Each month, we highlight a new Supermom of the Month, a volunteer who has gone above and beyond to advocate for clean air and children’s health.
This month, we are celebrating Leticia Noguiera. Leticia was nominated by Florida Field Organizer Emily Pickett.
Leticia is Scientific Director of Health Services Research at the American Cancer Society. She holds a PhD in cell and molecular biology and a master of public health (MPH) in quantitative methods. Leticia studies the impact of climate change and extreme weather on cancer patients and their access to treatment. Bringing her scientist perspective on air quality and other environmental hazards, she has provided research support for our state campaign to transition away from natural gas power plants, and she and Emily co-authored an op-ed that appeared in the Invading Sea earlier this year. Leticia is always there to raise awareness around important Florida climate issues and lend a helping hand.
Tell Congress: Commit to Climate Investments and Clean Air Progress
We asked Leticia a few questions about her motivation and activism:
Why did you join Moms?
I first heard about Moms Clean Air Force while reading my favorite book about climate change: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson. I am a mom of three—two teenagers and a three-year-old—so it was love at first sight. The opportunity to join other moms as an organized force allows us to get so much more accomplished than any individual effort could ever do to protect the health of our children. I’ve been hooked ever since!
How did you first become interested in environmental and air quality issues?
I grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. There, the health consequences of air pollution and climate change weren’t theoretical; we lived it every day. We were frequently sent home from school during thermal inversions, for example. Thermal inversions, which are characterized by stagnant air, can trap pollution close to the ground, making outdoor air extremely unhealthy. I remember asking my parents, “If we know where this pollution is coming from and what it does to us, why don’t we stop it?”
Looking back, that early life lesson drove a lot of my interests, priorities, and actions as an adult.
How do you talk to your friends and family about environmental issues and inspire them to take action?
I’m a scientist, and we get a bad rap for overcomplicating things. So I try to make the scientific evidence of the connection between pollution and health issues as straightforward and personal as possible when I talk to friends and family. At weekend soccer games, I point out what pollution from a nearby highway might be doing to the lungs of our little players, for example. Moms are hardwired to protect the health of our kids, so once the factual connection is made, identifying action items comes naturally.
Tell Congress: Commit to Climate Investments and Clean Air Progress