By Ava Corey-Gruenes, MAOrganizer and Outreach Coordinator, HPHC
HPHC welcomes Ava Corey-Gruenes, MA to our small but mighty team!
You’ll find Ava scaling up existing projects like mobilizing advocates to speak about the health benefits of electric school buses and leading new projects to engage more health professionals across the state.
Read on to get to know Ava — including how they approach organizing amid growing challenges, her deep passion for building local power, and more.
Finding hope through systemic action.
Amid the growing challenges we face — intensifying storms, record-breaking heatwaves and droughts, and increasing health inequities — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I find that taking meaningful action toward systemic change not only mitigates despair, but fosters hope and affirms the possibility of a better, healthier future.
When I first became aware of environmental challenges, I focused on reducing my individual carbon footprint — eating plant-based, avoiding plastic, using public transportation, and minimizing my consumption. These steps felt tangible and within my control.
But my perspective shifted profoundly in 2019 when I learned about the staggering scale of emissions from the U.S. military. According to a report by Durham and Lancaster Universities, if the military were a country, it would rank as the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, based on fuel usage alone — comparable to the total emissions of countries like Romania.
This figure excludes other sources of emissions, such as electricity consumption and land-use changes, and doesn’t account for the loss of human life and natural habitat caused by the 337,000 bombs and missiles the U.S. military has dropped on other nations in the last 20 years, averaging 46 strikes daily, according to their own airpower summaries.
The harms to people, health, and the planet are interconnected.
This realization was a turning point for me. It underscored how environmental harm is deeply interconnected with systemic violence, often targeting frontline communities first and worst.
While I continue my efforts to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, addressing these crises demands more than individual lifestyle changes — it requires dismantling the structures that perpetuate both environmental degradation and social injustice.
In my new role as the Organizer and Outreach Coordinator for Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, I’m excited to join a team dedicated to addressing the root causes of environmental and public health crises.
With HPHC, you can work alongside me as we:
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Engage health professionals and potential advocates statewide, and
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Connect on projects that match your interests and skills aligned with HPHC’s mission of inspiring and activating health professionals to tackle climate change through education, clinical practice, and public advocacy,
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Promote clean, sustainable, and accessible transportation solutions for improved health outcomes, and
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Support decarbonization efforts in homes and workplaces to improve health and well-being within these spaces.
Think long-term, think local.
Right now, I’m especially focused on movement mapping across the state.
Building, supporting, and responding to local power is essential for sustaining long-term social change, and I’m excited to help communities use a health-centered approach to advocate for environmental justice.
This work thrives on collaboration. Whether you’re a health professional, community advocate, or concerned neighbor, there’s a place for you in this movement.
I would love to hear about the concerns you’re noticing in your community and explore how we can work together to create meaningful change.
Warm wishes,
Ava
My inbox is always open for your ideas and questions!
Reach me at [email protected].
From microplastics research to electric school bus op-ed writing to organizing a direct action in your community, there’s something for everyone.
In just a few clicks, you can share how you want to connect to HPHC, the grassroots hub where Minnesota’s health community leads on climate.
