Climate for Health

The American Academy of Pediatrics partnered with ecoAmerica to host the National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum in October 2020 during Children’s Health Month. The virtual event featured panels, presentations, and working sessions focused on priorities and plans for solutions. Leaders from organizations with a stake in children’s health and/or climate change were invited to attend the 2-day event. The goals of the forum were to: 

• Increase awareness and inspire action on climate change and children’s health 
• Share information, ideas, opportunities, and best practices in addressing children’s health and wellbeing amidst increasing impacts of climate change 
• Build leadership, capacity and collaboration to address climate and children’s issues  

The recorded sessions from the forum include: 

Day 1:  

• Climate Change and Children’s Health: The Task Ahead 
• Remarks from Dr Goza 
• Building Plans for Action  
• Wrap-up and thank you  

Day 2: 

• Welcome  
• Building Momentum for Advocacy  
• Thank you, Dr Goza 
• Thank you Mark Del Monte 

The event brought together 75 AAP members, environmental organizations, and health leaders. Participants shared ideas, made connections, and will continue to work together. The following report overviews the four themes that emerged from the forum and next steps.

National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum 2020 Report: Summary of Conference Proceedings and Key Actions

On April 22, 2020, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) partnered with ecoAmerica’s Climate for Health program to present Children's Health & Climate Change: A Moment of Reflection on Earth Day's 50th Anniversary. Moderated by Jerome Paulson, MD, FAAP and presented by Meighen Speiser (Executive Director, ecoAmerica), Lori Byron, MD, FAAP, Lisa Patel, MD, FAAP & Rebecca Philipsborn, MD, FAAP, the webinar focused on the extraordinary and devastating experience of the COVID-19 pandemic that both exposed vulnerabilities and suggested public health solutions that informed reflections on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Participants connected with colleagues to discuss efforts to protect children's health through climate action. This virtual forum featured national and state perspectives, outlined priorities, and shared solutions. The archived webinar can be viewed below. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has partnered with ecoAmerica through their Climate for Health program to develop a new video, “Our Children, Our Future: Why the AAP is Leading on Climate Change, and How Pediatricians Can Help.” Climate change poses threats to human health, safety, and security, and children are at particularly high risk. Pediatricians, as advocates for this vulnerable population, have a valuable role to play in the climate and health movement. The AAP recognizes this opportunity and is working with members and partners to ensure that the health and welfare of children are prioritized.​ 

• ​​Let's Talk Health and Climate: Communication Guidance for Health Professionals: This guide is designed to be useful for experienced and novice climate change and health communicators alike. It ​synthesizes the latest academic research and message testing on climate communications from across the social sciences into a practical guide to support meaningful discussion of climate change and health with individuals and groups. ​​ 
• Climate for Health's Talking Points​:​ These new, monthly talking points are designed to help you have meaningful and effective conversations about climate! Each month, Climate for Health will choose a theme, provide a few positive talking points, and give some responses to key criticisms. This guidance is grounded in ecoAmerica's extensive research. 
• ​Talking Points on the most climate-vulnerable Americans: our children. 
  Download here​​​ ​ 

The Climate and Children's Health compendium was developed by AAP subject matter experts to create resources for pediatricians to teach as well as learn from their peers on how a changing climate is affecting children's health. It was produced in partnership with Climate for Health, a program of ecoAmerica. 

Long PowerPoint (PPT) presentation: This presentation is 47 slides long and would be appropriate for a 1-hour presentation to pediatric health professionals. It provides an in-depth look at how climate affects children's health, and ways in which pediatricians can get involved. It also includes customizable slides and links to region-specific information. 

Short PPT presentation: This presentation is 27 slides long and would be appropriate for a 30-minute presentation to pediatric health professionals. It provides a broad overview of how climate affects children's health, and ways in which pediatricians can get involved. It also includes customizable slides and links to region-specific information. 

Climate Change & Children's Health Handout: This handout can be distributed to pediatric health professional peers at meetings and conferences. It provides a brief summary of how climate change affects children's health, and how primary care providers are already seeing those effects in their everyday practices. 

Climate Change & Children's Health pamphlet: This pamphlet can be printed and distributed to pediatric health professionals and provides convenient and concise information on climate change, its effects on children's health, both direct and indirect, and provides suggestions for solutions and further action to get involved. 

Climate Change & Children's Health Op-Ed (template): This op-ed template provides suggested content to submit to local newspaper op-ed sections. It includes information on how climate change is affecting children's health, why pediatricians are concerned, and ways in which communities can take action. Op-eds are a way in which pediatricians can voice their concerns to both local leaders and their communities.   

​Climate Changes Children's Health (archived webinar) 

Created by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and ecoAmerica / Climate for Health, this webinar is co-presented by Samantha Ahdoot, MD, FAAP, lead author of the AAP's policy statement on climate change, and discusses many of the ways  that climate change affects children's health. Samuel Myers, MD, MPH also presents on how climate change reduces the nutritional value of crops. Download the associated Fact Sheet, endorsed by the AAP 

Climate Changes Mental Health (archived webinar) 

Created by the American Public Health Association, ecoAmerica, Climate for Health, and the American Psychological Association, this webinar provides insights on how the conditions of climate change can impact mental health and how this presents itself in our communities. Presenters include Mollie Marti, PhD, JD, Susan Clayton, PhD, MS, and Lise Van Susteren, MD. Download the associated Fact Sheet.

Climate Changes Allergies and Asthma (archived webinar)

Created by the American Public Health Association, ecoAmerica, and Climate for Health, during this webinar, participants will discover how climate change conditions impact allergies and asthma. Presenters include Mark Mitchell, MD, David B. Peden, MD, MS, and Mona Sarfaty, MD, MPH. Download the associated Fact Sheet.

​Changing Climate through Healthy Community Design and Transportation (archived webinar)

Created by the American Public Health Association, ecoAmerica, Climate for Health, and the American College of Sports Medicine, this webinar discusses how transportation and healthy community design can ease the clinical impacts of climate change. Presenters include Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, and James Whitehead. Download the associated Fact Sheet​. 

Report: Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance 
This guide chronicles the impacts of climate change on Americans’ health and psychological well-being, including increases in stress and anxiety, loss of community identity, heightened aggression and violence, and many others. It builds from ecoAmerica and the American Psychological Association's 2014 Beyond Storms and Droughts research, and is intended to further inform and empower health and medical professionals, community and elected leaders, and the public.​ View the archived webinar​​.

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