Hill Heat

On Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 10:00 am EDT, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will host a remote oversight hearing titled, “Benefits of the Legacy Pollution Clean-Up Programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing domestic critical mineral mining, processing, refining, and reprocessing.

Witnesses

• Dr. Steve Fortier, Director, USGS National Minerals Information Center, U.S. Department of the Interior
• Scott Melbye, President, Uranium Producers of America
• Julie Padilla, Chief Regulatory Officer, Twin Metals Minnesota
• Abigail Wulf, Vice President, Critical Minerals Strategy and Director of the Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, Securing America’s Future Energy
• Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz, Director, West Virginia University Research Institute, West Virginia University

The open meeting will be held virtually. Members of the public may attend the open session. Commissioners from both agencies are expected to participate.

A free webcast of this event will be made available for viewing through the NRC’s Webcast portal. In addition, the event will be transcribed, and the transcription will be made available through the NRC web site approximately a week after the meeting.

All interested persons are invited to the open meeting. Pre-registration is not required and there is no fee to attend this joint meeting. Questions about the meeting should be directed to Lodie White at [email protected] or by phone at (202) 502-8453.

Agenda

Introductions and Opening Statements

Grid Reliability, Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) & Other Topics

NERC

Howard Gugel, NERC, Vice President, Engineering and Standards

• State of Reliability
• Long Term Reliability Assessment
• Energy Reliability Assessment Task Force Q&A

FERC

Elin Katz, Director, Office of Public Participation

• New initiative to assist the public navigating FERC proceedings

David Ortiz, Acting Director of the Office of Electric Reliability

David Huff, Electrical Engineer, Office of Electric Reliability

Heather Polzin, Attorney Advisor, Office of Enforcement

• Cold Weather Inquiry

NRC

Andrea Kock, Deputy Office Director for Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

• Current Fleet of Operating Reactors
• Advanced Reactors Update
• Subsequent License Renewal
• Decommissioning

Eric Benner, Director, Division of Engineering and External Hazards, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

• Recent weather-related operating experience impacting NPP availability
• Dam Safety Program Interagency Agreement
• Opportunities to leverage NRC and FERC (DOE) research activities on electromagnetic pulse

Cyber Security Activities

FERC

Barry Kuehnle, Energy Infrastructure and Cyber Security Advisor, Division of Cyber Security, OER

• Cybersecurity Updates (recent Orders/notices of proposed rulemaking)
• Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) * Audits Lesson Learned Report

NRC

Jim Beardsley, Acting Deputy Director, Division of Physical and Cyber Security Policy, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response

• NRC Cybersecurity Program Accomplishments
• Continued focus on risk-informing cyber security program implementation
• Continued innovation for the future

Participants

FERC Chairman and Commissioners

• Chairman Richard Glick
• Commissioner James P. Danly
• Commissioner Allison Clements
• Commissioner Mark C. Christie
• Commissioner Willie L. Phillips

NRC Chairman and Commissioners

• Chairman Christopher T. Hanson
• Commissioner Jeff Baran
• Commissioner David A. Wright

FERC Directors and Staff

• David Ortiz, Acting Director of the Office of Electric Reliability (OER)
• Elin Katz, Director, Office of Public Participation
• Barry Kuehnle, Energy Infrastructure and Cyber Security Advisor, Division of Cyber Security, OER
• David Huff, Electrical Engineer, Division of Operations and Planning Standards, OER
• Heather Polzin, Attorney Advisor, Division of Investigations, Office of Enforcement
• North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Staff Howard Gugel, Vice President, Engineering and Standards

NRC Staff

• Andrea Kock, Deputy Office Director for Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
• Eric Benner, Director, Division of Engineering and External Hazards, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
• Jim Beardsley, Acting Deputy Director, Division of Physical and Cyber Security Policy, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response

The 2022 MIT Energy Conference will return in-person at the Boston Marriott Cambridge after a 2-year hiatus, and we’re also planning on a hybrid format to allow other attendees to tune in virtually from around the globe!

Tickets

The 2022 conference will also expand its scope to include broader issues in the fight against climate change, both within and outside the energy sector. Please check out the agenda page for more details on our exciting lineup of events. You can find more details on speakers and startups presenting at the Tech Showcase as well.

