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PODCAST

Healthy Climate America

The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health

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

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All Episodes

20:10

Body Weather: Navigating Chronic Illness in a Fevered...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/09/24

In this episode, Lorraine Boissoneault, author of "Body Weather: Notes on Chronic Illness in the Anthropocene," joins us to talk about the connection between climate and chronic illness, how health professionals can better center these experiences, and why paying attention to our own bodies might help us understand our changing planet. Mentioned in this episode: "Body Weather: Notes on Chronic Illness in the Anthropocene": https://www.lboissoneault.com/body-weather Join or support the

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14:51

Extreme Weather Explained: The Cost of Insuring a...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/08/27

Across the country, extreme weather is putting enormous pressure on the insurance system. To help us understand what's driving the crisis and how we can respond, we're excited to welcome Yvette Martinez to the final episode of our Extreme Weather Explained series. Yvette works with Extreme Weather Survivors, serving as the campaign director and senior advisor for the Affordable Insurance Now Coalition. We'll talk about the growing insurance crisis, efforts to protect homeowners and hold polluters

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18:19

Extreme Weather Explained: Building Resilient...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/08/06

What does it take to create a healthcare system that's ready for a changing climate? And how do we help patients stay safe outside of the clinic and hospital walls? To help us explore these questions and more, we're excited to welcome Nate Matthews-Trigg to the fifth episode of our Extreme Weather Explained series. Nate is the Americares director of climate and disaster resilience for the Americas. We'll talk about the challenges extreme weather poses to healthcare, what resilience looks like in

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19:35

Extreme Weather Explained: Incarceration in a...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/07/23

For people who are incarcerated or detained, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and extreme heat can become life-threatening events shaped by isolation, limited resources, and systemic failures. On the fourth episode of Extreme Weather Explained, host Dr. Lisa Patel sits down with Faith Taylor, a doctoral candidate at the Yale School of the Environment whose research examines disaster risks in carceral facilities. Faith shares what disasters reveal about inequities in safety and protection, why

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22:36

Extreme Weather Explained: Psychological First Aid...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/07/09

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? On the third episode of Extreme Weather Explained, host Dr. Lisa Patel sits down with April Naturale, a

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15:34

Extreme Weather Explained: A Weakened FEMA in the Eye...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/06/18

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 breaks down recent changes to the agency, what they mean for our ability to prepare for and respond to

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20:19

Extreme Weather Explained: El Niño, Climate Change,...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/06/04

Welcome to our 2026 summer series, "Extreme Weather Explained." To kick things off, host Dr. Lisa Patel sits down with Shel Winkley, the Senior Engagement Specialist and Meteorologist 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 understand these complex realities. Mentioned in this episode: Climate Central: https://www.climatecentral.org/

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19:47

Cooling Our Communities: A Policy Playbook for...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/05/21

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, we talk about how heat resilience efforts are evolving, promising solutions emerging across the country, and a new

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19:19

Who Profits and Who Pays: The Fight for Climate...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/05/07

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, and deception. In this episode, Iyla Shornstein, political Director at the Center for Climate

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18:41

Storytelling for Systems Change: Turning Purpose Into...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/03/26

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 Khedkar Rao, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago. When health

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16:41

What a Beautiful Future Can Look Like: Three...

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/03/13

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 focus on community health and education. Dr. Keisha Reneé Callins (Georgia) is an OB/GYN with a lens of

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22:10

Caring Across Borders: Climate Migration and Health

Healthy Climate America ·

2026/02/26

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 preparedness, and emergency response. She sits down with host Dr. Lisa Patel to explore who is affected, what

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05:23

Season 1 Finale: We'll Keep Showing Up

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/12/31

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 intern is Isaias Segui. Our music was composed by James Harp.

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16:49

Cancer Alley: Petrochemicals and the Battle to Survive

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/12/11

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 push back against the proliferation of petrochemical industries. In this episode, Sharon reflects on the

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18:49

Food as Medicine: Nourishing Ourselves and the Planet

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/11/26

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 educating her patients and colleagues on the merits of more sustainable and healthier diets as a way to

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18:25

The Organizer's Handbook Ep. 3: Insights From Youth...

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/11/13

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 of climate change more effectively than ever before? On the final episode of "The Organizer's

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19:28

The Organizer's Handbook Ep. 2: Solidarity in Action

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/10/30

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 problem, what true solidarity looks like in organizing, and how trust and humility can help health

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24:52

The Organizer’s Handbook Ep. 1: From Healing to...

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/10/16

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 mentorship. Gaurab and Pedja discuss their journeys into this work, the power of building connections,

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21:28

Faith in Action: Building Hope and Freedom Through...

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/10/02

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. He joins host Dr. Lisa Patel to talk about his journey into climate advocacy, his work with tribal

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22:04

Defending Science and Health: A Conversation With...

Healthy Climate America ·

2025/09/18

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 endangerment finding was issued. We’re thrilled to have her with us today to tell us more about why the

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