strategies for managing climate distress in clinical practice, and ways to build resilience for sustained climate advocacy. The conversation also emphasizes collective action, community support, and broader climate activism as essential elements for both personal and professional well-being.
