Climate Checkup is an award-winning MedPage Today column on climate change and well-being, authored by experts affiliated with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.
*The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health or its members.
The Smoldering Symphony of Los Angeles: The Burn and Afterburn
January 14, 2025 | Manijeh Berenji, MD, MPH
As an occupational and environmental medicine physician, I’ve dedicated my career to understanding the intricacies of how our environment impacts our health. The current wildfire crisis in Los Angeles has crystallized the urgency of our mission.
Utility Shutoffs Can Be Deadly During Extreme Weather Events
November 25, 2024 | Cheryl L. Holder, MD
Losing electricity during an extreme weather event, including extreme heat, exacerbates the threat to life. We need to consider a more overarching solution to protect patients.
The Project 2025 Promise: Worse Health and Climate Chaos
October 8, 2024 | Beth Zigmund, MD
Climate change is threatening health and financial well-being, as 2024 sees record-breaking wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. The U.S. faces a critical choice this November: continued climate leadership or Project 2025.
Our Patients With Disabilities Face Unique Environmental Risks
September 14, 2024 | Anita Lowe Taylor, MD
People with disabilities constitute 16% of the world’s population. As every disability is unique, people in this population are as diverse as they are vulnerable to the many health consequences of climate change.
We’re Missing Opportunities to Help Pregnant Patients Navigate Environmental Threats
August 27, 2024 | Ruben Alvero, MD
Physicians and other healthcare professionals must step up and embrace their critical role in the climate crisis. This includes educating yourself on the pregnancy-related risks of a warming planet and air pollution, so you can better guide your patients on ways to protect themselves.
How to Prevent Heat-Related Illness in Pediatric Patients
July 30, 2024 | Bethany Carlos, MD, MPH
As healthcare professionals, we must be educated about the effects of climate change on health, especially for vulnerable groups like kids, and engage our patients and parents in the discussion.
With the End of Chevron, Health and Environmental Experts’ Hands Are Tied
July 8, 2024 | Elizabeth Cerceo, MD
The Supreme Court’s ruling overturning what’s known as “Chevron deference prioritizes business interests over public health in a decision that weakens the ability of agencies to enforce regulations.
Summer Heat Waves Pose a Deadly Threat to Patients With Mental Illness
May 28, 2024 | Robert Feder, MD
This summer is expected to be the hottest on record. These unprecedented temperatures pose particular risks to the more than 20% of Americans living with some kind of mental illness.
Can You Guess Which New EPA Rule Offers $13 Billion in Annual Health Benefits?
April 7, 2024 | Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, MHS
EPA’s new standards for vehicle emissions will improve air quality, pave the way to a zero-emission future, and make our communities healthier — helping us all breathe easier.
Are Your Patients’ Allergies Worsening? Climate Change May Be at Play
March 17, 2024 | Neelu Tummala, MD
Climate change is worsening allergy season and its impacts on respiratory health. Taking action, no matter how small, matters.
To Better Connect Climate Change With Health, Focus on Patient Education
March 5, 2024 | Earl Stewart, Jr., MD
Although formal training on climate change and health is often limited, physicians have the practical skills and basic expertise to get started.
The Green New Deal for Health Should Not Be Kept a Secret
February 3, 2024 | Elizabeth Cerceo, MD
The legislative package would lay the groundwork for resilience by improving health care sustainability and supporting patients, clinicians, and communities.
It’s High Time to Protect Farmworkers From Heat-Related Illness and Death
January 7, 2024 | Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN
Farmworkers are on the frontlines of climate change, and as the world continues to warm, the threats to their health only grow.
Our Patients Need Us to Stand Up to Big Oil
December 13, 2023 | Lisa Patel, MD, MESc
In the inaugural op-ed, Dr. Patel explores an ongoing regulatory battle in California over the siting of oil and gas wells to paint a clear picture of how the industry evades accountability to protect its profits and perpetuate health harms.