March 31, 2022 – Day 1, Thursday

9:05am – 9:35am: Keynote address (virtual) by Dr. Fatih Birol: Executive Director of International Energy Agency

Accelerating Global Action on Clean Energy and Energy Security

Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since 2015. Under his leadership, the IEA has moved to the forefront of global efforts to reach international climate goals while ensuring that the social and economic impacts of clean energy transitions are at the heart of policy-making and energy security is safeguarded.

9:40am – 10:20am: Keynote address by Glenn Llewellyn: Vice President of the Zero Emission Program at Airbus

Insights on future Hydrogen aircraft

Glenn Llewellyn is Vice President, Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus. He is widely recognized as a top-tier leader on climate strategy for aviation. Today, Glenn is at the helm of a zero-emission revolution at Airbus with the mission to unite all the ingredients needed to launch the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft program, ZEROe.

10:35am – 11:15am: PLENARY PANEL: Facilitating a Just Energy Transition

Moderator: Justin Worland – Senior Correspondent: Climate Change, TIME Magazine

Systemic injustice has left marginalized communities and nations exposed to a higher level of threat from the climate crisis. In addition to the harm already done, these groups are at high risk of further suffering not only from the consequences of climate change but also from the adverse effects of the global transition toward decarbonization. It is therefore critical to ensure that all global platforms and commitments consider equitable solutions, particularly in vulnerable communities, in the fight against climate change. Through this panel discussion, we aim to amplify the voices of those most likely to be adversely impacted by climate change and the global transition toward decarbonization, who are fighting to be truly heard in this global discussion. What are the potential strategies that can simultaneously improve the lives of marginalized communities while moving the needle on climate solutions? What concerns do marginalized communities have and how should stakeholders work together to address those concerns?

Featured Panelists:

• Sarah Jackson – Northeast Regional Climate & Energy Policy Manager, The Nature Conservancy
• Nonabah Lane – Co-founder, Navajo Ethno-Agriculture
• Heather McGeory – Global Lead, Climate and Sustainability, APCO Worldwide
• Dr. Destenie Nock – Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

11:20am – 12:00pm: Fireside Chat with Audrey Choi and Jason Jay

Sharing her vision for the role of corporates and private capital in addressing the climate crisis

Audrey Choi: Senior Advisor and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Investing, Morgan Stanley

Audrey Choi is Morgan Stanley’s Chief Sustainability Officer and is the founding CEO of Morgan Stanley’s industry-leading Institute for Sustainable Investing where she oversees the Firm’s efforts to promote global sustainability through the capital markets. She also serves on the Firm’s Management Committee and for four years, Ms. Choi simultaneously served as Morgan Stanley’s Chief Marketing Officer where she stewarded the brand to reflect the Firm’s core values of leading with integrity and exceptional ideas, and won industry awards for best corporate strategy and media innovation as the Morgan Stanley brand reached an all-time high.

Moderator: Jason Jay, Director of MIT Sloan Sustainable Initiative

Jason Jay is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. He teaches executive and masters-level courses on strategy, innovation, and leadership for sustainable business. He has helped secure MIT Sloan’s position as a leader in the field of sustainability through teaching, research, and industry engagement. Dr. Jay’s publications have appeared in the Academy of Management Journal and California Management Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Greenbiz, and World Economic Forum. With Gabriel Grant, he is the author of the international bestseller Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World. Dr. Jay also works as a facilitator for companies, organizations, and business families, supporting high quality conversation and shared commitment to ambitious sustainability goals. His clients have included EFG Asset Management, Novartis, Bose, Environmental Defense Fund, BP and the World Bank.

12:00pm – 1:30pm: Lunch

1:35-2:15pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL I: Deploying the Hydrogen Economy

Moderator: Dharik Mallapragada, Research Scientist, MIT Energy Initiative

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and when used as an energy source, it emits only water. As the world is struggling to find replacements for fossil fuels, green hydrogen, hydrogen produced by renewable energy sources, is gaining significant attention with its potential to be a zero-emission energy carrier. Nevertheless, the deployment of hydrogen in the industrial, energy, and transportation sectors still faces tremendous uncertainties. How can we drive down costs along the green hydrogen value chain making it more competitive in the market? How can industry sectors leverage the advantages of hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors? What policy levers and innovation support should be in place to ensure that countries and regions meet their hydrogen development goals? This panel will gather industry leaders in hydrogen planning, production, and utilization to discuss the progress made in recent years and the future pathways to a hydrogen economy.

Featured Panelists:

• Arnab Chatterjee – VP of Infrastructure, ZeroAvia
• Preeti Pande – CMO, Plug Power
• Brett Perleman – CEO, Center for Houston’s Future

1:35-2:15pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL II: Financing the Journey to Net Zero: Challenges and Opportunities for Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development

A global energy transition is needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change, and energy decisions in developing countries will have an outsized impact on future emissions. However, developing countries face a number of unique challenges in transitioning energy supplies while maintaining economic growth. What are the opportunities for overcoming financial challenges blocking environmentally sustainable development? What do different governmental, multilateral, and private development actors see as key priorities and exciting possibilities? How can the developed world lend a helping hand to developing countries in terms of equitably financing their energy transition?

International, collaborative, blended public climate finance will have a critical role to play in bolstering a low-carbon, resilient transformation of the world’s global economy. This panel seeks to provoke discussions, spark debate and call for action to mobilize such resources to halt the erratic clock that’s ticking away at our collective climate futures.

Featured Panelists:

• Moderator: Anil Markandya – Distinguished Ikerbasque Professor, Basque Centre for Climate Change
• Pilar Carvajo Lucena – Investment Officer, IDB Invest
• Vivek Pathak – Director and Global Head for Climate Business, IFC / World Bank
• Antonio Silveira – VP Infrastructure – CAF, Bank of Development of Latin America

2:20pm-3:00 pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL I: Modernizing the Grid

Our extensive and reliable power grid, connecting all generation sources to all end-uses, has been so critical to our nation’s growth that the National Academy of Engineering named “electrification” the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century. However, the existing power system cannot meet the evolving demands of the 21st century. Traditional grid architecture was based on large-scale generation remotely located from consumers, centralized control structures with minimal feedback, limited energy storage, and passive loads. A modern grid must be flexible, robust, and agile from end to end, spanning generation, delivery, and end-user segments. This panel will discuss some of the most urgent questions on grid modernization and distributed energy resource integration, including strategies to increase the deployment of existing smart grid solutions, the impacts of new technologies such as vehicle-to-grid integration, how customers increasingly value resiliency through adoption of backup power and microgrid systems, and new opportunities and challenges presented by FERC Order 2222 for customers, distributed resource aggregators, utilities, and wholesale market operators.

Featured Panelists:

• Moderator: Sanem Sergici – Principal, The Brattle Group
• Tim Hade – COO, Scale Microgrid Solutions
• Stephen Lasher – Director of the Electric Markets Integration, National Grid
• John Taggart – CTO, WeaveGrid

2:20pm – 3:00pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL II: Challenges and Trends in the VC Space

Although the energy transition has been gaining traction worldwide, it has done so without vigorous VC participation. VC investment could ensure a solid startup ecosystem developing new technologies to build a sustainable energy economy. For instance, the share of “energy unicorns” in the United States and Canada, as of April 2021, represented only 1.37% (Source: Statista estimates; CrunchBase; CB Insights, and other), and the VC deals in energy have reached $1.9 Billion in 2020, the lowest among the leading industries (Source: NVCA 2021 Yearbook). This panel will address the current role of VC investors in the clean energy space and today’s greatest challenges to fostering innovative instruments to tackle the barriers of capital costs for renewable energy. What are the main challenges in identifying and funding entrepreneurs focused on unlocking new energy sources? What are the key elements missing in the current legislation, policy frameworks, regulations, and guidance to promote more VC deals in the energy industry? Is the VC participation in energy projects consistent with the level of emerging startups in that space? What are the critical issues for achieving a suitable collaboration among stakeholders to improve financing platforms for energy ventures (Startups, VC, Multilateral Agencies, and Government)?

Moderator: Jon Shieber – Editor and Venture Partner, FootPrint Coalition

Featured Panelists:

• Ryan Dings – COO and General Counsel, Greentown Labs
• Brian Mayers – Investor & Company Builder, Breakthrough Energy Ventures
• Shail Mehta – Managing Director, Global Co-Head of Clean Energy Transition, Citi
• Christina O’Conor – Partner & Climate Tech Investor, Congruent Ventures

3:15pm – 3:55pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL I: Driving the Future of Personal Mobility

Moderator: Annie Hudson – Assistant Director, MIT Mobility Initiative

As human population, travel, and international trade continue to increase, so do associated emissions that pose risk to both human health and the environment. For the United States, transportation is among the worst offenders, accounting for 29% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2019. More specifically, light-duty vehicles and medium-large trucks alone generated 82% of these emissions. So while the need to decarbonize personal mobility is apparent, the heterogeneity and unique needs of population centers complicate the task of generating practical implementation strategies: the question has evolved from “what to change” to “where and how to begin the required change”? What does this change look like in the day-to-day of city-goers? In more rural areas? How do we drive these changes for the individual consumer? How do we scale this change across cities and countries? And how do we make these changes sustainable enough to stand the test of time?

