{"id":8988,"date":"2018-02-02T13:56:25","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T02:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=8988"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:58:14","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:58:14","slug":"healthy-response-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2018\/02\/02\/healthy-response-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"A healthy response to climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Climate change is often thought of through its physical manifestations – sea level rise, increased rain variability and more severe weather events. We envisage flooded buildings, melting ice caps and dams going dry. Does the perspective of extremity somehow put distance between us and these impacts?<\/p>\n

In our efforts to curb and adapt to climate change, we can reframe the impacts and focus on the everyday implications of increasingly severe weather events. A good place to start is our healthcare system.<\/p>\n

Extreme weather \u2013 droughts, storms, floods and especially heatwaves<\/a> all have dramatic, sometimes immediate consequences for hospitals due to increasing admission rates and a compromised population. The success of our healthcare infrastructure during these periods is crucial if we are to avoid crises such as those experienced in Puerto Rico<\/a> due to Hurricane Maria. Extreme weather episodes are impartial to economic wealth and national boundaries.<\/p>\n

The Australian healthcare system is uniquely placed to take action on climate change mitigation as it, more than most sectors, has serious skin in the game. It is not only responsible for 7% of our national carbon footprint, but also is responsible for managing the massive implications of climate change on public health.<\/p>\n

We have identified two key opportunity areas:<\/p>\n