Toward a “green” brain health agenda: establishing short- and long-term goals for the field of neurology in a changing climate

What happens when two of the biggest health challenges of our time—climate change and the rising burden of neurological disease—collide? This episode unpacks a new framework for green brain health that argues environmental factors are missing from neurology's current agenda. We explore how air pollution, extreme heat, and ecological disruption affect the brain through mechanisms like neuroinflammation and altered neuroplasticity, and why exposures during pregnancy and early childhood matter most. Then we walk through a five part action plan spanning clinical screenings, public awareness campaigns, medical education, research priorities, and policy advocacy. Drawing on successful models from telehealth expansion and lung health advocacy, this episode makes the case that professional societies and healthcare institutions must act now to protect neurological wellbeing in a changing climate.