This panel will tackle these questions by looking at mobility from a bottom-up approach: considering changes at the city level, impacts on the persons who inhabit them, and how localized success may eventually cascade to industrial and commercial mobility. This panel will address the obstacles and practical steps necessary to reimagine personal mobility in a net-zero world.

Featured Panelists:

• Nick Albanese – Head of Market Research, Westly Group
• Will Graylin – CEO, Indigo Technologies
• Lynda Tran – Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to Transportation Secretary Peter Buttigieg
• Alex Wallar – CTO, The Routing Company

3:15pm – 3:55pm: BREAKAWAY PANEL: The Future of Nuclear Energy

Governments, civil entities, and private companies continue to migrate towards carbon neutral practices, driven by concern over increasing effects of climate change. Migrating to cleaner practices demands that our supply of energy is generated from non-fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is an attractive but controversial energy source with reduced GHG emissions. In the past, politics, social perception, and rare catastrophes have slowed down the innovation and adoption of this technology, while solar, wind, and other renewables have grown rapidly. In recent years, more investment and focus has been placed into nuclear energy as a strong partner to renewables and an attractive option to produce synthetic fuels. This panel will span three pillars of nuclear energy: science, systems and society. It will share the newest technologies in fission such as mobile microreactors. Furthermore, it will explore infrastructure and regulation requirements that need to take place to incorporate nuclear energy into our portfolio of clean energy sources. Finally, it will discuss the importance of stakeholder and public commitment to the technology and explore potential pathways for nuclear energy deployment.

Featured Panelists:

• Moderator: Sonal Patel – Senior Associate Editor, POWER Magazine
• Jacopo Buongiorno – Director, CANES (Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems), MIT
• Samuel Lee – Acting Director, Division of Security Operations, US NRC
• Jeff Navin – Director of External Affairs, Terrapower

Join the DC area colleges and universities for this D.C. wide Teach – In. Each campus will host their own speakers for the first two sessions between 4-6PM. The final session will bring together the D.C. Universities for a livestream panel, hosted at GW. Each session will involve lightning speeches lasting only 5 minutes in length followed by Q&A and discussion.

Register for in-person attendance at GW

Register for virtual attendance

Session 1, 4-5PM

Student Center Room 402 – Education

Student Center Room 404 – Public Health I – Air Quality

Student Center Room 405 – Advocacy

Student Center Room 407 – Walking Tour of Campus Sustainability

Engage with speakers from: GW UNESCO, The Nature Conservancy, Smithsonian Science Education Center, Alliance for the Chesapeake, D.C. Council, DOEE, D.C. Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, GW Office of Sustainability, GW Faculty

Session 2, 5-6PM

Student Center Room 402 – Resilience and Mental Health

Student Center Room 404 – Public Health II

Student Center Room 405 – Energy and Environmental

Student Center Room 407 – Student Groups

Engage with speakers from: Planet Forward, Environmental Justice Action Network, Sunrise GW, New Columbia Solar, GW VegOut, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, Duke Solar, GW Faculty

Session 3, 6-7PM

The final hour will consist of a webinar streamed on each participating campus, live from the Jack Morton Amphitheater at GW. Representatives from each university will give a 5 minute presentation on a climate focused initiative or research project.

Post – Event 7-8PM

MPA Art Gallery – Light refreshments will be served

The meeting discussion will focus on the beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool developed by the Council on Environmental Quality and the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council draft recommendations on the implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. These two charges were established through Executive Order 14008 Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.

The WHEJAC is interested in receiving public comments relevant to the beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool and federal government agencies’ implementation of the Justice40 Initiative.

Please be prepared to briefly describe your comments and recommendations on what you want the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council to advise the Council on Environmental Quality and the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council to do regarding the beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool and federal government agencies’ implementation of the Justice40 Initiative.

