The case for climate optimism
Amid the gloom and doom that typically shape news and discussions about climate change, a growing number of thought leaders are focusing instead on the positive efforts that are underway in the fight against global warming.

Learning COVID-19’s lessons to prepare for the future
A new Lancet Commission report offers detailed policy recommendations aimed at reducing the dangers of COVID-19, forestalling the next pandemic, and enabling the world to proceed with goals of sustainable development, human rights, and peace.

Grappling with public health impacts of Supreme Court decisions
Panelists at a Harvard Chan School forum examined how a slew of recent decisions by the Supreme Court negatively affect public health—and how advocates can push back.

Summer drought may be preview of extreme weather cycles
Drought conditions in parts of Massachusetts and other Northeast states are likely to be repeated in future years as climate change hastens extreme weather cycles, in which dry periods become drier and wet periods wetter, according to experts.

Orientation 2022: Harvard Chan School welcomes new students
The first fully in-person Orientation week at Harvard Chan School since the start of the pandemic kicked off on August 22.

How our environment impacts reproductive health
Carmen Messerlian, assistant professor of environmental reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric epidemiology, studies how the world around us—everything from chemical exposures to trauma to climate change—can affect reproductive health and development.

Historic climate legislation an ‘extraordinary step forward’
Congress’ recently passed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes about $400 billion to address climate and clean energy over the next decade, which is expected to help significantly reduce U.S. fossil fuel emissions and reduce health harms.

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.
At youth summit, activists give crash course in fighting climate change
High school students from the U.S. and beyond attended the Harvard Chan C-CHANGE Youth Summit on Climate, Equity, & Health at Harvard Chan School July 24-30.

Extreme heat toolkit for providers, patients, clinics
A new extreme heat toolkit aims to provide information for healthcare providers, patients, and clinics on how to handle the serious health impacts of high temperatures.
