Increasingly, health professionals share a deep concern about climate change and its effect on their patients, families, and communities. In 2016 we began working to gather medical/health professionals in speaking out about the health impacts of climate change – and also the myriad co-benefits of smart solutions that address the challenge. In collaboration with these individuals and groups, we have designed and run media campaigns that have reached millions of people. We have supported volunteers in delivering hundreds of presentations to the public, legislators and business leaders, writing and placing more than 100 op-eds, and more. To learn more about why this strategy is so important and what health professionals have been up to, check out this piece in the journal ‘Explore‘.
As has been true throughout US history, when it comes to adopting smart policy, states lead and the Federal government follows. For that reason, our work has been mainly focused on helping to create and support state based groups of health professionals. Theses groups are working to educate the public and lawmakers regarding the fact that climate change is poised to become the dominant social determinant of health driving all other social determinants of health – and to advocate for smart policy and programs that will drive carbon pollution down.
A key focus is education and communication through statewide forums, and dozens of presentations to health and medical organizations, including medical schools and Grand Rounds. The second focus has been engagement supporting high impact state policy with particular focus on reducing carbon pollution from transportation, buildings and electric power generation – the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Volunteer health professionals have met with senior state legislators and administrators including Governors, spoken at public rallies attended by thousands of people, written op-eds and testimony, and much more. The state teams have also created and delivered sign-on letters to state governments signed by thousands of health professionals.
Click on the logos below to learn more about some of the groups we work with:
