E-vote Alert!
Written by Gemma Cubbin, about 1 year ago | Permalink | Campaign: Healthy Planet
CLIMATE AND HEALTH COUNCIL DECLARATION
We as health professionals and health managers, concerned about the effects of climate change on global health and the environment;
Recognising that climate change threatens the basic elements of life for both present and future generations, including access to food, water, shelter, clean air and health
Aware that declining crop yields, especially in the poorest countries of the world, could leave many millions without the ability to produce or purchase enough food to sustain healthy life
Appreciating that climate change-induced sea level rises, flooding and drought, could lead to the displacement and suffering of hundreds of millions of people and could spark national or international conflict
Familiar with the scientific evidence indicating that climate change will increase the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever
Knowing that most of the health burden of climate change is borne by women and children in developing countries
Conscious of the uncertainties in predicting the impacts of man made climate change on health and the environment, and the risks of major irreversible changes with important consequences
Appreciating that substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently required to reduce the risks of serious climate change
Recognising that population stabilisation is fundamental to both global efforts to mitigate climate change and the ability to adapt to it
Aware that in the countries responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions, policies to reduce carbon emissions have the potential to bring important public health benefits, through increases in physical activity, improvements in air quality, decreases in road traffic injuries, increased home energy efficiency and the adoption of diets that contain fewer animal products
Call on governments of the world to put in place a global framework such as the Global Commons Institute’s Contraction and Convergence to cap the emissions of greenhouse gases such that their atmospheric concentration does not rise above 450 ppm C02
Call on governments of the world to transfer resources to the poorest populations of the world so that they can adapt to the climate impacts that are now unavoidable as a result of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and can meet their development needs, including population stabilisation, without further contributing to adverse health and environmental impacts at a local and global level.
Call on individual health professionals to measure and reduce their own carbon footprint and to push for health-related institutions to adopt sustainable practices, recognising that in doing so we will be greatly enhancing the persuasive power of our advocacy as well as contributing to the transition to a low carbon world
Call on research institutions to invest resources in exploring the most effective way of reducing carbon
Call on all health professionals and other professional groups to join in supporting this declaration and to take urgent action on this issue within their own spheres of influence.
