'A True Public Health Emergency': 70+ Medical Groups Sound Alarm on Climate Crisis
Last edited Mon Jun 24, 2019, 07:10 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Common Dreams
Groups lay out action agenda to advance climate solutions and strengthen resiliency. By Andrea Germanos, staff writer. Scores of medical groups on Monday called the climate crisis "a health emergency" and laid out what they framed as a blueprint for the public and private sector to take swift action.
The agenda is signed by over 70 groups, including the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the National Association of Social Workers.
"Climate change is one of the greatest threats to health America has ever faced—it is a true public health emergency," the groups state. "The health, safety, and well-being of millions of people in the U.S. have already been harmed by human-caused climate change, and health risks in the future are dire without urgent action to fight climate change."
Referencing the impacts of climate-related events and air pollution that have already claimed lives, the groups "call on government, business and civil society leaders, elected officials, and candidates for office to recognize climate change as a health emergency and to work across government agencies and with communities and businesses to prioritize action on this Climate, Health, and Equity Policy Action Agenda."
-MORE...
Read more: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/24/true-public-health-emergency-70-medical-groups-sound-alarm-climate-crisis
The groups warn:
"Without transformational action, climate change will be increasingly severe, leading to more illness, injury, and death; mass migration and violent conflict; and worsening health inequities. By mobilizing climate action for health and health action for climate, the U.S. can reduce climate pollution and build healthy communities that are resilient in the face of climate risks."
Physicians for Social Responsibility, on Twitter, said, "It's time for government, business, and civil sector leaders to recognize the #ClimateHealthEmergency and advance bold solutions!"
____________________________
-- U.S. Call for Action on Climate, Health, and Equity: A Policy Action Agenda --
The undersigned organizations call on government, business, and civil society leaders, elected officials, and candidates for office to recognize climate change as a health emergency and to work across government agencies and with communities and businesses to prioritize action on this Climate, Health and Equity Policy Action Agenda.
Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of Community Psychiatrists
American College of Emergency Physicians, California chapter
American College of Lifestyle Medicine
American College of Physicians
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Medical Association
American Medical Women's Association
American Public Health Association
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative
Berkeley Media Studies Group
Boonshoft School of Medicine Wright State University
California Conference of Local Health Officers
California Environmental Health Association
California Public Health Association-North
Callifornia Conference of Directors of Environmental Health
Center for Climate Change and Health
Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
ChangeLab Solutions
Citizens Climate Health Team
Climate 911
Climate for Health, ecoAmerica
Climate Psychiatry Alliance
Colorado Public Health Association
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Florida Clinicians for Climate Action
Florida State Medical Association
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
Health Care Climate Council
Health Care Without Harm
Human Impact Partners
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC)
Maine Public Health Association
Medical Advocates for Healthy Air
Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health
Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate
Multnomah County Health Department
National Association of Social Workers
National Environmental Health Association
National Medical Association
New York State Public Health Association
Ohio Clinicians for Climate Action
Oklahoma Public Health Association
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter
Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter
Prevention Institute
PSR New Mexico Chapter
PSR-San Francisco Bay Area
PSR/Colorado Working Group
PSR/Florida
Public Health - Seattle & King County
Public Health Advocates
Public Health Alliance of Southern California
Public Health Institute
Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP)
Rutgers Global Health Institute
San Mateo County Health
Student Section of the Maryland Public Health Association
Temple University College of Public Health
Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
University of Colorado Consortium on Climate & Health
University of Maryland School of Public Health
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment
Vermont Climate and Health Alliance
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Western North Carolina Physicians for Social Responsibility
Wisconsin Environmental Health Network
= new reply since forum marked as read
I hope these wonderful organizations can somehow coalesce with, or into a new organization that can apply meaningful pressure on politicians and legislatures around the globe to take meaningful ACTION.
Since tRump took office, the world is in a backward slide due to the loss of the United States' leadership.
The primary items on their basic adjenda (from Common Dreams):
* A recommitment to the Paris climate accord;
* A transition away from a fossil fuel economy to one based on renewables;
* A push towards "active modes of transportation" like biking;
* Boosting ecologically-stewarded food systems and forests;
* Guaranteeing safe and affordable drinking water for all; and
* Supporting a just transition for the workers and communities most impacted by the climate crisis.
They describe three more actions categorized as "health action for climate":
* Make the health sector a vocal part of climate action;
* "Incorporate climate solutions into all healthcare and public health systems";
* Build resilient communities, especially those most adversely impacted by climate crisis.
An additional call, which urges boosting funds for climate and health, rounds out the groups' "roadmap to develop coordinated strategies for simultaneously tackling climate change, health, and equity."
The really big elephant in this global room of ours is avoidance of mass insurrection and immigrant flows during the coming severe climate events. If those events get serious enough (they probably will in time), the world's economic and governmental structures may start collapsing in domino fashion.
A good read on the subject:
‘Climate apartheid’: UN expert says human rights may not survive
Right to life is likely to be undermined alongside the rule of law, special rapporteur says
Damian Carrington, The Guardian Environment editor - @dpcarrington
Tue 25 Jun 2019 09.00 BST
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/25/climate-apartheid-united-nations-expert-says-human-rights-may-not-survive-crisis
(snip)
Alston is critical of the “patently inadequate” steps taken by the UN itself, countries, NGOs and businesses, saying they are “entirely disproportionate to the urgency and magnitude of the threat”. His report to the UN human rights council (HRC) concludes: “Human rights might not survive the coming upheaval.”
The report also condemns Donald Trump for “actively silencing” climate science, and criticises the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, for promising to open up the Amazon rainforest to mining.
KY........
Not sure that one has officially been published by the UN, but I think this is where the press is getting their info:
Advance Unedited Version Distr.: General, 25June 2019
Link: https://srpovertyorg.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/unsr-poverty-climate-change-a_hrc_41_39.pdf
And, this is his web site:
Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur (2014-2020)
Welcome to the website of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston. Navigate the menu above to learn more about the work of the Special Rapporteur as he investigates and advises on human rights and poverty around the world.
Link: https://srpoverty.org/
This seems to be where his past UN reports have been made available through last year but I see none listed for 2019:
Annual reports - Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
(click on blue letters in the column "Symbol" to open the reports - not exactly user friendly!)
Link: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/AnnualReports.aspx
Just based on a quick scan, these reports appear be very interesting reading but unfortunately will not get any public attention, at least not until some of his predictions come true.
I signed up for Alston's email news letter - I think it will be a good one.
KY...........
