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.
It Can Happen Here
September 22, 2025 | Janelle White, MD, MHCM
After each new unprecedented environmental disaster, news stories feature a stunned community member saying something like: “This doesn’t happen in my neighborhood.” As healthcare providers, we need to accept that it can happen here — and we need to be prepared.
President Trump Wants to Undo EPA’s Ability to Protect Our Climate and Air
August 15, 2025 | Beth Zigmund, MD
This summer is a testament to the growing menace of climate change. Dangerous flash floods, heat waves, and wildfire smoke have assailed the U.S. for months, with no end in sight. Despite this, President Trump is now using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to aim its sledgehammer at the “endangerment finding,” which gives the EPA the authority to regulate air-polluting, climate-warming gases.
Mass Transit and Active Transport Are a Boon to Health — and Climate
August 7, 2025 | Micah Nishigaki, MD
Even if you’d rather drive, mass transit and active transportation benefit you and your patients more than you may know. More transportation options mean fewer cars on the road — which means better health, a cleaner environment, and less traffic for everyone.
Mental Health Is Melting
July 16, 2025 | Ifeanyi Olele, DO, MBA, MS
We know that heat is the deadliest climate impact, killing more Americans each year than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. But the mental health impacts of heat are less well-known. This is not just a public health issue, but a mental health emergency that has been driven by history, policy, and design.
Trump Takes Aim at the Climate
June 17, 2025 | Roger Hicks, MD
Federal policy shapes both climate and health outcomes. Many of President Trump’s recent Executive Orders (EOs) threaten to accelerate climate change, disrupt international agreements, and deepen health disparities, especially among our most vulnerable patients and their communities.
A Yellow Warning: This Year’s Pollen Surge Was More Than Just a Nuisance
June 3, 2025 | Benjamin Wibonele, MD
If you live almost anywhere in the U.S., you’ve probably noticed it: the dusting of yellow powder on your car, your windowsill, and even your eyelashes. This spring, Americans have been engulfed by an overwhelming wave of pollen — not just an inconvenience, but a historic high.
Our Green-Energy Future Hangs in the Balance
April 18, 2025 | Anita Lowe Taylor, MD
While we medical professionals cannot restore the health of patients who have already suffered irreversible fates, we can use our trusted voices to urge our elected leaders to protect these important laws.
Cancer Care Changes With the Climate
March 11, 2025 | Eric Bernicker, MD, and Joan H. Schiller, MD
Climate change and the associated extreme weather events will continue to adversely affect the delivery of healthcare. Cancer patients — because of the complexity of their multidisciplinary care — are vulnerable to the interruptions in care posed by environmental crises.
Bring Environmental Sustainability to Your Practice in 2025
February 12, 2025 | Todd L. Sack, MD
Healthcare practices have a significant environmental impact, and it isn’t pretty. Fortunately, there are excellent online resources designed to accelerate environmental sustainability in medical practices.
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.