Brian Drummond
Nov 3, 2024
Finally some relief from the summer weather and I hope everyone had a spooky Halloween.
We welcome Michelle, Stacie, Fin and Matt to our group and please share the invitation below with others to encourage them to join, we are up to 120 members and growing!
Updates:
-VOTE VOTE VOTE, election season was the big lift this month. Sharing with everyone you know the issues and how they impact health. Many of you have written postcards, made phone calls or knocked on doors. Democracy is awesome when everyone is involved, a big THANK YOU for all the work you put in this election season. Picture below is from some of our members going door to door in South Tucson- way to go Jaiva and Andrew.
-University of Arizona Medical Student Course on Climate and Health is renewed for 2025!
 Dates are March 17-28th. If you are interested in being a part of it, reach out to bsdrum@gmail.com.
-We continue to keep the website updated. Refer friends to the Solutions page under our Engage header to look for resources for rebates on sustainable home purchase many of which are provided under the Inflation Reduction Act.
-Check us out on AZHPCA LinkedIn . Vivian and Pat are doing a great job with this. Great way to hear what is going on in the climate health space in Arizona and beyond.
-Earth Day Gives Campaign- Our campaign ended and we raised $377 dollars from 6 donors. Every little bit helps us to pay for a website, Zoom account, support personnel, etc. if you or friends are so moved by what we do, go to the donate link on the website. Â
-We continue engagement with:
-The State's Chief Heat Officer of Arizona Eugene Livar on heat mitigation and medication education. On Nov 12th we are starting our Steering Committee Meeting at 1130 to hear from Eugene on what is happening in Arizona.
-Out next Health Ambassadors advocacy call is NOV 20 and we are working with https://www.mtnmamas.org/ to continue to network and combine climate health work in our state. If you are interested contact selina@mtnmamas.org to be added to the invitation
-Vivian- spoke at Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) Conference at University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix on Saturday, Sep 21, the students enjoyed the talk and some have already joined.
-American Lung Association on air quality projects. Here is a copy of the letter with partnered on to the Arizona Corporation Commission to help clean our air
- We signed on to help prevent the Signal Peak Coal mine expansion in Montana
-Wrote an Op-ed with Climate Action Campaign will share once published.
-Lots going on and if you are interested in being a part of any of it please reach out and we will get you connected.
Education Opportunities:
Idaho Clinicians for Climate and Health and St. Luke's Lecture Series-  St. Luke’s and Idaho Clinicians for Climate and Health continue their lecture series. The upcoming session on November 6 is Plastics and Human Health: Impacts and Healthcare Solutions.
2024 NorCal Symposium on Climate Health and Equity - Join this year’s symposium virtually on November 9th to explore how informatics and AI are being leveraged to tackle climate change. The event will feature presentations on enhancing mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.
 The NAM Climate Collaborative is hosting a Building Momentum to Act on Health Care Decarbonization webinar series in winter 2024, focusing on sharing resources and building the momentum to act on health care decarbonization. The series will kick off on Thursday, November 14, 2:00-2:45 pm ET.
Save the Date for 2025 Annual Convention MeetingÂ
March 2 - 3, 2025 with visits to Congress on March 4. Location: Washington D.C. Registration should be launching in the next few weeks. Check out the convention webpage to see which sessions we are seeking speakers for.
Podcast:
Join host Dr. Lisa Patel as she interviews health professionals, policymakers, communicators, activists, and more who are addressing the most pressing health challenge of our time: climate change.Â
PODCAST:Â Lending money to regenerative farmers.Â
This Pod describes a site I have used for 3 years to support farmers doing regenerative practices and have a little financial return for myself. No this is not financial advice, but something that is a great way to make an impact on soil health which is a huge carbon sink we can use to drawdown carbon. I share this as an opportunity to support regenerative agriculture and if you have any questions about it I am happy to answer from my experience For more information:
News:
White Mountain Independent
Navajo County approves solar energy facility
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors this week approved another solar power plant on 7,100 acres four miles southwest of Joseph City. The 450-megawatt power plant will include a giant battery facility to store power produced during the day it can then release in the evening, when electricity demand typically peaks. The electricity produced will be enough to supply electricity to about 300,000 homes for a year.
