This February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an event that aims to promote access and participation of women and girls in the scientific field. In this regard, there are many areas of action and research within the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
But one of the most pressing is the one that addresses climate change and its effects on the health of the population and the environment. Within the framework of this day, we focus on three profiles of Spanish scientists who fight against climate change.
Anna Cabré is a climate physicist and oceanographer. She works within a scientific framework to help articulate the Global Goal on Climate Change Adaptation, with the University of Pennsylvania and the International Peace Institute. Likewise, she works as a communicator and consultant on issues related to climate change.
In 2019, she participated in an expedition to Antarctica with 100 scientists, within the Homeward Bound program, whose objective is to give visibility to women in science. In this regard, she made a documentary about this experience, motherhood, climate change and has written children’s books to raise awareness among children about our impact on the Earth. On the other hand, she is co-founder of Ellas Lideran, an association that promotes the climate and gender agenda with the aim of raising awareness in our country.
Cristina Linares is a Doctor in Preventive Medicine and Public Health and serves as Senior Scientist and Co-Director of the Climate Change, Health and Urban Environment Unit at the Carlos III Health Institute. Her main lines of research address the impact of environmental factors such as thermal extremes and chemical and acoustic atmospheric pollution on health.
In addition to collaborating with numerous institutions that address climate change and its impact on health, she is an advisor to the United Nations and the World Health Organization. She has also been part of the Group of Experts in the first Citizen Climate Assembly in Spain, which received the Extraordinary Environment Award in 2021.
María José Sanz studied Biology and received a doctorate from the Department of Botany at the University of Valencia. She is a specialist in the effects that air pollution has on vegetation. She has published numerous studies in renowned scientific journals and it is worth highlighting her contribution to governance processes and international cooperation on climate change.
Since 2016, she has been Scientific Director of the Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3). Likewise, she was part of the team of the Spanish delegation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
