The Intersection of Planetary and Human Health: A Doctor’s Call to Rethink Health in the Age of Climate Change

 

Senator Bill Frist, MD, a member of the Class of 1974, presented “The Intersection of Planetary and Human Health: A Doctor’s Call to Rethink Health in the Age of Climate Change.” Frist is the speaker in the fall 2025  HMEI Taplin Environmental Lecture Series.

“After decades in medicine, I’ve learned that planetary and human health are inseparable,” says Frist. “The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the environment we live in directly shape our well-being. When these systems are degraded, our health suffers. It’s time we reframe climate change and biodiversity loss for what they truly are: not just environmental threats but escalating human health crises.”

The Intersection of Planetary and Human Health: A Doctor’s Call to Rethink Health in the Age of Climate Change

Publish Date

October 29, 2025

Presenter(s)

Senator Bill Frist

Link to Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6yZaT8HaYE

Video Length

1:12:30

 

Senator Bill Frist, MD, a member of the Class of 1974, presented “The Intersection of Planetary and Human Health: A Doctor’s Call to Rethink Health in the Age of Climate Change.” Frist is the speaker in the fall 2025  HMEI Taplin Environmental Lecture Series.

“After decades in medicine, I’ve learned that planetary and human health are inseparable,” says Frist. “The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the environment we live in directly shape our well-being. When these systems are degraded, our health suffers. It’s time we reframe climate change and biodiversity loss for what they truly are: not just environmental threats but escalating human health crises.”