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, the importance of finding common ground, and how we create space for real dialogue to move us forward together.

Referenced in This Episode

RepublicEN

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium here. 

Healthy Climate America is produced by Savannah Martincic. Our podcast consultant is Julie Hantman. Our podcast intern is Isaias Segui. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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, they explore how health professionals can advocate for these efforts locally.

Referenced in This Episode

Climate Resolve

https://climateresolve.org/ 

Cool Surfaces in Pacoima

https://climateresolve.org/cool-surfaces-in-pacoima/ 

Urban Heat Island Index for California

https://calepa.ca.gov/climate/urban-heat-island-index-for-california/ 

Shine On Initiative

https://climateresolve.org/shine-on-initiative/ 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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 and advocacy.

Referenced in this episode: 

Climate Change Nearly Doubled Pregnancy Heat Risk Days in U.S.

https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/pregnancy-heat-risk-days 

Lōvu

https://lovu.health/ 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch 

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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 on the hottest days in its history - Delaney Nolan, The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/31/new-orleans-homeless-residents-extreme-heat  

Southern Solidarity

https://southernsolidarity.org/ 

ProPublica Wet Bulb Map

https://projects.propublica.org/climate-migration/#:~:text=Extreme%20Heat%20and%20Humidity%3A%202040%2D2060 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch 

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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/schizophrenia-extreme-heat-health-risk/ 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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 of Health Initiatives for the BlueGreen Alliance, and David Michaels, former Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, to talk about the dangers of extreme heat in the workplace, what solutions are needed to protect workers, and why a strong OSHA heat standard is vital.

Additional Resources: 

Week of Action to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat: https://www.heatjusticenow.org/

Checklist For A Model Heat Illness Prevention Rule: https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/resources/checklist-for-a-model-heat-illness-prevention-rule/ 

Economic Benefits of a Workplace Heat Standard: https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/resources/economic-benefits-of-workplace-heat-standards/ 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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 PSAT Scores: https://ph.ucla.edu/news-events/news/hot-classrooms-us-negatively-impact-learning 

Ambient outdoor heat and accelerated epigenetic aging among older adults in the US: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr0616 

Support our work and become a member of the Consortium by visiting http://bit.ly/member-mscch

Healthy Climate America is produced by Lucy Walker. Our podcast interns are Isaias Segui and Mathilda Tataw. Savannah Martincic is our manager of communication. A sincere thank you to Adam Karl for his support in the editing process. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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 funding threaten their ability to respond safely and effectively.

Host Lisa Patel sits down with Lazo Gitchos, a wildland firefighter and writer for The Nation, to talk about the hidden health risks of firefighting, and the resources crews need to better protect themselves and communities. 

Misinformation spreads fast, and we've all witnessed the consequences. Vaccine misinformation, climate denialism, and a host of medical conspiracy theories aren’t just fringe ideas anymore; they’re all over our social media platforms and in the halls of government. When information moves as quickly as it does in this digital age, how can health professionals use their trusted voice to share the truth? 

 Lisa sits down with John Cook, a senior research fellow at the Melbourne Center for Behavior change, to talk about misinformation and disinformation and what health professionals can do to push back.

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.