Climate Change

MISSION STATEMENT
As the greatest health threat of our time, climate change impacts children and underserved communities most severely. We are pediatricians in AAP’s California Chapter 2 who work to protect and improve the health of children by taking action to mitigate climate change and reduce families’ exposure to environmental pollutants. We will achieve this through education of our community members and fellow pediatricians, research on climate change and environmental health, and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. To protect our children’s future, we are dedicated to decreasing the pace of climate change and making progress toward a healthier, more equitable society.
Download This Official Brochure For The Climate Change Committee: Climate Change Comittee – One Sheet
AAP-CA2 serves over 1,500 members in the counties of Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
EVENTS and EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Connecting With Nature To Mitigate Toxic Stress Webinar - August 31st @ 12PM

Don’t miss an informative webinar on “Connecting With Nature To Mitigate Toxic Stress”, coming up on August 31st, 6PM – 7:30PM over Zoom! Make sure to checkout the flyer below, and register today!
Email AFregoso@mednet.ucla.edu for more information on this event!
See the flyer here!
On-Demand | Climate for Health Ambassador Training

This free, three-hour training equips health professionals with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and resources to speak and act confidently on climate change solutions. Health professionals are empowered to inspire their colleagues, associations, community, the public, and policymakers to be empowered in making a change on climate solutions that help protect the health of our families and communities now, and ensure a prosperous, just, and secure future. Learn More… Sign up for Training
PAST EVENTS
Gear Up for Civic Health Month – Why, How, and Act Now – Webinar

Over 300 hospitals, healthcare organizations and civic engagement organizations celebrate Civic Health Month in August. With speakers Gnora Gumanow of the Healthy Democracy Healthy People Initiative as well as Cynthia Romo and Dr Ilan Shapiro of the AltaMed community health network, you’ll learn why voting access and civic engagement are so important to our patients’ health and see how a large Southern California clinic network serving 400,000 patients integrates civic engagement year-round. Then consider asking your institution or organization to become a Civic Health Month Partner as well.

Catherine J. Karr, PhD, MD, MS
Pediatric Symposium Speaking Engagement "Healthy Air For Healthy Kids" - With Dr. Catherine J. Karr
- Pediatrician & air pollution research to practice leader.
- Researcher investigating climate change, air pollution, and child health linkages.
- Practitioner with strategies for patient, program and policy approaches to reducing the impacts of air pollution on child health.
Access Slides Here
April 26, 2023 | AAP California Cross-Chapter Conversation on Climate Change, Child Health, and the Role of the Pediatrician
Climate Change, Child Health, and the Role of the Pediatrician
Check out this AAP-CA Cross-Chapter Chat on Climate Change, Child Health, and the Role of the Pediatrician recorded on Wednesday, April 26. Speakers focused on how climate change impacts child health in California and how to advocate for change within the medical systems and beyond.
Presentation Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bN8aN-7BYxk9RuKbdW44wrNc9Uuc6JloqmtYgYu7jSg/edit?usp=sharing
April 21, 2022 | Climate Change and Human Migration

Caleb Dresser, MD, MPH
A Conversation with Dr. Caleb Dresser
Caleb Dresser, MD, MPH discusses the implications of climate change and its consequences on migration patterns, and ultimately, the health and safety of children and their families across the world. Organized by the AAP-CA2 Immigrant Health, and Climate Change Committees.
You may access the slides, here
February 26, 2022 | AAP-CA2 Advances in Pediatrics Symposium

Reshma Shah, MD, MPH
Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet: What Pediatricians Need to Know About Climate, Health, and Food
10:40 AM – 11:20 AM
Dr. Reshma Shah is a board-certified pediatrician, mother, plant-based home-cook, teacher, perpetual student, and co-author of the award-winning book, Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families. She currently serves as an instructor for Stanford’s Healthy Living Program and oversees the nutrition curriculum for the Stanford University Pediatric Integrative Medicine Fellowship
October 27, 2021 | AAP-CA2 Climate Change Conversation
The AAP-CA Chapter 2 Climate Change Committee held a webinar to discuss climate change and child health on October 27th. Click the image to watch the recording.
RESOURCES
- Visit the National AAP Climate Change web page.
- Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU)
- PEDIATRICS – Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Global Climate Change and Children’s Health
View the Policy Statement View the Technical Report

ABP MOC Part 2 Climate Change and Health Module
The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) launched the first ever maintenance of certification (MOC) module on climate change in June 2021. It is called “Impact of Climate Change on Pediatric Health Care”. Two pediatricians and American Academy of Pediatrics chapter climate advocates from California, Karina Maher and Lisa Patel, created the ABP MOC Part 2 with the assistance of fellow pediatricians who proofread and piloted the module. The activity contains 20 questions linked to recent, open-source articles and provides continuing education credits.
How to Access ABP-Developed and ABP-Approved Self-Assessments
- Log in to your ABP Portfolio.
- Under “Activity Points”, click on the blue “My Activities” button in the MOC section.
- Click on the “Self-Assessment (Part 2) Search” button.
- Enter “Climate” in the search field to find “Impact of Climate Change on Pediatric Health Care“
ABP MOC Part 4 "Climate Change And Health" Module
ARTICLES & RESEARCH (By Committee Members)
Integrating Climate Change Education into Board Certification for Pediatricians: a Model for Other Specialties
LisaPatel, MD, FAAP; Lori G. Byron, MD, FAAP; Karina Maher, MD, FAAP
Healthy Planet, Healthy Kids
Healthy Tomorrows Research Project: Building Healthy Minds in Nature
Priyanka Fernandes and Aditi Mhaskar are doing research to assess changes in mental, physical, and environmental health in school aged kids through a curriculum of after school nature programs in South LA parks. Click here to read more.
CO-CHAIRS
The Climate Change Committee is led by pediatricians Cindy Baker, Priyanka Fernandes, Karina Maher, and Trisha Roth. As a group, these four climate change advocates co-chair the committee. Please join us to find ways to protect and improve pediatric environmental health through education and advocacy efforts.




Please contact us by emailing the Chapter at chapter2@aapca2.org