Healthy Climate America

Content warning:  This episode discusses mass violence, disasters, and their psychological impact. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please take care while listening and feel free to pause or skip this episode if needed.   Disasters affect more than homes and infrastructure. They can also have lasting impacts on mental health and well-being. What can we do to help people recover? O...

From firing staff and freezing recovery grants to rolling back resilience programs, recent changes to FEMA have left it unprepared to deal with worsening extreme weather. What does that mean for our communities? On the second episode of Extreme Weather Explained, host Dr. Lisa Patel sits down with Shana Udvardy, a Senior Climate Resilience Policy Analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Shana...

Welcome to  our 2026 summer series,   "Extreme Weather Explained ."  To kick things off, host Dr. Lisa Patel sits down with Shel Winkley, the  S enior  E ngagement  S pecialist and  M eteorologist at Climate Central. Shel breaks down what a "super" El Niño could bring, the ways climate change is reshaping extreme events, and how health professionals can help people cut through the  noise to unders...

Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard in this country.  The good news is that this is preventable. Saving lives starts with preparing before heat hits while laying the foundation for more resilient communities.    Our guest is Grace Wickerson, senior manager of climate and health at the Federation of American Scientists.  In this special Heat Safety Week episode, w e talk ab...

From Big Tobacco to the gun industry, we know what happens when powerful industries avoid responsibility: Communities pay the price  with  their health and their lives. Now, a similar effort is underway. The fossil fuel industry is currently working to secure immunity from laws and lawsuits that could hold them liable for fueling the climate crisis, and running a campaign of denial, disinformation...

At the 2026 Our Planet, Our Health Convention, three incredible health professionals courageously told the story of how and why they became the climate advocates they are today. You can now hear their stories in this special epsiode. Our storytellers are Nisha Sridhar, a fourth-year medical student; Wendy Bernstein, a senior community psychiatrist at the Wellness Equity Alliance; and Sheetal Khedk...

Our annual conventions bring health professionals and advocates from around the country together to learn and innovate. This year, three participants agreed to visit our new podcast studio to share what they're up to, their passion and commitment, their projects at home, and their particular approach to climate health. Dr. Amanda d'Almeida (California) is a newly minted family physician with a foc...

Climate change is increasingly shaping why people are forced to leave their homes, the risks they face along the way, and their health and safety in new places. Today's guest is Marysel Pagán Santana, DrPH, MS, the Director of Environmental and Occupational Health of Migrant Clinicians Network in Puerto Rico. She leads and coordinates MCN projects related to occupational health, disaster preparedn...

 In this special mini episode, we're taking a moment to reflect on where we've been this year and to look ahead at what the path forward may hold in 2026. Support our work and become a member of the Consortium here: https://medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org/donate-or-become-a-member/  Healthy Climate America is produced by Savannah Martincic. Our podcast consultant is Julie Hantman. Our podcast int...

Cancer Alley is an 85-mile stretch of land from  New Orleans to Baton Rouge. With the largest density of petrochemical operations in the world, the area is ground zero for environmental injustice and human rights violations. Sharon Lavigne is a pioneering organizer who resides along Cancer Alley in St. James Parish, Louisiana. She's a former special education teacher who founded RISE St. James to...

 As families start gathering this holiday season, this episode invites us to consider how nourishing ourselves with thoughtful food choices can also help care for the planet. Our guest is Dr. Tamiko Katsumoto. Dr. Katsumoto is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University and is board-certified in lifestyle medicine. She is passionate about ed...

From global walkouts and strikes to protests and boycotts, youth climate activists  are showing how collective action can drive real change by organizing and mobilizing thousands around bold campaigns.  At the same time, help professionals are bringing their expertise and trusted voices to the fight. So how do we bring these groups together to amplify their impact and tackle the complex challenges...

The climate crisis is calling on health professionals to organize in new ways. Around the world, they're turning that concern into collective action. In the second episode of our fall organizing series, guest host Pedja Stojicic sits down with Shweta Narayan, a trained social worker with over two decades of environmental justice campaigning and advocacy experience. She discusses the scope of the p...

