More summer smoke? Experts monitor climate-fueled events and health effects
Dr. Bruce Snyder, co-founder of Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, worries about a repeat summer of thick, hazy smoke in the air creating unhealthy conditions… Snyder emphasized it is not just air pollution from wildfire smoke to worry about. He pointed out there are other ways a person’s health can suffer from climate change.… Read more »
The debate over ethanol’s future stalls push for less-harmful gasoline in Minnesota
“‘The LCFS is, like ethanol itself, out of date,” the environmental groups wrote in that February letter, using an acronym for low-carbon fuel standard. “They have both been left behind by electrification.’” “‘If we had tried to do this in Minnesota 10 years ago, I might have been supportive,” said Kathleen Schuler, policy director… Read more »
Rx for an ailing Earth
Healthcare is taking on a bigger role in environmental sustainability, for the good of patients, the bottom line, communities — and the planet. Michael Menzel, MD, has seen lots of changes over his 32-year career as an anesthesiologist. Many were positive. But one, not so much. “I watched the transition from reusable equipment in… Read more »
Renewed push to close trash burning power plant
A coalition of environmentalists and north Minneapolis advocates are calling on Hennepin County to close the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, known as the HERC, as early as 2025. They say it’s imperative to reduce health impacts of the trash-to-energy plant located next to Target Field … The Zero Burn Coalition includes Health Professionals for a Healthy… Read more »
Short animated video increases knowledge and perceived comfort in clinical counseling on inequitable health impacts of air pollution among interprofessional health learners and clinicians
HPHC board chair, Brenna Doheny, and HPHC member, Laalitha Surapaneni, published a research article evaluating the effectiveness of HPHC’s video on the health impacts of air pollution. They surveyed health professionals before and after watching the video and found that it significantly improved participants’ knowledge about air pollution and health and increased their level of… Read more »
Reducing environmental impacts at a midwestern academic medical center: Making carbon emissions reduction a reality
HPHC board member, Johannah (Jo) Bjorgaard, and HPHC advisory council member, Teddie Potter, published nurse-lead research about healthcare decarbonization efforts. Human-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the largest contributor to climate change worldwide. In the United States, the healthcare industry is responsible for approximately 8.5% of carbon emissions. While measuring baseline GHG emissions is the… Read more »
Jocelyn Leung receives Climate and Health Equity Fellowship
Jocelyn Leung, a researcher at the School of Public Health (SPH) Center for Public Health Systems, has been awarded a prestigious 10-month fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year. The fellowship, awarded by Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, is designed for health professionals from a variety of disciplines who are concerned about the public health… Read more »
Extreme heat and a changing climate: How to protect ourselves
It’s been a record-setting summer for hot temperatures across the world. The Twin Cities ended June as the third-hottest on record and Earth recorded the hottest global temperatures in the first week of July. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the dangers of extreme heat, how we can protect ourselves and… Read more »
Coping with a future of smoky skies and poor air quality
Minnesota has experienced its worst air quality on record in 2023. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued 24 air quality alerts so far this year for days when the air was polluted enough to be considered either unsafe for everyone or unsafe for vulnerable groups. One day, the Twin Cities had the worst air quality in the country. … Read more »
Feeling the heat: Farmer health on the frontlines of climate change
As temperatures rise, farmers face a scorching reality. Heat-related illnesses pose a grave threat, but by embracing heat safety measures, we can cultivate a healthy and resilient farming community.
