What We Do

Policy and Advocacy 

As part of our service to science, people, and public health, we educate policymakers and the public on our science. The following are examples of that work: 

Policy Change Discussions with Congress or CA Legislature

• California College on Science and Technology forum on high priorities for California’s budget toward wildfire prevention, preparation, and mitigations: CA senators and assembly members by Dr. Mary (Prunicki) Johnson on 2/12/21. Full report available here. 
• California Natural Resources Testimony on the health impacts of prescribed burns by Dr. Mary (Prunicki) Johnson on 11/9/2020 
• Oral public comment to Environmental Protection Agency on Review of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter by Dr. Mary (Prunicki) Johnson on 5/22/20 

Actions Impacting Policy Change 

• Dr. Kari Nadeau participated in the Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) Extreme Heat Policy Sprint initiative in 2024. 
• Dr. Kari Nadeau has been a member of the Wildfire Commission of the U.S. President’s Office since 2022.
• Dr. Kari Nadeau has been a member of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Children’s Health Protection Committee since 2022.
• Dr. Kari Nadeau has been a reviewer for Reports by WHO on Air Pollution, Climate Change and Health since 2021.
• Dr. Mary (Prunicki) Johnson testified on the health impacts of prescribed burns. Her findings suggest that using prescribed burns, also called controlled burns, to reduce fuel levels in forests may protect the health of people who live nearby. Prescribed burns are of lower intensity and are permitted only when weather conditions allow the fire to be contained. 
• All electric ordinance in San Francisco effective 1/1/21.
• Dr. Mary (Prunicki) Johnson was a California College on Science and Technology steering committee member on The Costs of Wildfire in California An Independent Review of Scientific and Technical Information, released 10/29/20.
• Dr. Kari Nadeau was a working group member on LANCET Countdown on Health and Climate Change Policy Brief for the United States Of America, December 2020.

Sustainable Health Care

• Dr. Kari Nadeau is an advisory council-co chair for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, 2023-present.
• We convened the first NorCal Symposium on Climate and Pandemic Resilience.  This event was planned in a participatory fashion by over 100 health care professionals and students, sustainability officers, and public health officials throughout Northern California. Topics focused on the intersection of climate change, the covid-19 pandemic, and racial justice to understand how we use this moment of crisis to build a better and more resilient future. 

Climate Change Education for Health Professionals 

• We are working to integrate climate change into medical school curriculum.
• We are leading the development of Maintenance of Certification modules for the American Board of Pediatrics on climate change, health, and equity.

From Our Collaborators 

What’s the State of your Air? 

For 21 years, the American Lung Association has analyzed data from official air quality monitors to compile the “State of the Air” report. The more you learn about the air you breathe, the more you can protect your health and take steps to make the air cleaner and healthier. More information is available on the American Lung Association website.

State of Tobacco Control 

The 19th annual American Lung Association “State of Tobacco Control” report evaluates states and the federal government on the proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies necessary to save lives. The report serves as a blueprint for what state and federal leaders need to do to eliminate the death and disease caused by tobacco use. This year’s report focuses on the importance of ending tobacco use amid the pandemic, as smoking is a risk factor for the most severe COVID symptoms. This is especially important for those populations and communities most impacted overall by tobacco use and secondhand smoke, who are also facing a disproportionate burden from the pandemic. The report also discusses the actions the Biden Administration and states need to take to prevent and reduce tobacco use. More information available on the American Lung Association website.