‘Climate Policy Is Health Policy’.

More than 7,000 students of all ages joined faculty from local colleges, concerned residents, and a spectrum of local activists in the Boston Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, one of the first in a planned series of global events to highlight the looming issue of climate change.

Jonathan Levy, professor and chair of environmental health, said, “The youth leading the climate strike know that they will be experiencing the increasing impacts of climate change during their lifetimes, and it is incumbent on all of us to support their efforts and help provide a better future for all of us.”

From September 20-27, mass rallies in more than 150 countries were timed to coincide with the 2019 Climate Change Summit held at the United Nations. On the BU Medical Campus, the BUMC Climate Action Group gathered students, staff, and faculty to ensure a BUMC presence at the Boston rally as part of its mission to engage in environmental advocacy and explore the role of climate change in impacting human health and wellbeing.

“We need to keep reminding people that climate policy is health policy, and that the steps that we need to take to address climate change will also lead to near-term health benefits by reducing air pollution, increasing green space, and allowing for more active transportation,” Levy said.

To help prepare students for the coming realities of climate change, SPH has launched an innovative new Master of Science program in Population Health Research that is designed to provide a fundamental grounding in understanding the health impacts of climate change.