Health Professionals to US House of Representatives on Importance of Addressing Climate Change

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DateApril 13, 2015

AuthorN/A

SourceN/A

American Academy of Pediatrics ▪ American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ▪ American College of Preventive Medicine ▪ American Lung Association ▪ American Medical Association ▪ American Nurses Association ▪ American Public Health Association ▪ American Thoracic Society ▪ Association of State and Territorial Health Officials ▪ Children’s Environmental Health Network ▪ Health Care without Harm ▪ Hepatitis Foundation International ▪ National Association of County and City Health Officials ▪ National Association of Local Boards of Health ▪ National Environmental Health Association ▪ Partnership for Prevention ▪ Physicians for Social Responsibility ▪ Trust for America’s Health

September 28, 2010

The White House
Washington, DC 20500

The United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

To President Obama, Members of the United States Senate and Members of the United States House of Representatives,

Climate change is a serious public health issue. As temperatures rise, more Americans will be exposed to conditions that can result in illness and death due to respiratory illness, heat- and weather-related stress and disease carried by insects. These health issues are likely to have the greatest impact on our most vulnerable communities, including children, older adults, those with serious health conditions and the most economically disadvantaged.

The latest assessment from the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), the Global Climate Change Impacts in the U.S., states that “Climate change poses unique challenges to human health…. There are direct health impacts from heat waves and severe storms, ailments caused or exacerbated by air pollution and airborne allergens, and many climate-sensitive infectious diseases.”

As public health professionals, we are writing to urge you to recognize the threat to public health posed by climate change and to support measures that will reduce these risks and strengthen the ability of our local, state and federal public health agencies to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.

In order to prepare for changes already under way, it is essential to strengthen our public health system so it is able to protect our communities from the health effects of heat waves, wildfires, floods, droughts, infectious diseases, and other events. But we must also address the root of the problem, which means reducing the emissions that contribute to climate change. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting the public’s health from climate change, and we urge you to fully support the EPA in fulfilling its responsibilities. We also urge opposition to any efforts to weaken, delay or block the EPA from protecting the public’s health from these risks.

To provide the most complete protection for Americans, Congress should resume efforts to pass clean energy and climate legislation that includes strong provisions to protect public health adequately and appropriately. If our organizations may be of further assistance, please contact Don Hoppert with the American Public Health Association at 202-777-2514.

Sincerely,

National organizations
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American College of Preventive Medicine
American Lung Association
American Medical Association
American Nurses Association
American Public Health Association
American Thoracic Society
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Children’s Environmental Health Network
Health Care without Harm
Hepatitis Foundation International
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Local Boards of Health
National Environmental Health Association
Partnership for Prevention
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Trust for America’s Health
State and local organizations and health professionals
Alaska Alaska Public Health Association

Arizona
Arizona Physicians for Social Responsibility

California
California Public Health Association
North Sacramento Physicians for Social Responsibility
Los Angeles Physicians for Social Responsibility
San Francisco Physicians for Social Responsibility
Southern California Public Health Association

Colorado
Colorado Physicians for Social Responsibility

Connecticut
Association of School Nurses of Connecticut
Connecticut Public Health Association
Farmington Valley Health District

Delaware
American Lung Association of Delaware

Florida
Tampa Physicians for Social Responsibility
Florida Physicians for Social Responsibility

Georgia
Georgia Public Health Association

Hawaii
Hawaii Public Health Association

Iowa
Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility

Idaho
Idaho Public Health Association

Illinois
Autism Society of Illinois
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Illinois Nurses Association
Illinois Public Health Association
Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago
Brynn Weimer, Physical Therapist

Indiana
Indiana Public Health Association

Kansas
Kansas Public Health Association
Physicians for Social Responsibility — Kansas City
Ann Suellentrop, MSRN

Massachusetts
Central Massachusetts Physicians for Social Responsibility
Pioneer Valley Physicians for Social Responsibility
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Paul R. Epstein, MD, MPH

