Brian Drummond
Dec 4, 2024
Well November was a heck of a month and many of us are dealing with grief, anger, frustration and figuring out what to do next. All totally reasonable emotions and many more we will all process in the upcoming months.
Hopefully this last week was a time for thanks for the blessings we all have and gratitude for the bounty this planet has provided. Understanding the value of this planet is why we do this work, supporting mother nature's attempt to heal earth and in so improving the health of humans.
We welcome Cheryl 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:
-The election had some wins with Prop 139 getting approved which will empower women with family planning which is great for public health outcomes and climate change.
-Many state and federal bodies are looking at strategies for the upcoming next few years with concerns about IRA funding disappearing. We are going to continue engagement and education with specific lawmakers who benefit from this type of federal legislation to minimize any climate progress rollbacks.
-We are opening a BLUE SKY account for AZHPCA and would love for you to join and follow. Nick Spilatro will be running this with my oversight on medical proofreading. Attached are two documents from Nick which detail Why Blue Sky?
and How to create an account?
-This is an alternative to X for people with a more academic/climate friendly stance.
-I just signed up myself and will be learning about this platform as well. @bsdrum.bsky.social
social media stratagey guide.pdf
-Our National Organization also joined and here is there handle:
Follow Us: We're Expanding Our Social Presence to Bluesky |
In the wake of the election, many are seeking new platforms to connect. While we’ll continue posting on X, we’re excited to expand to Bluesky to stay connected with our community. Follow us @docsforclimate.bsky.social.
Plus, check out this climate and health starter pack to get connected with others in this space! |
-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.
-Check us out at AZHPCA.org website and AZHPCA LinkedIn.
DEEP DIVE NEWS:
Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act Tops $1 Billion in Clean Energy Investments to Nearly 7,000 American Farms and Rural Small Businesses
Latest Investments Will Bring Clean Energy, Lower Costs and New Jobs through 1,147 Farm and Business Projects in 40 States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is funding new projects in nearly every state to lower costs, expand access to clean energy and strengthen American farms and small businesses. USDA is making the investments through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), a program that has seen record demand in response to historic funding provided by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
-SO I decided to see what money came to Arizona?
14 projects in AZ : Forever Yong Farm, Forever Yong Farm, Turquoise Room restaurant, La Posada Hotel LLC Northern Mechanical LLC The Joshua Tree House LLC Golden Rule Dairy LLC IPR Solutions LLC Dba Ipr Fresh Pines Motel Inc. Mariposa Hote Mustang Mall LLC R & M Heating & Cooling LLC Canoa Ranch Hotel and Golf Resort in Green Valley, Arizona.
Total funding was 2.9 million in funding for 2.9 gigawatt hours of energy per year of solar energy and batteries saving $306,000/year
That is 9.5 year ROI.
Do we think the IRA is working in Arizona???
Education Opportunities:
Cool place for CME credits for climate health topics:
https://edhub.ama-assn.org/university-of-california-climate-health-equity/by-topic
Resource with farmer voices
The Climate Action Campaign launched The Feed, a new website dedicated to amplifying the voices of farmers and ranchers who are on the front lines of the climate crisis. The Feed is part of CAC’s campaign to feature farmers and ranchers across the country and their stories voicing their support for climate-smart agriculture practices that tackle climate pollution.
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 Dec 11 with Bill McKibben at 12-1300 MST
Save the Date for 2025 Annual Convention Meeting
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.
News:
Arizona solar and storage project will use domestic batteries to help power $1B Meta data center
Renewable Energy World
A renewable milestone for Arizona!Ørsted's Eleven Mile Solar project, leveraging #InflationReductionAct credits, showcases solar & storage innovation powering homes + Meta’s data hub. A win for jobs, sustainability & tech! Learn more at: https://bit.ly/49nNoLC
Moms Clean Air Force Publishes New Article
Last week, Alexandra Zissu of Moms Clean Air Force published “Moms Reflect on the Many Gifts of the Inflation Reduction Act,” exploring the transformative impact of the IRA two years after its passage. With a $369 billion investment in climate action, the IRA has driven major clean energy and vehicle projects nationwide, creating nearly 110,000 jobs and attracting $126 billion in private investments. Focused on manufacturing—like electric vehicles and solar panels—these initiatives are cutting pollution significantly. The article underscores how the IRA is paving the way for cleaner air, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future for children. [Article Link]
Arizona is getting 200 MW of Tesla battery storage to meet rising energy demand
Electrek
Arizona’s energy future just got brighter!A 200 MW Tesla battery storage project will power 45,000 homes during peak hours, save water, and drive local economic growth!Read more at: https://bit.ly/3AXsmXe #AZ #CleanEnergy
ACTION ITEMS:
Sign the open letter to AstraZeneca requesting the introduction of their Symbicort DPI to the U.S. market.
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.
Sign letter to congress:
Join fellow health professionals and sign our Stand Strong for Climate sign-on letter to urge Congressional leaders to safeguard our health and oppose any effort to roll back climate protections!
-Due Jan 10th
-Sign on to the Sáttítla Public Health Sign-on Form
(Sáttítla, 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
--Sign on to the Kw'tsan National Monument
-This is another sacred land in Southern California towards Arizona to create a federal-tribe partnership to allow for better land management of the lands as native people are known to be better at this than any other Americans.
Upcoming AZHPCA Activities:
AZHPCA Steering Committee (at 1200pm):
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