Says EPA Shows Powerful Commitment of Support to Climate Change Reduction
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Health Care Without Harm applauds today's announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency that climate change negatively affects human health. HCWH has long held the position that the impacts of climate change would be devastating to the health of world populations, through increased famine, heat waves, disruption of the ocean food supply, flooding, disease encroachment, drought, population displacement, war, and chronic illness from air pollution. We are pleased that the EPA sees this problem as seriously as we do, and welcome continued involvement from the agency to help improve human health by reducing climate change.
"As an organization, our goal is to protect public health through reduction of pollution and environmental factors contributing to illness," stated Anna Gilmore Hall, RN, CAE, executive director of Health Care Without Harm. "We welcome EPA statement as a powerful commitment of support to our climate change reduction efforts."
In November, Health Care Without Harm led a group of health care organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association and several major hospital systems, in an effort to convince President Obama to help fashion a climate treaty that protects public health.
"With this announcement, the EPA is taking an important step forward," said Josh Karliner, International Coordinator for HCWH. "It is now up the President to follow-through by negotiating a strong and fair agreement in Copenhagen that leads to a binding accord to protect public health from climate change."
In addition to placing an advertisement in the New York Times to draw attention to the public health aspects of climate change, HCWH has launched a Prescription for a Healthy Planet initiative together with leading h
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