Updated toolkit provides suggestions for hospitals and physician offices to reduce carbon emissions and educate others about the health risks of climate change
Sept. 13, 2024 (ACP) -- Rising temperatures and extreme heat events, including wildfires and droughts, are increasing in frequency around the globe, and the 麻豆直播app is renewing its call to members to help mitigate the effects of climate change and educate others on how to do the same.
鈥淐limate change has been called the public health crisis of the century because its magnitude is so substantial,鈥 said Dr. Matt Hollon, a clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an internal medicine physician at Multicare Rockwood Clinic in Spokane Valley, Washington. 鈥淚t is not a political issue. Climate change is a health issue that affects the well-being of people and places.鈥
To inspire action, ACP recently updated its Climate Change and Health Toolkit.
鈥淭he updated toolkit incorporates new evidence and a wider array of resources on cutting health care sector emissions from the U.S. Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, National Academy of Medicine and other organizations,鈥 Hollon said. 鈥淲e also added information on how hospitals and other facilities can take advantage of programs, including those created by the Inflation Reduction Act, to reduce transportation emissions and invest in renewable energy.鈥
Signed into law by President Biden in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
The new toolkit also offers specific advice for hospitals, such as switching to a room service model to reduce food waste and purchasing local produce, which reduces emissions from food transport. Suggestions for physician offices include reducing office energy use by switching to energy-efficient LED bulbs, adjusting thermostats to save energy when appropriate, and installing solar panels to generate some of a facility's energy and/or implementing a solar hot-water heating system, among other tips.
Elevating the Physician's Voice in Climate Change and Health
ACP is also continuing its partnership with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health, according to Hollon, who serves as the ACP representative to the consortium. 鈥淎CP is one of the founding members of the consortium and has played an active role in its growth,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he goal of the consortium is to amplify the voice of the physicians to convey how climate change is harming our health and how climate solutions will improve it.鈥
So far, 56 medical societies have joined the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.
鈥淭he issue is really staring us in the face. There are myriad ways in which heat impacts health, particularly for vulnerable populations,鈥 Hollon explained. 鈥淓xtreme heat is a form of stress test and a physiologic stress on older people with chronic health that is linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.鈥
The topic of climate change and health has been high on the ACP advocacy priority radar for a while. In November 2022, ACP published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The paper informed physicians about environmental health and offered recommendations to reduce the adverse health consequences of climate change. This paper built on the 2016 ACP paper
Advocacy starts with patients seen in the office. Hollon said he routinely asks older patients about their living situation, including whether they have access to air conditioning. He also stresses the importance of seeking a cooler environment during heatwaves by visiting a nearby cooling center, a relative with air conditioning or another public place.
He also advocates for other win-win strategies that are good for individuals and the planet, such as engaging in active transportation like walking or biking to the grocery store or work. 鈥淭his improves physical fitness and cuts down on carbon dioxide production. It's a win-win,鈥 he said.
Other win-wins include eating lower on the food chain. 鈥淓ven modest reductions in meat consumption, particularly red meat, are proven to be healthful for patients and the planet,鈥 Hollon noted.
More Information
The updated Climate Change and Health Toolkit is available on the ACP website.
Back to the September 13, 2024 issue of ACP Advocate