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Climate change and air pollution are considered the biggest public health threat. Let's be part of the solution. The biggest reasons healthcare workers don’t act: lack of time, lack of knowledge, lack of organization. 

 

Easy things you can do for busy practitioners. 

1. Wear a button. You can get one at climate Rx or even better, make your own to show solidarity in your place of work. Ask a non-medical person to help you. You can communicate to patients without actually talking about this, which can save time.

2. My green doctor. This helps you incorporate sustainability quickly into busy practices. This is great for private practices. 

3. Just talking about climate change in the context of your spheres of influence HELPS!

 

Need some inspiration?

1. Listen to the Climate Clinic: Be the Change. Hear some inspiring stories of what HCW are doing.

2. Learn about Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson’s Venn diagram and TED talk.

3. Questions about climate change, communicate tips? Visit Katherine Hayhoe’s site.

4. Gaurab Basu’s editorial in Scientific American.

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Resources to learn more about how climate and the environment affect health

1. Medical Society Consortium on climate and health. This is US based and has webinars.

2. Global consortium on climate and health education.

3. Emory climate curriculum. Recorded lectures with good speakers.

4. Project Echo’s resource library. Curated and classified references. Bookmark this!!

5. The UK site for sustainability. Amazing!

6. Lecture recordings to learn more:

   1. A climate scientist describes science of climate change or do a deep dive course

   2. Climate change on extreme weather. Start at 4:58s

   3. Healthcare mitigation/adaptation.

   4. Air quality.

   5. Water and food related illness as impacted by climate change.

   6. Mental health and climate change.

   7. Temperature related illness

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Resources to learn about healthcare sustainability

1. Jodi Sherman's lecture about healthcare sustainability​
2. Beth Schenk gives another nice overview.
3. ​Consider greening initiatives in your hospital; there are now clinical sustainability directors

4. National Academy of Medicine lectures for how to decarbonize healthcare. 

5. Learn about susqi, “sustainability” and quality improvement; Here are some QI projects to "green" clinical practice: examples in the UK.

6. Massachusetts General Hospital site for environment and health. This is a great site for sustainability in healthcare

7. Learn about greening emissions from metered dose inhalers.. https://greeninhaler.org/.  ​​

 

Organizations to get involved with

1. Medical students for a sustainable future. ms4sf.org​

2. Ask your hospital to join Practice Greenhealth. 

3. Medical Society Consortium for Climate and Health; look for your state chapter. 

4. Sign up for a free training from Cambridge health alliance to organize campaigns. 

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