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Fossil-Fuel Pollution and Climate Change – A New NEJM Group Series

06/15/2022 | New England Journal of Medicine

To call attention to rising global greenhouse gas emissions that harm our health, Dr. Renee Salas, our Yerby Fellow and ClimateMD leader, co-authored an editorial in NEJM announcing a broad effort by the journal to address the health consequences of air pollution and climate change.

Dr. Salas and her co-authors notably write, “The primary barrier to an equitable transition away from coal, oil, and natural gas is a lack of political will, underpinned by the influence of the fossil-fuel industry.”

NEJMs goals are to:

  • Inform clinicians and health system administrators about the consequences of fossil-fuel extraction and use that are increasingly affecting patients and care delivery systems
  • Provide information about effective strategies for reducing the associated risks
  • Clarify the roles of the medical and public health sectors in addressing this crisis and stimulate research to guide the development of equitable adaptation and mitigation policies

NEJM is committing to:

  • Publish at least one article in a NEJM Group journal each month related to fossil-fuel–driven health harms and will subsequently plan ongoing coverage of related content
  • Further engage trainees and educators through their Resident 360 website, which is launching a discussion about incorporating a climate lens into medical training
  • Encourage submissions for this series, especially — but not limited to — high-quality original research

The initiative is launching with articles addressing different aspects of this unprecedented challenge in each of the NEJM journals.

Read the editorial

Preterm and early-term birth, heat waves, and our changing climate

Heat waves pose an escalating threat to human health in general and the health of pregnant people and infants in particular.

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New report details how Harvard Medical School developed, implemented, and evaluated its curriculum to prepare healthcare professionals for climate change.

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Toward a Climate-Ready Health Care System: Institutional Motivators and Workforce Engagement

Dr. Caleb Dresser argues that health care systems must reframe incentives and engage their workforce to become climate-resilient.

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Study: Teaching community organizing principles to health professionals significantly increases their capacity to take climate action

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Federal investments in climate change and health research are inadequate says Harvard analysis

Critical knowledge gaps hinder an evidence-based response and are perpetuated by scarce federal research funds.

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Hundreds of Hospitals on Atlantic and Gulf Coasts at Risk of Flooding from Hurricanes

Our study is the first to systematically investigate flooding risk to nearly 700 U.S. hospitals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Category 1-4 storms.

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Communicating Statistics on the Health Effects of Climate Change

Health professionals need to communicate the health and equity implications of climate change effectively to protect health and motivate action.

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A Pediatrician’s Guide to Climate Change-Informed Primary Care

A practical approach for connecting climate change with health during pediatric well visits.

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The medical response to climate change

Our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein lays out five pillars for the medical response to climate change.

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Adding A Climate Lens To Health Policy In The United States

Our Yerby Fellow Dr. Renee Salas and Interim Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein outline specific recommendations for achieving climate action through health policy and decision making.

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Sunny highs to shivering cold: Wild weather swings take a health toll

Check out what Drs. Aaron Bernstein and Gaurab Basu have to say about the health impacts of wild weather.

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Making basic preparations before climate emergencies can help you protect your health

Our Fellows Drs. Humphrey and Dresser Making share preparations before climate emergencies that can help you protect your health.

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New toolkit to help clinics care for patients during climate shocks

A toolkit developed by the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard Chan School (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE) and Americares aims to protect people on the front lines of climate change.

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How Health Care Organizations Are Preparing for Climate Shocks and Protecting Vulnerable Patients

Our work with community health clinics is a model for how other health systems can become more resilient to climate.

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Floods are a growing threat to New England hospitals – what do you do?

Ours is the first study to systematically investigate flood risk for nearly 700 hospitals from Category 1-4 storms as climate change worsens and sea levels rise.

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Hospitals in Coastal Cities Risk Flooding Even in ‘Weak’ Hurricanes, Study Finds

We looked at the flooding risk to nearly 700 hospitals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts due to storms and sea level rise made worse by climate change.

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Shaken by heatwaves, U.S. clinics get tips on staying cool

Featuring our toolkit for protecting the most vulnerable patients from heatwaves, working in collaboration with Americares and sponsored by Biogen.

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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Study Identifies Hundreds of Hospitals on Atlantic and Gulf Coasts at Risk of Flooding from Hurricanes

Our study shows which hospitals are at risk of flooding from hurricanes today, and which will become at risk due to climate change.

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Partnering with your PCP to stay healthy in record heat

Our director Dr. Aaron Bernstein writes about a new initiative providing patient-centered toolkits to protect the vulnerable.

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Some medications may increase sensitivity to heat, sun

As the U.S. experiences more days of extreme heat, researchers caution that certain medications—such as antidepressants, antihistamines, high blood pressure drugs, and overactive-bladder treatments—can increase an individual’s likelihood of developing a heat-related illness.

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Dr. Renee Salas

Renee N. Salas MD, MPH, MS

Renee's work focuses on the intersection of the climate crisis, health, and healthcare delivery.

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