Listen Now Dr. Paul Farmer unexpectedly passed away on February 21, 2022.   He was 62.  Trained as physician and medical anthropologist, Dr. Farmer was known moreover for his healthcare work in Haiti that he more formally forwarded via Partners in Health (PIH), an organization he cofounded in 1987.   Over the subsequent years Dr. Farmer and PIH expanded their work around the world in Africa, Russia, South America and in the US.  Dr. Farmer and his colleagues were also widely known for their international efforts to address multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB ..read more

Listen Now Listeners may recall two years ago this past month I interviewed Professor Jacobson regarding his text “100% Clean Renewable Energy and Storage for Everything.”  I noted in my introduction to that 2021 interview Prof. Jacobson argued since 2009 100% of the world’s energy supply could be produced via solar, wind and water power within 20 to 30 years.  The barriers to a 100% conversion to renewables are not, he continues to argue, technological or even economic but social and political.  In “No Miracles Needed,” Prof Jacobson argues we can transition to 80% wind, water ..read more

This past Wednesday, STAT published my latest article, "HHS's Environmental Justice Index Institutionalizes Climate Apartheid"  At: https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/01/hhs-environmental-justice-index-institutionalizes-climate-apartheid/.  While well-intended the index will in practice likely constitute environmental redlining and become, literally, the definition of structural racism.   ..read more

On March 6th I'll speak with Stanford Engineering Professor Mark Jacobson, concerning his recent work, "No Miracles Needed, How Today's Technology Can Save Our Planet and Clean Our Air," published by Cambridge University Press.  Listeners will recall I interviewed Prof. Jacobson in February 2021 regarding his text, "100% Clean, Renewable Energy" also published by Cambridge University. On March 13th I'll speak again with Dr. Eric Reinhart, a political anthropologist and physician, about the life of Dr. Paul Farmer.   Listeners are likely aware Dr. Farmer, the internationally reno ..read more

Listen Now Since suicides serve as a proxy measure for social isolation and loneliness (SIL), last week the CDC reported after declines in 2019 and 2020, suicides increased 7% in ‘21, particularly among those 25-44, to 48,343 returning their peak in 2018.  Over the past 2 decades suicides have increased 30%, they are now is the 12th leading cause of death.   Also in 2021, the CDC’s most recent bi-annual Youth Risk Beh Survey, published this past November,  found among other things teenage girls experienced persistent sadness at twice the rate of teen boys and three in five ..read more

On February 8th I'll I'll discuss with Georgetown Professor Toshihiro Higuchi his work, "Political Fallout, Nuclear Weapons Testing and the Making of a Global Environmental Crisis."   Though the Manhattan Project ended 75 years ago everyone alive today has been exposed to the radiation substances the project produced.       On February 15th I'll speak with BYU Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad about the health effects of social isolation.  See her recent perspective essay in the NEJM, at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2208029. My interview with Uni ..read more

Listen Now (Listeners may recall Professor Abraham discussed 2021 ocean warming last year on January 18.) As a possible reminder ..read more

Listen Now US healthcare fraud remains pervasive. For example, this past November Pro Publica and The New Yorker published, “How ..read more

On January 19th, I'll interview Attorney Jayne Conroy, who recently won two large settlements against Walgreens, CVS and Walmart related ..read more

Last night The Hill published my latest climate-crisis related writing titled, "FYI: The Health Care Industry Is Not Decarbonizing." It's ..read more