Dr. Neha Pathak

Neha’s Story

[EJ] Neha

Physician, Co-founder, Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action Board Member, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.

A physician and founding member of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action, Dr. Pathak works to educate public health officials and the public about the risks of climate change and environmental pollution on human health. One of the coalition’s core goals is to address environmental injustice by making sure that health care systems, public health initiatives and environmental policies protect the health of all Georgians. Georgia has failed to produce a strong regional haze state implementation plan, allowing haze pollution to continue negatively affecting air quality in the state’s natural areas. This same pollution is harming the health of nearby communities and those who recreate outdoors.

Dr. Pathak worries about the health of her three children as they visit Georgia’s public lands, specifically the lung-damaging pollution particles that impact their developing bodies. Nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone all contribute to haze and exacerbate asthma, while fine particulate matter slows childhood brain development. The negative health effects on vulnerable populations, especially older adults children, and environmentally overburdened communities, cannot be ignored. For far too long, polluters in Georgia have been allowed to spew dirty air into our communities – the EPA must hold the state accountable to restore clean and clear skies.