Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue - it’s a human rights crisis.

In this discussion, Zia Mehrabi, Research Associate at CU Boulder, explains how climate change is already costing lives, with its impacts falling hardest on the world’s most vulnerable communities. He invites us to look beyond our own daily choices and consider how these decisions can shorten lives elsewhere in the world.

Viewing climate change through a human rights lens brings new clarity. The right to a safe climate, to healthy and sustainable food, and to a non-toxic environment are increasingly being violated on a global scale. As a data scientist, Mehrabi uses data-driven tools to identify these violations and support the work of activists, policymakers, and legal advocates pushing for climate justice.

He also offers a hopeful message: humans have driven enormous change in a short period of history, and we can do so again. Getting there, however, requires accurate narratives, strong public health systems, and coordinated policy action.

This conversation is essential for anyone working at the intersection of climate action, human rights, and environmental justice.