Members of the public who wish to participate during the public comment period must pre-register by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, March 23, 2022.

Register for the WHEJAC public meeting

Read the Draft Agenda for the WHEJAC public meeting

The WHEJAC will hear from as many registered public commenters as possible during the time specified on the agenda. Written comments can be submitted up to two (2) weeks after the meeting date. To participate in the meeting via written comment, the public can submit their written comments in the following ways:

• Entering comments in the Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2021-0683 at http://www.regulations.gov, when the docket opens.
• Using the webform
• Sending comments via email to [email protected], for comments with additional materials.

Join us for our monthly State Climate Policy Network national call! This one-hour, once-a-month call is the perfect opportunity to learn about the different legislation and movements going on in states across the U.S. Legislators, advocates, and experts will join us and inform the network of what is going on in their state, and what you might be able to do to help.

Please register and spread the word to others interested in pushing forward climate policy in their state, and read more about the SCPN here.

Hearing page

Meeting agenda

• S.3677, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide professional counseling services to victims of emergencies declared under such Act, Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act
• S.3875, to require the President to develop and maintain products that show the risk of natural hazards across the United States, Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022
• S.3868, to correct the inequitable denial of enhanced retirement and annuity benefits to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers, an original bill entitled, “Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act”
• S.3890, to improve intergovernmental cooperation and reduce duplicative spending
• S.3511, to require a report on Federal support to the cybersecurity of commercial satellite systems
• S.3903, to require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to establish procedures for conducting maintenance projects at ports of entry at which the Office of Field Operations conducts certain enforcement and facilitation activities
• S.857, to amend title 5, United States Code, to require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish and maintain a public directory of the individuals occupying Government policy and supporting positions
• S.3655, to amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 to extend the termination date of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board
• S.3904, to enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector
• S.3897, to require the reduction of the reliance and expenditures of the Federal Government on legacy information technology systems
• Various bills to name post offices

Nominations of

• Ernest W. DuBester, of Virginia, to be a Member, and Kurt Thomas Rumsfeld, of Maryland, to be General Counsel, both of the Federal Labor Relations Authority
• Krista Anne Boyd, of Florida, to be Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management
• Dana Katherine Bilyeu, of Nevada, Javier E. Saade, of the District of Columbia, Leona M. Bridges, of California, Michael F. Gerber, of Pennsylvania, and Stacie Olivares, of California, each to be a Member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

Hearing page

Witness

• Shalanda D. Young, Director, Office of Management and Budget

The 11th annual American Climate Leadership Summit 2022 (ACLS 2022) brings together world class speakers and diverse national and local leaders for four days of sharing and collaboration. It is the only national convening exclusively dedicated to building broad public support and political resolve for climate action. ACLS 2022 welcomes climate leaders of all levels–particularly those who are new and active at the local level. Join thousands of leaders like you who seek new connections and practical and immediately actionable guidance for engaging everyone, every day for just and equitable climate solutions.

Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four

11:00 AM-11:20 AM

National Health + Climate Forum Welcome + Opening Keynote

• Robbianne Mackin, Chief Development Officer, ecoAmerica
• Leyla McCurdy, MPhil, Chair, Climate for Health Leadership Circle Executive Committee
• Arthur C. Evans, Jr., PhD, CEO, American Psychological Association

11:20 AM-11:45 AM

US Leadership on Climate + Health: The Office of Climate Change & Health Equity at HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the formation of the Office of Climate Change & Health Equity in summer 2021. Hear more about the goals and agenda for this office and some early accomplishments.

• John Balbus, MD, MPH, Interim Director, Office of Climate Change + Health Equity, Office Asst. Secretary for Health, HHS
• J Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, President + CEO, Trust for America’s Health

11:50 AM-12:20 PM

Where we are on Climate, Health + Equity: Tools from The Lancet Countdown

It has been 5 months since the 2021 Lancet Countdown U.S. Brief was released. How are we operationalizing the findings to build health equity through climate solutions? What indicators should be considered for the 2022 brief?

• Natasha DeJarnett, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Environmental Medicine, University of Louisville
• Renee Salas, MD, MPH, MS, Lead Author; 2021 Lancet Countdown U.S. Brief, Lancet Countdown; Harvard Global Health Institute

12:20 PM-12:50 PM

From Federal Framing to Local Action

Community leadership, citizen-science, and grassroots advocacy to address the health impacts of climate change. Hear directly from Houston residents collaborating for action.

