Overview: This webinar will cover the impacts of climate disasters such as wildfires on the brain and vital cognitive functions and will discuss important climate resiliency efforts that protect brain health. Opening and Closing: Arianne Teherani, PhD, Professor of Medicine, UCSF, and Co-Founding Director of UC Center for Climate Health and Equity Moderator: Tarik Benmarhnia, PhD, Associate Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD Speakers: Impacts of wildfires on the brain: Joan Casey, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Washington Promoting awareness of neurological impacts of climate change and disasters on children: Burcin Ikiz, PhD, Founder and Director of EcoNeuro Climate trauma, fire brain, climate resilience education and practice: Jyoti Mishra, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, UCSD Neuroscience of emotion regulation and healing: Philippe Goldin, PhD, Professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, UC Davis This programming is sponsored by UC Center for Climate, Health and Equity in collaboration with its UC Mental Health Council, UCLA’s Center Healthy Climate Solutions, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, the Sustainable LA Grand Challenges, UCSF Alumni Association and the UCSF Office of Communications.

Air pollution is a major contributor to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. The session highlights both the global evidence on the effects of air pollution on chronic diseases and key opportunities and success stories on how reducing air pollution can lower the incidence and impacts of chronic diseases. Speakers also discuss how the health sector can show leadership by integrating air pollution as a risk factor into healthcare practices.

The Global Mental Health Action Network collaborated with the Health Effects Institute to host a special webinar exploring the impact of air pollution on brain and mental health. Our expert speakers shared the current evidence and raised awareness of the impacts of air pollution exposure on brain and mental health around the world. During the webinar, they considered how to ensure the inclusion of mental and brain health within the policy space and funding space, and also examined possible solutions and interventions to protect mental and brain health in the context of air pollution. Catch up on the webinar now! #MHForAll #CleanAirforAll #AirPollution

How deeply felt and embodied is our connection to the wellbeing of the planet? Neuroscientist and environmental journalist Clayton Aldern has travelled the world to meet scientists and doctors working at the intersections of environmental science, psychology and neuroscience to synthesize a new, interdisciplinary approach to a novel field — the neuroscience of climate change. His new book The Weight of Nature is an impassioned work of research and storytelling, documenting the emotional and physical toll of a warming climate on our minds, brains and bodies. In the book, he explores how our beliefs, language, communities, family ties, cultural narratives, imagery and soundscapes are all being warped by the repeated shocks and stresses of climate change, reshaping our very humanity, and contributing to a growing public health crisis that has gone largely unreported. Join Clayton Aldern at the RSA as he argues that it is only by living in fuller intimacy with our planet that we will apply the compassion, resilience and courage to act to save it. #RSAclimate Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Donate to The RSA: https://utm.guru/udNNB Follow RSA Events on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRSAorg Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU **Please note Closed Captions are auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate 100% of the time! Thank you for your understanding.

This is the official livestream of the 2025 United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation Forum side event co-organized by Women Leaders for Planetary Health, the Planetary Health Alliance, and SERAC Bangladesh titled "The Nexus between Planetary Health, Climate and Environmental Crises, and Youth Mental Health." Moderators: Vildan Soguktas, Young Women for Planetary Health S.M. Shaikat, SERAC Bangladesh Performance by Emma Stevens, Indigenous singer-songwriter Opening Remarks: Dr. Marie Studer, Executive Director, Planetary Health Alliance Panel: Dr. Joshua Wortzel, Assistant Professor Adjunct in Psychiatry at Yale University Dr. Lise van Susteren, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral at George Washington University and co-founder of Climate Psychiatry Alliance Youth Opinion by Young Women for Planetary Health (Nicole Vasilev, Nontuhuzelo Nikiwe, Betul Orhan, Nargiz Valiyeva and Nicole Muhire) Dr. Burcin Ikiz, Founder & Director, EcoNeuro Dr. Gareth Morgan, Clinical Psychologist and Youth Coordinator for Climate Psychology Alliance Closing Remarks: Dr. Usman Mushtaq, Deputy Minister of Health in Norway Q&A Session __________________________________________________________ MORE INFO Without a healthy biosphere, there is no future for humanity. Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and other environmental threats are fueling a global planetary health crisis. From increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters- such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and wildfires- to slower-moving but equally destructive forces like pollution, microplastics, unsustainable agriculture and food systems, and a rising number of epidemics and pandemics, the impacts are both immediate and long-lasting. These environmental disruptions are deeply interconnected with human health, especially mental health, yet the psychological consequences are often neglected in broader discussions. As we navigate rising temperatures, worsening air quality, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequities, the emotional and psychological burden of these crises cannot be ignored- especially for young people who are facing an unprecedented level of climate-related anxiety, grief, and trauma. Among them, young women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to compounding factors like gender inequality, economic insecurity, and limited access to education, healthcare, and decision-making spaces. This session will explore the mental health impacts of planetary health crises on youth, with a strong focus on young women and girls. Understanding these dynamic impacts is essential for counselors, educators, health professionals, and policymakers striving to create equitable and effective responses, and so is supporting youth mental well-being, which is not just a moral imperative but foundational to building a healthier, more resilient future for all.