Gina Friel: The 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025
Be open to considering what actions you, as an individual, could take to further understand and to decrease the impact of the changing climate. Even the smallest action, such as walking or biking whenever possible or eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat whenever possible (even one time less per week), can have a positive imprint on our climate. More than that, actions such as these can have a positive impact on our health and the health of our families and our communities. These are examples of how small, individual, collective actions can have a much greater positive impact on our climate.
What gives you hope about the future of the planet/climate movement?
As a pediatric nurse practitioner, every day I work really hard to advocate for the health of my patients and their families. Children are our future and they also are a population that is most vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate. Children breathe at a faster rate than adults and their lifetime exposure to heat and poor air quality can have an even greater negative impact on their health. When I attended the Conference of Parties (COP) conferences in Egypt and Dubai, it gave me tremendous hope and positive energy to see the amazing involvement and advocacy of the global youth and young adults also attending the conferences. There were opportunities at the conferences for young people to share and to speak so eloquently on the world stage about how a changing climate has impacted their health and the health of their families and communities. They were also there networking and offering solutions.
If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next COP, what would you say?
The changing climate is affecting the health of my patients and their families. These effects are occurring globally. I would strongly encourage the leaders of governments, and organizations worldwide to not be misled by believing that they alone have or should have all the answers to this very complex change in our climate. It is important for leaders in this space to listen, and not just hear, the stories and the potential solutions offered by those who have been impacted. And in listening, we have the power to embrace points of view and potential solutions that may not have been considered without this additional perspective.
There are approximately 29 million nurses worldwide. Nurses are the most trusted segment of the health care sector. Nurses are an essential force for protecting those at risk for climate-related health impacts. It is important for leaders to understand how a change in the climate is affecting patients, communities, health, and health care worldwide. For example, when there is more air pollution, there are more asthma attacks and respiratory illnesses. When there is more heat, there is more heat-related illness and Emergency Department visits. The burden of a changing climate extends far beyond the impacts on health. The time is now to move forward with a bold strategy to drive positive change.