This special session of the Planetary Health Alliance NextGen Speaker Series showcases student-led projects that bring Planetary Health into practice through education. We will highlight diverse perspectives on how schools and communities connect learning with local action, climate justice, and environmental resilience. The initiative aims to build a global repository of youth-led Planetary Health initiatives and foster movement-building for sustainable change.

Op-eds are one of the most powerful tools advocates have to shape public discourse — but writing one that cuts through the noise takes strategy, structure, and a compelling voice. This interactive workshop equips Planetary Health Alliance members with the essential skills to craft effective, well-organized op-eds that communicate the urgency of environmental change and its impacts on human health. Whether you're a first-time op-ed writer or looking to sharpen your advocacy voice, this workshop provides the tools to turn your expertise into influence.

Held on June 9th 2026 Speakers include: Gina Friel from Columbia University and Michelle (Erli) DePhillips from the University of Delaware. The discussion will be moderated by our Education Co-Directors Stefan Wheat and Ashley Aimone.

Nicolás González Casares is a Spanish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). A former nurse, he has served in the European Parliament since 2019, focusing primarily on public health, energy policy, and fisheries. In his speech at the ESHPM Planetary Health Symposium, he explores his personal path to understanding the field, including a Master's degree at the University of Catalonia and the engagement with STOA, the European Parliament's Science and Technology advisory board, on Planetary Health. He also outlines public policy efforts across the European Union to address the deeply interconnected challenges of environmental protection and human health. This Symposium was hosted by the Planetary Health Theme of the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, on Friday, 22 May 2026, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health features a monthly Air Quality Hub Seminar. This session brings Meredith McCormack, MD, MHS, and David Marine, Professor of Medicine, to discuss the convergence of heat and air quality on community health in the city of Baltimore.

This is the recording of our launch celebration for the Planetary Health Curriculum Guidelines, developed through a global collaboration of more than 20 educators convened by the Planetary Health Alliance. Rather than a traditional webinar, this gathering brought together educators from around the world to mark the release of a resource focused on the pedagogy, values, and guiding principles that shape meaningful Planetary Health education — designed to complement the existing Planetary Health Education Framework.

How can storytelling help advance Planetary Health? In this workshop, participants will learn ethical, community-centered approaches to environmental storytelling and explore how photography and video can convey the deep connections between human and ecosystem health. Participants will leave with a clear framework for developing impactful Planetary Health story ideas. The session is led by Tamara Blazquez Haik, who is an award winning Conservation Photographer, Storyteller, Activist and Environmental Educator, as well as an Only One Ambassador and IUCN-CEC Member. Tamara says her "goal is to aid in nature and wildlife conservation, especially birds of prey conservation, both in Mexico and internationally, through my photography, journalism, speaking and educational skills." Session recorded on April 24, 2026.

Climate resilience expert Anna Brown shares remarks on how changing environmental conditions are not only impacting coffee, tea, and chocolate crops, but the communities that grow and sustain the products we rely on each day.

Held during DC Climate Week. The World Health Organization recognizes climate change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Almost half the world's population — 3.3 to 3.6 billion people — live in circumstances extremely vulnerable to climate-related health impacts. Through the lens of health, we can bridge the gap between the reality of the climate and broader planetary crisis and the way many still perceive it — as something happening elsewhere, to someone else. Health makes that distance impossible to maintain, connecting the crisis to our bodies, our families, and our communities, while laying bare how its worst impacts fall hardest on those already made vulnerable by systemic inequities. From heat-related illness to vector-borne diseases to asthma and cardiovascular disease rates exacerbated by air pollution, climate change is directly impacting physical and mental health across a wide range of outcomes. But understanding this connection is more than a call to alarm — it is a call to action. ​The climate and planetary health intersection can be applied to almost every sector, helping to unearth and guide adaptation and mitigation actions in a wide range of systems. The climate and planetary health lens also acts as a shared language and entry point into climate action — one that makes the crisis feel personal, immediate, and actionable. By connecting the environmental crisis to the health of our families, neighbors, and communities, this framing can inspire a sense of individual agency and civic engagement, motivating people across backgrounds and sectors to take meaningful steps in their own lives. ​This panel discussion brings together a diverse group of speakers to share how climate and planetary health intersect in their sector. Featuring medical professionals, philanthropists, systems thinkers, artists and local organizers, this panel will highlight how individuals are taking concrete actions in the face of the climate crisis to improve health for all. Because when we see the climate and broader planetary crisis through the personal lens of health — through the eyes of doctors, artists, philanthropists, and community organizers — we begin to see not just the scale of the problem, but the many entry points available to all of us, and what becomes possible when we act together. ​Speakers: ​Matthew A. Aubourg, MSPH Doctoral Student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Lerner Fellow – Dr. Steve Wing Track ​Christopher Lemon, MD Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine Associate Director; Faculty Co-Director, Clinical Programs; Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health ​Rachel Marcus, DrPH Executive Director, Planetary Health Alliance and the Institute for Planetary Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health ​Rev. Jessica Moerman, PhD President and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network

The Planetary Health Roadmap & Action Plan’s AI & Innovation Working Group (AI@PH WG) launched an "AI & Planetary Health Speaker Series" to explore how technological and social innovation can be intentionally shaped to serve both people and the planet. The first session featured Dr. Cornelia C. Walther, lead of the AI@PH WG, who examined how AI intersects with the Planetary Health field, shared the origins and purpose of the working group, and discussed emerging priorities as we look forward. This series aims to foster dialogue, critical reflection, and collaboration around the role of AI in advancing a more regenerative and just future. If you were unable to attend this session, future events in the series will be shared through the Planetary Health Alliance monthly newsletter: https://planetaryhealthalliance.org/newsletter/