NPR
How is the world doing on climate change? Not great
It’s report card season for climate change. Each year, the United Nations takes stock of whether countries are on track to cut carbon emissions and limit global warming. The grade this year: needs more improvement than ever. Global greenhouse gas emissions rose to a new record in 2023, and if countries do not change course, the world will see warming of more than 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit (3.1 degrees Celsius) by the end of the century.
Fast Company
ACTION ITEMS:
Sign the open letter to AstraZeneca requesting the introduction of their Symbicort DPI to the U.S. market.Â
This is an important opportunity to meaningfully reduce the climate impact of the healthcare sector! If you want to learn more about this check out this link from Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility.Â
Letter of support for OSHA Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings standard. Â
-We signed onto this as an organization, thanks Vivian.
- This standard was published to the Federal Register on Aug 30 and is open to comments until Dec 2. Good standards can decrease the heat related illness, missed workdays and medical bills our patients encounter because of their occupation. Â
Submit your comment on the OSHA Heat Rule We invite you to submit a comment on the Occupational Safety and Health's (OSHA) proposed rule calling on President Biden, Acting Secretary Su, and Assistant Secretary Parker to show strong support for the proposed OSHA rule. Use the form below to submit your comment to the Department of Labor urging our leaders to quickly finalize this rule. If you have any questions, please contact Cassidy Hall at chall@cacampaign.org. |
-October was energy Awareness month!  Give your voice to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA):Â
-TVA is a federal utility that is working on its Integrated resource plan. Please comment to describe the health benefits of clean air, water and decreased fossil fuel usage of focusing on renewable energy and storage. You can include specific patient examples you have seen from high heat or respiratory illnesses.
-Examples:
As the TVA looks ahead to 2050, I want to encourage it to invest significant resources in clean energy production.
Dirty fossil fuels pollute our air and contribute to climate change. As if that weren’t bad enough, fossil fuels cost more for ratepayers.
The TVA has an exciting opportunity to lead the nation in clean energy adoption with this IRP. I hope you’ll take the opportunity to increase solar and wind energy and pass the cost savings on to ratepayers.
-Sign on to the Chuckwalla public health letter is finalized and ready to be circulated.
 -We signed onto this as an organization
-This letter is geared for individuals and organizations in the public health and medical fields, highlighting how protecting Chuckwalla can mitigate environmental hazards and benefit outdoor access for a healthier future. Signatories can include doctors, nurses, mental health clinicians, caregivers, and public health researchers, among others! The form is open now until Tuesday, November 12th.Â
-I was stationed at 29Palms twice in my career, Joshua Tree was my backyard and a wonderful spiritual place. This letter asks the Biden Administration to designate a new National Monument in the California Desert. This will help protect the land as a carbon sink and improve water quality for the people living there.Â
-Sign on to the SáttÃtla Public Health Sign-on Form
 (SáttÃtla, commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, in far Northeastern California, is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, a key water source, and geologically and biologically rich area). https://www.protectsattitla.org/protection
-There are requests to do geothermal energy and land development in the area. California has much better options for renewables that this land is not required.
Composting Resources in Tucson:
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Environmental-and-General-Services/FoodCycle/FoodCycle-At-Home
Â
UA also has a program that is free to UA students but not the community.
https://sustainability.arizona.edu/projects/compost-cats/bucket-program
-If there is composting in other aspects of the state please let me know to share.
Upcoming AZHPCA Activities:
AZHPCA Steering Committee (at 1200pm):
Nov 12, 2024- 1130 start for this one
Jan 8, 2025
Mar 5, 2025
May 7, 2025
July 2, 2025
Sept 3, 2025
Nov 5, 2025
AZHPCA Sustainability Committee Meetings (at 1200pm):
Dec 11, 2024
Mar 12, 2025
June 11, 2025
Sept 10, 2025
Dec 10, 2025
Will chat soon and share the invite to join AZPHCA with anyone who is interested.
Thanks so much for your interest and passion.
Brian Drummond