Planned in partnership with four Cornell students, the Protect Our Health Climate Action Party was full of insights on how we can protect our health and our planet!

We learned from pediatrician and CEO Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, and Dr. Rebecca Morgenstern of the Cornell School of Public Health. At the same time, participants took action for a healthier future, using the new CAN Action Carousel. The actions were created by the Cornell students as part of their capstone project!

Brett Walter, CEO of Climate Action Now, also shared about Climate Action Now’s new advocacy tool, the CAN Action Carousel. This new type of climate advocacy tool is available for free for any group of concerned citizens— any group can take action like how we did together during this event!

Watch a recording of the conversation (1 hour) or read a quick recap.

Recording

Watch the recording.

Quick Recap

Disclaimer: This is an auto-generated meeting summary from Zoom, offering a high-level overview of the discussion. Please note that it may not capture all details with perfect accuracy.

The meeting introduced participants to the Climate Action Now Action Carousel tool for sending messages to decision-makers, with actions written by the Cornell students. The event featured a panel discussion with Dr. Rebecca Morgenstern, a Professor at the Cornell School of Public Health, and Dr. Manasa Mantravati, a pediatrician and CEO. They discussed the dangers of plastic products, how communities can prepare for disasters, and the importance of linking environmental health to human health.

Summary

Climate Action Now Action Party

Liz Bridgwater, the Director of Outreach at Climate Action Now, introduced an icebreaker question and explained the purpose of the event, which included learning about important environmental issues and using the Climate Action Now Action Carousel to send personalized messages to political decision-makers and business leaders. Liz demonstrated how easy it is to take action using the Carousel, which earns participants points that result in real trees being planted. She then introduced Kaylee Beam, the Director of Content, to lead the next part of the event.

Taking Action with the CAN Action Carousel

Kaylee Beam, Director of Content at Climate Action Now, discussed the goal tracker and Action Carousel, providing instructions for accessing and using it. Students from Cornell University presented their favorite actions they created for this event and then introduced the speakers. Dr. Marianne Krasny, served as the moderator.

Pediatrician Discusses Environmental Health

Dr. Manasa Mantravati, a pediatrician, discussed her work in environmental health and consumer products, highlighting the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2018 health policy statement on food additives and children’s health. She explained the dangers of plastic products, including bio-based plastics, and the importance of linking environmental health to human health to drive behavior change. Dr. Krasny inquired about the market for stainless steel children’s products, and Dr. Mantravati shared that while there is a need for such products due to health concerns, the market is currently saturated with plastic options.

Community Resilience Hub Development

Rebecca discussed her work on community resilience to climate disasters, focusing on the development of Resilience Hubs in partnership with organizations like Southside Community Center, the Paleontological Research Institute, and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Nation. She explained how these hubs aim to address specific climate risks and support communities while maintaining the organizations’ existing missions. Rebecca is creating a workbook to help other entities assess their vulnerabilities and make informed investments in resilience.

Driving More Climate Action

The panelists also discussed the role of youth activists and young professionals in driving environmental health solutions, emphasizing the importance of individual behavior change and community engagement. The panelists highlighted the impact of social media, policy changes, and infrastructure improvements in promoting environmental health. Brett Walter shared insights from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications about the “alarmed” public. The conversation ended with a call to action for attendees to spread awareness about the new Action Carousel tool, which simplifies taking climate-related actions.