Maryland
Maryland Public Health Association
Baltimore Physicians for Social Responsibility

Maine
Maine Physicians for Social Responsibility
Maine Public Health Association

Michigan
Ingham County Health Department
Michigan Public Health Association
Hal Morgenstern, Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Missouri
City of Kansas City, MO Health Department
Missouri Public Health Association
Leesa Hemkens, RN
Lorraine Kerksiek, Administrator
Melissa Sutton, Patient Technician, Boone Hospital Center
Rory Abberton, EMT-P
Sarah Hempkens, LPN

Montana
Andy Puckett, MD
Benjamin Schmidt, Air Quality Specialist
Beth Schenk, RN
Carolyn Goren, Physician (retired)
Georgia Milan, MD
Dr. Greg Lind, Physician
Dr. James Wiggins, Physician
John Beighle, MD
Marcia Hanks, APRN, CNM
Mary Huddle, APRN, CNM
Nancy Wiggins, Nurse Practitioner
Paul Gazzo, RN
Paul Loehnen, Physician (retired)

North Carolina
Asthma Alliance of North Carolina
North Carolina Public Health Association
Western North Carolina Physicians for Social Responsibility

North Dakota
Barry Milavetz, PhD
Christie Iverson, MD
Herbert J. Wilson, MD
James B. Buhr, MD
Sharon E. Buhr, MPH.
Wanda Agnew, PhD, LRD — Public Health Dietitian

Nebraska
Omaha Greater Area Physicians for Social Responsibility
Public Health Association of Nebraska

New Mexico
New Mexico Physicians for Social Responsibility
New Mexico Public Health Association
Bernalillo Community Health Council
Bill Monroe, RN
Phil Marcus, President New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council

Nevada
Nevada Public Health Association
American Lung Association in Nevada

New York
New York State Public Health Association
Patrick L. Kinney, ScD, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Ohio
Northeast Ohio Physicians for Social Responsibility
Ohio Public Health Association
Anna M. Winfield, MD, MPH, FAAP
Antonnette Graham, PhD, University Educator and Researcher
David G. Litaker, MD, PhD, Associate Program Director, University Hospitals Case Medical Center Preventive Medicine and Public Health Residency
J. Mac Crawford, RN, MS, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Public Health, OSU College of Public Health
Jason Chao, MD
Kathleen Morris, MSA, RN
Mary Lynne Zahler, MA, CHES, CWP, LSW, CFLE, CCLS

Oregon
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Pennsylvania
American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Chapter
American Lung Association of Pennsylvania
Erie County Board of Health
Pennsylvania Public Health Association
Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility
Womens Health & Environmental Network
Duanping Liao, MD, PhD
Esther Chung, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Jefferson Pediatrics/duPont Children’s Health Program
James Plumb, Director, Center for Urban Health, Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital
Jeff Yanosky, Sc. D, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology, Public Health Sciences
Stephen Krebs, MD
Thomas J. Maroon, MD
Trina Peduzzi, MD
Tyra Bryant-Stephens, Director, Community Asthma Prevention Program, Children’s Hospital on Philadelphia
Walter Tsou, MD, MPH

Rhode Island
Rhode Island State Nurses Association

South Dakota
South Dakota Public Health Association

Texas
Austin Physicians for Social Responsibility

Utah
Utah Public Health Association

Virginia
Carol A Maxwell, RN
Marilyn S. LeGrow, RN
Wynne V. LeGrow, MD

Vermont
Vermont Public Health Association

Washington Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Washington State Public Health Association
Patricia Butterfield, RN, PhD, Professor WSU College of Nursing
Phyllis Eide, RN, PhD, Professor WSU College of Nursing

Wisconsin
Wisconsin Physicians for Social Responsibility
Wisconsin Public Health Association

 

Resource Categories

Type Statement/Policy

Topic Aging Cardiovascular disease Children and youth Drought Flooding Heat Wave Infectious disease Injury Respiratory health Social Vulnerablility and Hazards

Region US

Resources