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Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health

Washington, DC, US • Not Available Employees
Healthcare Facility/Healthcare Services

Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time and has major health and healthcare implications. As some of the most respected professionals in America, doctors and nurses have a crucial part to play in raising awareness of the public about these issues. To facilitate the medical community's awareness raising efforts, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate Change and Health (the Consortium) brings together associations representing 550,000 clinical practitioners to carry three simple messages:-Climate change is harming Americans today and these harms will increase unless we act.-The way to slow or stop these harms is to decrease the use of fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency and use of clean energy sources -These changes in energy choices will improve the quality of our air and water and bring immediate health benefits. This is especially important to vulnerable Americans and communities who are experiencing a disproportionate impact today from climate change.The mission of the Consortium is to inform the public and policymakers about the harmful health effects of climate change on Americans, as well as about the immediate and long-term health benefits associated with decreasing greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., heat-trapping pollution) and other preventive and protective measures. American medical societies and their state chapters have a significant and influential membership nationwide, and they routinely educate legislators on health issues (tobacco control, opioids, obesity, etc.) and other policy concerns. Medical society members have an important opportunity to weigh in to help ensure that the health risks of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions, especially clean energy, are clearly understood. The voices of America's medical societies have the potential to help reframe the dialogue – putting human health and wellbeing front and center in the conversation.