Is there a link between global climate change and health? Yes, and it is not just that rising sea levels inundating low-lying areas and warmer temperatures leading to new infectious conditions. It turns out that the two most impactful actions we can take as individuals to reduce carbon dioxide production improve the health of us as individuals, as well as the planet. What actions are these? Read on to find out.
At the end of 2015, in Paris, the world’s leaders attended a conference to address global climate change, with the world’s nations each making a commitment to do their part to decrease carbon dioxide production. This event prompted much media coverage on many aspects of global climate change.
While government regulations and policies (such as fuel emission standards and carbon tax/credits) can have major impacts on carbon dioxide production, ultimately, collective action by each of us as individuals and by the companies we work for will be even more impactful!
Organizations everywhere are trying to do their part. My son’s high school has a large number of solar panels over the parking lot and on the roof to generate electricity, as well as other design features promoting energy efficiency. Last week, I was driving my 16 year old son to school. Prompted by the radio coverage of the Zika virus and a possible link to global climate change, he asked, “What Partnership is doing to help?”
PHC is contributing in several ways. Our green committee is encouraging carpooling, double sided printing and re-usable beverage containers. Our increasing use of videoconferencing reduces the need for staff to travel to meetings. The new building in Fairfield will have solar panels and stations for electric cars. These are important and helpful, but collective individual activities can do even more.
The Nature Conservancy website allows an individual to calculate their individual carbon footprint and see the effects of different changes in their life, like turning down the thermostat, insulating your home etc. Try it out! It can answer the question: what are the two most important things you can do to reduce your personal carbon footprint.
The first one is not too surprising. Find ways to stop using individual transportation to go places. Car pooling, public transportation, working from home, and walking or bicycling to work or for errands reduces carbon dioxide production. In addition, these last two, (bicycling and walking when possible) are great sources of physical activity, with many health benefits.
The second one is more surprising to many people. Eat less commercially farmed meat, milk and cheese, where the animals are raised on land: beef, chicken, pork, turkey. It turns out that commercial meat production requires a large amount of energy, which, contributes to carbon dioxide production. A diet composed largely of fish and plants not only reduces an individual’s carbon footprint, it is healthier, reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer.
So take out those walking shoes, eat less meat, both to help the planet and to help yourself!
Robert Moore, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer