Our 5th Annual National Forum, The Turbulent Ecosystem: Climate Change's Impact on the Latino Cancer Burden! provided valuable insights. We encourage you to consider these action items in your work, and find opportunities to collaborate with partners across these systems with the aim of driving change to mitigate the negative health impacts of climate change. We all have a role to play in protecting our most vulnerable populations. Let’s work together to improve the health of our world, our communities, and ourselves.

• Fund projects that study climate and cancer interactions, from molecular to public health. Require that clinical studies include community engagement.

• Develop, translate, and implement educational tools about climate change and cancer, and post information and resources on government websites.

• Develop and support policies that prevent and mitigate the effect of climate change on vulnerable communities.

• Include cancer patients of all demographics while developing and implementing climate change mitigation strategies, including specific protocols for cancer patients in climate change disasters. Involve the community in the development of these strategies. 

• Use vendors that implement strategies to lower carbon emissions in their products, production, and delivery.

• Create regulations that limit toxic substances in products, including in the manufacturing process.

• Propose projects that focus on the Latino community as an important demographic. Establish connections with the community engagement office at your organization now, so it will be easier to collaborate in the future.

• Work with the Departments of Education and Public Health to develop and assess the impact of educational tools.

• Draft protocols for short-term or long-term climate change extreme weather events that may disrupt research.

• Include communications plans with the organization, other researchers, and clinical study participants 



• Study strategies and develop tools and procedures that lower carbon emissions.

• Develop and use less toxic reagents and other materials in the course of research.

• Seek opportunities to engage with research studies as a community advisory board member, or as a study participant. Encourage other community members to do so as well. You need to be at the table!

• Seek out information by attending events and subscribing to email lists. Challenge misinformation that is spread within your social circles, including social media.

• Buy less-toxic products, and advocate decision makers to restrict toxic materials in products.

• Make a plan for you and your loved ones in the event of an extreme climate event. Seek out some of the many educational resources to help you make the plan.

• Vote for candidates that believe in climate change and appreciate its effect on cancer in Latinos. Advocate for your community at local, state, and federal levels.

• Buy sustainably manufactured products

• Include information about clinical trials, and the importance of participating, in brochures, tabling, email blasts, or events. If applicable, reach out to the community engagement office at a local research institution to ask how you can work together.

• Help community members develop plans for extreme weather events, and send out information during an emergency.

• Distribute information and resources to the community, and act as a gatherer of community experiences and needs to guide the development, distribution, and evaluation of educational materials.

• Inform the community about less-toxic products and distribute samples of healthier options. 

• Develop and implement continuing medical education courses about the intersection of climate change and cancer, especially in under-resourced communities.

• Have specific plans and communications ready for cancer patients and their families in case of emergency.

• Encourage government relations teams to include messages of climate sustainability in lobbying efforts.

• Develop and implement carbon-reducing policies across the company. Invest in and develop products that are carbon neutral.

• Use less toxic products in offices and facilities. Develop and manufacture less toxic products and materials.