Next Generation Climate & Health Ambassador (NextGen) Program

Mission

The Next Generation Climate & Health Ambassador program works to:

Engage a diverse cohort of young and emerging healthcare professionals, empowering them to become leaders in the climate justice movement.
Support young healthcare professionals in advocating for climate and clean energy solutions and participating in climate and health advocacy in their local communities.
Provide training sessions for young health professionals to strengthen their policy and advocacy skills in climate and health and environmental justice.

How We Work

Next Gen Ambassadors are asked to take part in 3 PSR-directed policy actions during their time as an ambassador. These include writing LTEs/Op-Eds, contacting local legislators, attending climate & health events, submitting public comments or testifying in public hearings, and/or presenting about climate and health in their practice.

Ambassadors are required to participate in all-Ambassador meetings, which strengthen the sense of community, networking, and mutual support. They also attend required training in skills and topic areas in climate and health and take part in a local mitigation or adaptation project.

Background

Emerging health professionals are the future, not only of healthcare, but of protecting planetary health and wellbeing. That’s why PSR created the Next Generation Ambassador Program.

Our inaugural Next Gen cohort includes 30 active ambassadors 35 years old and younger with a diverse array of backgrounds.They study or work in public health, physical therapy, medicine, veterinary medicine, and other allied health professions.

The program is staffed by Becca Phillips, PSR’s Climate and Health Fellow. An emerging health professional like the Ambassadors she works with, Becca is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health at Claremont Graduate University.

Protester with sign reading "Climate Justice Now!"

Here's what Next Gen Ambassadors have to say

Projects Highlight

Ambassadors are encouraged to take part in local climate & health advocacy projects in their local communities. We would like to highlight the ongoing work of some of our ambassadors.

Climate Action Party

Jeffrey, a medical student, and Alex, a family medicine physician based in Baltimore, hosted a Climate Action Party through the CAN app. They hosted two featured guests, Dr. Amy Collins and Dr. Shil DasSarma, and a moderator, Zach Williams. One of the people from Climate Action Now, Matthew Vollrath, also attended to help with logistics. There were over 25 people in attendance and reached their goal of 500 actions!

Creating an Environmental PT Catalyst Group

Maral, who is a physical therapist based in San Francisco, successfully created an “Environmental PT” section within the American Physical Therapy Association” This project raises the awareness of physical therapists on environmental issues and gives the American PT community the tools to do climate and health advocacy. It empowers PTs, PTAs and students to integrate sustainable practices into their professional lives. It serves as an information and networking hub promoting environmentally responsible practice, research, education, innovation and policy across healthcare settings and population.

Lobbying for the Stop Climate Polluters Handouts Act

Marisa, an MPH student at NYU, worked NRDC’s New York Regional team, under the supervision of the New York Legislative and Policy Director, on a campaign advocating for the Stop Climate Polluter Handouts Act — a bill that has been introduced in the New York State legislature that would eliminate many of the handouts (in the form of tax breaks, credits, and exemptions) that New York currently offers to the fossil fuel industry. This bill targets the most egregious handouts that prop up the highly fossil fuel industry and effectively incentivize their pollution and destruction (importantly, the bill does not touch the tax exemptions that benefit low- and middle-income earners). The bill is a critical action to protect the planet by transitioning off of fossil fuels, to stop wasting taxpayer money to support big industry, and to raise money for New York State.

Producing a Video about Managing Climate Anxiety

Improving Climate and Health Curriculum in the Required VUSM Curriculum

Kelsey, a final year medical student at Vanderbilt University, led a group of students to complete a proposal for a climate health curriculum for Vanderbilt Medical School. They completed the proposal, which included session topics, suggested lecturers, learning objectives and a list of background readings/references for each lecture. They also have plans to meet with the relevant faculty members in the medical school and give them a short presentation on the importance of climate health and the proposal they have created. The group of students will be responsible for the implementation of the proposed sessions starting next academic year.

Organizing a Climate & Health Day at the Massachusetts Statehouse

Four ambassadors based in Boston, Eliana, Wafaa, Tristan, and Efi organized a Climate & Health Day at the Massachusetts Statehouse. During this lobby day, health professionals and health professions students met with policymakers to advocate for bills that aim to address environmental justice and improve public health, including:

An Act Establishing a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund (H.3232/S.2365)
An Act Advancing Clean Energy, Equity, and Innovation within Municipal Utilities (H.3150/S.2117)
An Act Incorporating Embodied Carbon into State Climate Policy (H.764/S.2090)
An Act relative to energy facilities siting improvement to address environmental justice, climate, and public health (H.3187/S.2113)

Creating a Medical School Course about Pediatrics and Climate Change

Nisha, a medical student in Oregon, joined the climate education task force at her school recently who is supporting her in creating a class on pediatrics and climate change (specifically related to wildfires). There will be a lecture portion and a small group discussion. The lecture will provide background on air pollution exposure, its effect on pediatric health, preventative measures, and clinical skills students can use to discuss air pollution and climate change with parents. During the small group segment, there will be an opportunity for students to practice clinical skills discussed during the lecture.

Producing a Farm Bill 101 Video for the Food Fix Campaign

C4: Creating Climate Competency in Our Communities

Advocacy Actions Highlight

Since the launch of the program, Ambassadors have collectively taken over 150 advocacy actions. Here are some of the highlights:

Advocating for regenerative agriculture to the US senate committee on agriculture, nutrition and forestry via emailing my letter of support with an additional document containing policy recommendations from Climate Reality Project and the Regenerative Agriculture Coalition
Beach clean-up in Santa Monica, CA with Surfrider LA Foundation
Signing on to PSR's sign-on letter for medical, health and public health professionals and students, voicing concern over the health effects of exposure to indoor air pollution from gas stoves and urging Congress to support the Consumer Product Safety Commission in investigating those risks and taking action
Attending the Oregon Pediatric Advocacy Day and discussing a climate bill (a Community Green Spaces Bill) with a legislative assistant. At the event, advocated for a child tax credit bill and discussed the environmental justice implications of this legislation in a prepared presentation.
Supporting a campaign to pressure Gov Healey (MA) to issue executive order halting gas system expansion
Writing a public comment for the proposed EPA rule National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants expressing support for strict regulation on airborne heavy metals from the perspective of a future healthcare provider with a vested interest in the health of our youth
Writing a letter to local congressmen to urge the passing of the bill S.881 (the E-BIKE Act) to promote a federal tax credit for more widespread and competitive access to electronic bikes, a sustainable form of transportation that can combat vehicular emissions.
Helping to prepare planters and planting blue corn crop in a sustainable farming plot of land
Presenting with my MS4SF colleagues at the Association of American Medical Colleges Webinar on the advancements of climate action in academic medicine and what more can be done to accelerate the movement.
Lobbying on capitol hill with the CAC to encourage congress people to support passing healthy air legislation as part of the Solutions for Pollution Campaign