Five on Friday: Earth Day 2022

Happy Earth Day! “Earth Day is Every Day” has been the tagline of Earth Day for several years – and, while we still need to work on making every day Earth day, perhaps it’s time to add another tagline: Care for the Earth is care for everyone – because of the strong intersectionality of planetary and human well-being. Aggressively addressing the climate crisis and environmental pollution directly affects the health and well-being of billions of people, of all races, classes, and nationalities. Yet, as we know well, the brunt of environmental and climate catastrophe falls on those who are already struggling, already marginalized, already in need. Therefore, climate justice is migrant justice, as more people are forced from their homes. Environmental justice is health justice, as people near polluting factories or pesticide-laden fields are more likely to get sick. The overlaps between our core work in migrant, immigrant, and asylum seeker health, and environmental degradation and exploitation, are many and varied and deep. This Earth Day, we ask everyone to fight against environmental destruction, not just for a cleaner Earth, but for a healthier human race, because everyone deserves the chance to be healthy. Now on to Five on Friday, where MCN staff share some of the articles and studies that crossed their desks this week. We include one Earth-Day-focused Weekly Win.

Kaethe shared the New York Times article, Ukrainian Children and Caregivers Are Being Separated at US Border.

Jillian shared the upcoming four-part webinar series, The Unique Role of Medical-Legal Partnerships in Helping Health Centers Address Disability & Chronic Disease Discrimination

Jillian also sent around this tragic story of trafficking of agricultural workers: ‘Beyond Troubling’: Current, Former Government Officials Tied to Human Trafficking Probe in Georgia

Amy forwarded on this NPR piece: Better Ventilation Would Create a Healthier Workplace — But Companies Have to Invest

Earth Day Weekly Win: Claire shared The Climate Solutions That Play Double-Duty, an article that emphasizes how many climate solutions don’t just reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also create “cascading social and public health benefits for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.” In other words, we can improve human health and address the climate crisis simultaneously.

Have a safe and healthy weekend!

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