As the effects of the climate crisis worsen, more and more health professionals are recognizing that healing their communities also means organizing for change.  In the first episode of our new three-part miniseries, host Lisa Patel sits down with Drs. Gaurab Basu and Pedja Stojicic. They are showing what's possible in climate and health organizing, while helping others grow through training and m...

Even in the face of exhausting headlines and deep division, communities are finding ways to care for one another, take bold local action, and imagine new possibilities. From installing solar panels at churches to advancing tribal energy sovereignty, these efforts show that freedom and hope can still be created. Our guest today is Reverend Casey Martinez-Tinnin, a  queer pastor and justice advocate...

For the last 15 years, the endangerment finding has been a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy. Now, it and many other crucial protections are under attack. The proposed rollback would undermine mountains of scientific evidence and harm our health. Our guest today is the incomparable Gina McCarthy, who was serving as Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation when the endangermen...

Sustainability in healthcare is no longer a distant goal—it's happening now. Across hospitals, health professionals are rethinking long-standing practices to cut waste and make care safer, smarter, and more resilient. On this week's episode, host Lisa Patel sits down with Drs. Preeti Jaggi and Shreya Doshi. Together, they have established "Sustainabil-ID," a collaborative dedicated to advancing su...

Climate change has become one of the most polarizing issues in American politics. For decades, the conversation has often fallen along party lines, fueled by mistrust, disinformation, and entrenched beliefs. On this week's episode, host Lisa Patel sits down with Bob Inglis, a former U.S. Representative and current executive director of republicEN. They discuss his journey from skeptic to advocate,...

Extreme heat is a growing threat, and communities need practical solutions. In this episode, guest host Dr. Marc Futernick sits down with Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve, to talk about a needed but often overlooked solution: cool surfaces. They discuss how cool surfaces can reduce urban heat, improve health outcomes, and deliver real economic and climate benefits. Plus, the...

Extreme heat is becoming a major threat to pregnant people and their babies. In this episode, guest host Dr. Bruce Bekkar sits down with Dr. Santosh Pandipati, Co-Founder and Chief Health Officer at Lōvu and Founder and President of Silicon Valley Maternal-Fetal Medicine. They discuss the health impacts, the inequities that worsen them, and how health professionals can help through patient care an...

Guest host Dr. Neda Frayha sits down with Delaney Nolan, a freelance journalist based in New Orleans, to talk about the critical intersection of extreme heat and housing. They discuss the risks, what solutions are needed, and how health professionals can better support populations who may not have access to the resources they need to stay safe. 'The heat will eat you up': homeless in New Orleans o...

From antidepressants to beta-blockers, common medications can make heat more dangerous. Guest host Dr. Neha Pathak sits down with Dr. Hayley Blackburn to talk about how heat intereacts with common medications, and how providers can better prepare their patients for high temperatures.    Washington Post: Heat's Hidden Risk https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/schizoph...

Across the country, we're seeing the growing impacts of extreme heat, and workers are among those on the frontlines. As temperatures rise, so do the dangers of heat-related illness, injury, and death on the job. Yet protections often lag behind, leaving millions of indoor and outdoor workers at risk. Guest host Cheryl Holder sits down with Charlotte Brody, a registered nurse and the Vice President...

On the first episode of our Summer Series, Lisa Patel sits down with Marc Futernick, an emergency medicine physician in California (and future Summer Series host!). Listen along as they lay the groundwork on the health harms of extreme heat and what health professionals and patients might need to know as temperatures rise.    Referenced this episode:    Heat and Learning: Evidence from 21 million...

From Los Angeles to Lahaina, wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity. The destruction is evident: destroyed homes, devastated communities, lives lost. But the health harms firefighters face often go unseen.  As firefighters work day in and day out on the frontlines, they expose themselves to chronic health risks that rarely make headlines. At the same time, cuts to fire prevention fundi...