Earth Week 2024 Recap | 4/28/2024
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In this week’s newsletter, we recap and share some of the events CHILL hosted and attended during Earth Week 2024.
Healthy Earth Day event in NYC, April 22
In celebration of Earth Day, CHILL partnered with Mika Health and J.P. Morgan for a happy hour event in New York City. The Healthy Earth Day was a success with a discussion and audience Q&A with with Arnab Ghosh, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell, and Oriana Fuentes, Founder/CEO of Mika Health. The event drew a curious and active crowd, eager to explore the intersection of climate and health. Dr. Ghosh, a distinguished NIH Climate and Health scholar, shared his compelling journey from the wildfires in Australia to his critical work at Bellevue Hospital during Hurricane Sandy. Dr. Ghosh's insights into how climate change, particularly extreme heat, affects health conditions like hypertension and diabetes were illuminating. Oriana also presented striking statistics about the environmental impact of the U.S. healthcare system and discussed initiatives to enhance transparency in healthcare supply chains as an important step to move towards reduced waste.
Climate and Health Day, April 25th
The NAM Climate and Health Day, co-hosted with Kaiser Permanente and Climate Group, showcased a series of panels featuring distinguished leaders across the health and climate sectors. Notable speakers like Victor Dzau of NAM, Ali Zaidi from the White House Climate Policy Office, along with experts from the private sector such as AstraZeneca, the World Bank, and more, discussed the investments and actions needed to address the climate health nexus. The event featured influential figures such as WHO Director-General Special Envoy on Climate and Health, Vanessa Kerry and OCCHE Director John Balbus, both spotlighted the importance of cross-sector connections. The day also marked the launch of NAM’s initiative 'Accelerating the National Climate and Health Movement,' aimed at galvanizing nationwide efforts to address climate-related health challenges."
The conversations during the event delved deep into specific issues and solutions. For instance, the panel moderated by Maureen Lichtveld, focused on strategies for 'climate-proofing' healthcare at the community level, sharing insights on how health care facilities can adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change to maintain essential services. These discussions highlighted the urgency and complexity of integrating climate resilience into health care planning and community outreach.
Join the Movement:
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this transformative initiative. Everyone is invited to apply for the NAM Grand Climate Challenge. Learn more and get involved here.
Other news
American Medical Association article: “What doctors wished patients knew about climate change’s health impact” link
Dean of Stanford Medicine Lloyd Minor interviews Vanessa Kerry, WHO Director-General Special Envoy on Climate and Health link
BMJ article: “How to communicate about climate change with patients” by leading Climate and Health scholars, Lisa Patel, Stefan Wheat, Rebecca Philipsborn, and Ed Maibach link
Events & opportunities
Other events and opportunities in the coming weeks:
NYU Health, healthcare, and Climate Action conference on May 6th in NYC, featuring Chethan Sarabu from CHILL link
CleanMed 2024 Conference - May 21-23, Salt Lake City, UT link
Luminary Labs announces a range of Prizable Climate Opportunities - link
EPA funding to make sense of data around air pollution impacting underserved communities - link