Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This episode explores how the climate crisis is reshaping the landscape of infectious disease. Drawing on the latest IPCC findings and recent research by Camilo Mora and others, Dr. Peter Carter and climate system scientist Paul Beckwith explain how warming temperatures, marine heat waves, floods, droughts and expanding tropics are altering where and how diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Lyme disease, malaria and Vibrio infections spread.
This video was recorded on May 22nd, 2026, and published on May 24th, 2026, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.
Our panel digs into the mechanisms behind these changes: damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed sanitation after extreme weather, shifting ranges for mosquitoes, ticks and other vectors, and “dead zones” and marine heat waves that can incubate dangerous pathogens along coastlines. They also discuss longer‑term risks, from Canfield‑type ocean states in Earth’s past to today’s growing burden of chronic vulnerability after COVID and other outbreaks.
Finally, we examine what can be done—from strengthening public‑health and disaster‑response systems in every country, to practical individual actions such as better indoor air, improved hygiene, and reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions to tackle the root cause. If you care about how climate change is already affecting human health, and what a hotter, more unstable world could mean for future pandemics, this conversation is for you.
Links:
- Support Our Mission
climateemergencyforum.org/donate.html
- AR2: The Science of Climate Change
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar2/wg1/
- Climate change and infectious diseases
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_and_infectious_diseases
- Vibrio
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio
- Lyme disease
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
- Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change
nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01426-1
- Health and Climate Change
thelancet.com/series-do/health-and-climate-change-series-2009
- The 2025 Global Report of the Lancet Countdown
lancetcountdown.org/2025-report
- Canfield ocean
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canfield_ocean
- Ebola outbreak ‘spreading rapidly’ as suspected cases rise, WHO head says
globalnews.ca/news/11860188/ebola-outbreak-spreading-rapidly-suspected-cases-rise-who-update
- Super El Niño Ahead? (CEF Video)
youtu.be/vo2eSm_PF1w
- New coal plants hit '10-year' global high in 2025 - but power output still fell
carbonbrief.org/new-coal-plants-hit-10-year-global-high-in-2025-but-power-output-still-fell
- Historic International Court of Justice Opinion Confirms States' Climate Obligations
iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/icj-advisory-opinion-climate-change
- General Assembly backs historic World Court climate crisis ruling
news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167561
- The impact of extreme temperatures on respiratory mortality in Brazil: Evaluating regional adaptations to different thermal environments
journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pclm.0000801
Regular Panelists:
Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute.
Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa's Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University
Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.
Video Production:
Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader
Heidi Brault - Video production and website assistant, Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP team lead for the Climate Emergency Forum & COP Team organizer for FacingFuture.Earth; BA (Psychology); Climate Reality Leader
Our Website:
climateemergencyforum.org
Support Our Work:
climateemergencyforum.org/donate.html
Attributions:
Background Music:
- Title: Through the City II
- Author: Crowander
- Source: crowander.com
Image and Video: climateemergencyforum.org/assets/attributions/2026/2026-05-24-climate-extreme-weather-and-disease.html
This episode explores how the climate crisis is reshaping the landscape of infectious disease. Drawing on the latest IPCC findings and recent research by Camilo Mora and others, Dr. Peter Carter and climate system scientist Paul Beckwith explain how warming temperatures, marine heat waves, floods, droughts and expanding tropics are altering where and how diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Lyme disease, malaria and Vibrio infections spread.
This video was recorded on May 22nd, 2026, and published on May 24th, 2026, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.
Our panel digs into the mechanisms behind these changes: damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed sanitation after extreme weather, shifting ranges for mosquitoes, ticks and other vectors, and “dead zones” and marine heat waves that can incubate dangerous pathogens along coastlines. They also discuss longer‑term risks, from Canfield‑type ocean states in Earth’s past to today’s growing burden of chronic vulnerability after COVID and other outbreaks.
Finally, we examine what can be done—from strengthening public‑health and disaster‑response systems in every country, to practical individual actions such as better indoor air, improved hygiene, and reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions to tackle the root cause. If you care about how climate change is already affecting human health, and what a hotter, more unstable world could mean for future pandemics, this conversation is for you.
Links:
- Support Our Mission
climateemergencyforum.org/donate.html
- AR2: The Science of Climate Change
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar2/wg1/
- Climate change and infectious diseases
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_and_infectious_diseases
- Vibrio
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrio
- Lyme disease
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
- Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change
nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01426-1
- Health and Climate Change
thelancet.com/series-do/health-and-climate-change-series-2009
- The 2025 Global Report of the Lancet Countdown
lancetcountdown.org/2025-report
- Canfield ocean
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canfield_ocean
- Ebola outbreak ‘spreading rapidly’ as suspected cases rise, WHO head says
globalnews.ca/news/11860188/ebola-outbreak-spreading-rapidly-suspected-cases-rise-who-update
- Super El Niño Ahead? (CEF Video)
youtu.be/vo2eSm_PF1w
- New coal plants hit '10-year' global high in 2025 - but power output still fell
carbonbrief.org/new-coal-plants-hit-10-year-global-high-in-2025-but-power-output-still-fell
- Historic International Court of Justice Opinion Confirms States' Climate Obligations
iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/icj-advisory-opinion-climate-change
- General Assembly backs historic World Court climate crisis ruling
news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167561
- The impact of extreme temperatures on respiratory mortality in Brazil: Evaluating regional adaptations to different thermal environments
journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pclm.0000801
Regular Panelists:
Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute.
Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa's Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University
Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.
Video Production:
Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader
Heidi Brault - Video production and website assistant, Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP team lead for the Climate Emergency Forum & COP Team organizer for FacingFuture.Earth; BA (Psychology); Climate Reality Leader
Our Website:
climateemergencyforum.org
Support Our Work:
climateemergencyforum.org/donate.html
Attributions:
Background Music:
- Title: Through the City II
- Author: Crowander
- Source: crowander.com
Image and Video: climateemergencyforum.org/assets/attributions/2026/2026-05-24-climate-extreme-weather-and-disease.html
