As of this fall, any student (including high school exchange, college, and graduate students) enrolled in a school that decides to go entirely online to keep students and faculty safe will need to leave the country, including students who are already in the U.S. right now. Contact your legislator and tell them to stop the #studentban that will hurt the country’s ability to attract talent, our standing in the world, and people we care about. Read more >
Rachel's Latest Posts

How to Keep US South Safe from COVID-19 and Scorching Heat, Even as Some States Ignore Pandemic Dangers
April 28, 2020 3:15 PM EDT
A massive, unseasonable heatwave is forecast to hit much of the Southern United States this week. Many of the states that are forecast to be hit are also places whose economies are either already partially reopening or whose orders are set to expire on April 30. Will it be made clear to people in these states that it is still far safer to seek shelter from both COVID-19 and the heat in the air conditioning at home rather than in public places? Where in-home AC is unavailable, will options be put in place for residents to safely seek cooling? Read more >

An October Heat Wave Bakes the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Is This Our Future?
October 2, 2019 12:53 PM EDT
A vital takeaway from this autumn heat wave is that, for hundreds of cities and towns, this kind of heat is projected to become standard throughout the warm season and into the fall as a result of climate change, assuming we remain on our current path. Read more >

5 Great Public Health Resources for Dealing With Extreme Heat
July 16, 2019 4:00 AM EDT
These are five resources that can help you and your loved ones stay safe during an extreme heat event. You can also help keep others in your community safe, for example by checking in on elderly neighbors or other people you know who are particularly vulnerable to heat. Read more >

Climate Change and Human Health – The Win-Win of Tackling Air Pollution
June 5, 2019 9:12 AM EDT
The World Health Organization estimates that an alarming 7 million people die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution. To help tackle this issue, this year’s World Environment Day (June 5) is shining a spotlight on this environmental threat and the multiple benefits derived from tackling it. To learn more, I spoke with Sandra Cavalieri, the Coordinator of the Health Initiative of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Secretariat who is contributing to World Environment Day.