A climate ad that reached millions

Science Moms’ Super Bowl ad, why extreme heat worsens diabetes, & three S’s of climate action

GOOD NEWS

Images from the Science Moms' 2025 Super Bowl ad

If you tuned in to the Super Bowl this year, you might have seen an ad from Science Moms, a nonpartisan climate advocacy group of climate scientists and moms I'm part of. It is the first ad on climate risks to ever air during the Super Bowl, one of the top ten most watched sporting event worldwide. Some 13.6 million viewers who streamed the Super Bowl online saw the ad, in addition to 2.5 million television viewers in the Los Angeles market.

The ad doesn’t promote a product; instead, it is a heartfelt call to action that highlights how climate change is harming the people and places we love most. In it, an expectant mother narrates how climate change will reshape the world in which her daughter will grow up.

“Climate change is creating hotter, drier conditions that lead to massive wildfires,” said Emily Fischer, a climate scientist at Colorado State University and one of our Science Moms. “As we show in this ad, unnatural disasters will only become more frequent and intense unless we make a serious effort to tackle climate change. Our children deserve nothing less."

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. The New York Times called the ad “unimpeachable in its sentiments," ranking it as the tenth best Super Bowl ad of the year. Celebrities, including science communicator Bill Nye, shared the ad on their social channels. “There are a lot of distractions right now, but our climate is still changing. If we work together, we can provide clean energy for everyone and change the world,” Bill told Science Moms.

NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS

Climate change and fossil fuels threaten our health in many ways, as I’ve often discussed in this newsletter. Extreme heat is especially dangerous for the 830 million people worldwide who suffer from diabetes.

How? Diabetes causes nerve and blood vessel damage, which can impair sweating, making it harder to cool down and increasing the risk of heat exhaustion or stroke. And people with diabetes also dehydrate more easily, as high blood sugar leads to increased urination, and some medications, like diuretics, can worsen fluid loss. Heat stress can further disrupt blood sugar regulation, and change how much insulin a person needs.

Diabetes itself is on the rise, up 315 percent since 1990, according to the World Health Organization, and much of this growth has occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Diabetes and associated kidney diseases caused 2 million deaths worldwide in 2021.

Extreme heat itself may be increasing cases of diabetes, as it impacts how our bodies metabolize glucose and use brown fat. One study found that a 1 degree Celsius temperature rise in the U.S. could mean another 100,000 new cases of diabetes in the country annually, while another study for China projected that heat-related deaths from diabetes in the country could increase eight times by the 2090s under a higher-emission scenario.

Once again, climate change is proving itself to be a threat multiplier: taking problems we already have, and making them worse.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Science Moms isn’t just talk: we’ve also developed a three step framework for action aimed at parents and household decision makers: SWAP, SHARE and SPEAK UP.

SWAP polluting stuff for clean stuff - and save money along the way. You can do this in big and small ways. You can look at how you heat and cool your home and install home solar on your roof, opt for a heat pump over a gas-powered furnace, or look for power providers that get their electricity from wind or solar instead of coal. The next time you have to replace a large appliance, look for energy efficient options like a conduction stove or an electric dryer over a gas one. And when it comes time to replace your car, you can trade in a gasoline-powered vehicle for an electric or hybrid version, or take a second look at public transportation or biking options in your area. When climate economist Gernot Wagner guest-edited this newsletter, he was full of tips on how to electrify your home, and this guide from Rewiring America is helpful as well.

SHARE facts, concerns, and solutions with family and friends. As I often say, talking about climate change is one of the most effective actions you can take and research shows people we know are the most effective messengers on this topic! So, share your feelings and concerns about climate change with your loved ones and friends, and talk about inspiring solutions you’ve adopted in your own life. Science Moms curates videos you can pass along to family and friends and a social media feed full of posts you can share on Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky. And of course, every week this newsletter shares good news, not-so-good news and something you can do that you can share.

SPEAK UP and ask leaders about their plans to stop big polluters and keep us safe from climate harm. A recent Yale study found that most elected officials under-estimate how much their constituents care about climate change – because they never hear from them! You don’t have to do this alone; join a climate group to amplify your impact. Science Moms has a quiz to help match you with the perfect group for you, and I have a longer list on my website here. Working together makes it easier to reach out to leaders in your community at the local, city, regional, and national level and ask them what they are doing to fight climate change.

Tues April 1 at 5:30pm ET - Lecture at American University - in person in Washington, DC. More details to come

Thurs April 3 at 5pm ET - Faith & Waters Restoration Forum with Oakland Mills Interfaith and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake - in person in Columbia, Maryland

Wed April 30 at 8pm ET - Don’t Say Climate? Bridging Divides with Katharine Hayhoe with the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America - virtual