Brian Drummond
Sep 25, 2024
This months stories:
Hannah (rotating 4th year medical student): Attended the AZHPCA Summit this month and reach out to me about working with students to improve curriculum on incorporating climate health into core curriculum topics.
Sara Bertram (Rotating Peds resident): Heard me talking to Hannah on shift and told me she used to be an Eco-Rep in college and wanted to join the work we are doing and signed up for AZHPCA.
Ardienne: Reached out to figure out how to do solar on her roof and wants to harvest rainwater in her backyard to help decrease storm water run-off.
Keep this conversation going, the more we make these topics an everyday conversation piece, the more progress we make.
TIP: The IPAT formula is a great basis to view all climate and sustainable health actions.
-What a formula? This one covers all the levers that could be pulled to solve this problem.
Impact= Population x Affluence x Technology
-Impact
-Represents the impact on climate and thus health.
-Population
-Yes, more people's footprints lead to more carbon footprints
-We don't talk about this because snapping our fingers like Thanos to lose 50% of our population will not be a popular idea.
-There are some avenues we can approach this:
-Family Planning
-Empowering women to have children when they are ready and able is the goal.
-In the USA 45% of all pregnancies are unintended
-Improved family planning leads to improved public health measures such as mom/child morbidity/mortality, increased socioeconomic status/earning potential, and less preterm labor and low birth weights
-Affluence
-Yes, mo' money, mo' problems, mo' consumption, mo' carbon
-We don't talk about Bruno or Affluence much either because, what you are going to take my money.
-More affluent people have bigger carbon footprints
-Common facts about this factor detail the USA is the highest CO2 producer per capita in the world, though China is the highest overall CO2 producer.
-As an affluent group, it is our responsibility to use affluence for sustainable lifestyles and not consuming wasters.
-Technology
-Most everything seems to be focused on this part of the each as do most of my climate health tips.
-The two theories here are that we have the technology we need we just need to deploy tons of it, or we don't have the technology we need but when we do, we will be good.
-Example: We have wind and solar great for energy just need to install at large scale
-Or: Once we solve nuclear fusion, then we will have more energy than we need.
Last day for VotER registration is Oct 7th- you can use this badge to find out if you are registered or register to vote. Share on your social media and get your friends and family registered.
voter ER badge.pdf
-Also check out our Voting Green section on our website
The Arizona Health Professionals for Climate Action work and provide assistance on projects across the great state of Arizona to better prepare and equip communities and their environments. Learn more about some of these projects and how you can participate here! |
ACTION ITEMS:
Letter of support for OSHA Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings standard. 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. Its open to comments and has a preformed letter, I did mine today.
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. |
Submit a Utilities Public Comment for The Arizona Corporation Commission (the commission that oversees and regulates the state’s power utilities)
-This year they rolled back the Renewable Energy Standard and Energy Efficiency Standards.
-Use this link to submit a comment:
Just follow these easy steps to successfully submit your comment:
Fill out the form. The Company Name is Arizona Public Service Company, the Docket Number is E-01345A-22-0144, and I suggest taking position Against the Docket.
Add your opinion (some health based samples below) and hit Submit.
Comments Prepopulated if that is easier for you:
Investments in clean energy bring jobs and investment to the state, drive down our utility bills, reduce pollution and most importantly improve the health of all Arizonans. Please expand the REST to set a goal for reaching 100% clean energy in Arizona.
Please ensure utilities continue to invest in clean and renewable energy to help decrease air pollution and extreme heat which directly effect human health and disease burden. Since 2006, the REST has delivered billions in savings for Arizonans and helped save thousands of acre-feet of water annually.
Please adopt new standards that would increase utility investment in energy efficiency. The benefits of energy efficiency far outweigh the costs and include cleaner air; the creation of local, family-wage jobs that can’t be outsourced; lower, more predictable energy costs; and less emergency room and hospital visits.
Please prioritize energy efficiency. Aspirational goals are not enough. We need accountable requirements utility companies will actually follow so the health of our communities is not placed at further risk. Commissioners need to develop rules with aggressive and achievable targets. That means requiring utilities to achieve at least 35% energy efficiency by 2030.
NEWS on CLIMATE AND HEALTH:
Arizona PIRG Education Fund
Tips to save energy and save money
From purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) to weatherizing your home, there are various programs available at www.savingenergytips.org to help you save energy and save money. Check out our tips, including ways you can reduce your monthly utility bill without investing any money.
AZ Big Media
The impact of renewable energy on Arizona's real estate market
As the global shift toward sustainability accelerates, renewable energy plays a pivotal role in shaping various sectors, including real estate. Arizona, known for its abundant sunshine and arid climate, is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in adopting green energy solutions, particularly solar power. This transition is not only reshaping the state’s energy landscape but also significantly impacting Arizona’s real estate market. From residential communities incorporating solar panels to commercial properties optimizing energy efficiency, renewable energy is becoming a game-changer for property developers, buyers, and investors.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
1.Submit to the NEJM a climate health image:
For “Earth Month” (April 2025), the New England Journal of Medicine Images in Clinical Medicine section will place a spotlight on images displaying the clinical health impacts of the climate crisis. We invite image submissions that capture clinical manifestations of climate change. Examples might include – but are not limited to – radiographic images of the effects of smoke inhalation from wildfire exposure, images related to climate-sensitive vector- or water-borne diseases, or images showing the pathophysiologic effects of extreme heat exposure. We welcome these and other images reflecting your clinical experiences.
How to Submit:
1. Follow the standard Images in Clinical Medicine submission process.
2. As part of the submission process, please select the “Climate and Health Images” when prompted about special series selection.
Images may be submitted through 1/1/2025 and will be screened on a rolling basis.
For more information, please visit: https://www.nejm.org/event-info
2. Join the NAM Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector for a virtual public session on Tuesday, October 8 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am ET!
The webinar will feature remarks from the Climate Collaborative’s leadership on the initiative’s priorities and accomplishments to date, as well as special remarks and a panel discussion featuring organizations accelerating the national climate and health movement.
Join the NAM Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector for a virtual public session on Tuesday, October 8 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am ET! The webinar will […] |
Upcoming Events at AZHPCA (anyone is welcome to attend):
AZHPCA Steering Committee (at 1200pm):
Nov 12, 2024
Jan 8, 2025
Mar 5, 2025
May 7, 2025
July 2, 2025
Sept 3, 2025
Nov 5, 2025
AZHPCA Sustainability Committee Meetings (at 1200pm):
Sept 11, 2024
Dec 11, 2024
Mar 12, 2025
June 11, 2025
Sept 10, 2025
Dec 10, 2025
-If these topics interest you please join AZHPCA
Your voting friend,
Brian