• Grace Tee Lewis, PhD, Senior Health Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund
• Denae King, PhD, Associate Director, Bullard Center for Environmental + Climate Justice at Texas Southern University
• Joetta Stevenson, President, Greater Fifth Ward Super Neighborhood #55

12:55 PM-01:10 PM

Natural Connections: Collaboration with the Environment

Restoring relationships with the natural world benefits both people and the planet. An example of the intersection of Anishinaabe teachings and Western ways of knowing in the healing process.

• Leah Prussia, Associate Professor, College of St. Scholastica

01:10 PM-02:00 PM

Mental Health + Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Inequities, Responses

In this session, hear from the authors of this report and the latest tools and resources for practitioners, communities, and policymakers to address mental health impacts of climate change.

• Susan Clayton, PhD, Professor of Psychology, The College of Wooster
• Christie Manning, PhD, Director of Sustainability; Assistant Professor, Macalester College
• Gavin Rienne, MPH, Epidemiology + Biostatistics PhD Candidate, University of Kentucky
• Derrick Sebree, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist, Michigan School of Psychology

02:00 PM-02:10 PM

Networking Session

02:10 PM-02:35 PM

Climate Action: Local Health Leadership

Think globally, act locally is advice we hear often, but what does that look like for climate action that improves health and health equity?

• Madelyn Gustafson, Project Coordinator, National Environmental Health Association
• Armen Henderson, MD, MBA, Co-Founder, Dade County Street Response, Disaster Relief Team
• Nichole Lemin, MS, REHS, MEP, Assistant Health Commissioner/Director of Environmental Health, Franklin County Public Health

02:35 PM-02:50 PM

Climate Change + Disabilities: Collaboration with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Over 61 million Americans have a disability and more than 1 billion do world-wide. People with disabilities need to be engaged at every level of climate justice.

• Meighen Speiser, Executive Director, ecoAmerica
• Liz Weintraub, Senior Advocacy Specialist + Host of Tuesdays W/ Liz: Disability Policy for ALL, AUCD

02:50 PM-03:25 PM

Reports from the Field: Direct from Climate for Health Ambassadors

Get to know your host, Climate for Health, through this session that will outline the opportunities for you to act and advocate with tools and resources provided through our program. Hear directly from Climate for Health Ambassadors about their actions to engage communities, peers, and policymakers on equitable climate solutions.

• Milagros Elia, MA, APRN, ANP-BC, Nurse Founder/CEO, M. Elia Nature-Based Healthcare Solutions
• Kasondra McCracken, MCHES, Senior Lecturer, Arizona State University
• Sydney Otis, Network Engagement Manager, ecoAmerica
• April Taylor, Tribal Liaison, Chickasaw Nation
• Gregory White, Director, Decatur Active Living, City of Decatur

03:25 PM-03:35 PM

Caring for Yourself to Care for the Planet

Engaging with our climate emergency can feel overwhelming at times. To do our best work, we all need to prioritize self-care every day.

• Bruce Bekkar, MD, Chair, Public Health Advisory Council of the Climate Action Campaign

03:35 PM-03:55 PM

Looking Forward: Onwards for Climate and Health

Looking forward on climate and health, Natasha Sood, Executive Chair of Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, will provide remarks followed by a dialogue and live audience Q&A with Katherine Catalano, Deputy Director of the American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity.

• Katherine Catalano, MS, Deputy Director, Center for Climate, Health + Equity, American Public Health Association
• Natasha Sood, MPH, Co-Founder, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future

04:00 PM-05:00 PM

How to Build Programs + Policies that Equitably Address Climate’s Health Effects

Connect with experts to dive into step-by-step playbooks detailing city strategies that address “the trifecta” of climate, health, and equity. Strategies highlighted were designed to give all children a healthy, fair start to life — no matter their socioeconomic status or their zip code — and to be easily replicated for maximum impact. To celebrate the end of a long Zoom day, we will be bringing our coffee and our creativity. Join us! Organized by Healthy Babies Bright Futures and the National League of Cities.

• Robert Blaine, DMA, Senior Executive + Director, Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, National League of Cities
• Emily Koo, Director of Sustainability, City of Providence, Rhode Island
• Emily Larson, Mayor, City of Duluth, Minnesota
• Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, Sr Advisor Climate, Health + Equity, Public Health Institute; MSCCH