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Archive for February 2013

Climate and health at Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival 2013

by CAHA
February 28th, 2013

Climate and health at the Sustainable Living Festival 2013

The Climate and Health Alliance hosted three very successful events at this year’s Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne – a Climate and Health Clinic; The Heat is On – a forum on climate change, health and extreme heat; and Our Uncashed Dividend – a session on the health benefits of climate action.

Professor David Karoly, Fiona Armstrong, Dr Liz Hanna and Dr Tony Bartone. By shotbykatie.

A full report, more photos and a blog featuring some of our marvellous volunteers coming soon!

 

 

Categories Advocacy, Climate, Extreme weather, Health, Health professionals, Heat, Heatwaves, Sustainability
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Energy policy like ‘profiting from slavery’

by CAHA
February 20th, 2013

This article was first published on ABC Environment Online on 19th February 2013.

Anyone holding onto the quaint notion that our elected representative govern in the interests of the community will see how false that is when they look at energy policy in Australia, writes Fiona Armstrong.

Australia is currently in the middle of a coal rush. Coupled with the exploration of coal seam gas expanding at a rapid rate across Queensland and New South Wales, this looks (on paper) to be one of the country’s biggest and most rapid industry expansions in our short history.

Australia is currently the world’s largest exporter of metallurgical coal and ranks sixth in exports of thermal coal. In 2012, we sold around $60 billion worth of coal, mostly to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Looking to the future, Australia’s national energy policy, theEnergy White Paper, anticipates strong demand from these nations for Australian coal and prioritises coal production as a core element of energy for the coming decades.

Around 30 new coal mines and coal mine expansions are planned for New South Wales and Queensland, and if they proceed would more than double Australia’s current coal exports of more than 300 million tonnes per annum.

Much of the current expansion of coal is predicated on rising demand from China, and India; a stable global economic environment; and industry denial about climate science.

These assumptions have shaky foundations and investors should heed the clear warning from risk experts of the imminent destruction of value of high-carbon investments and that climate change will continue to deliver systemic shocks to regional and global economies.

China is reportedly looking to cap energy production from coal and indicated that coal consumption will peak during the next five year plan. These announcements suggest the Australian coal industry’s expectation of an ongoing boom is inflated by wishful thinking.

Closer to home, research from the Australia Institute suggests the expansion of coal exports is adversely affecting the national economy – its growth occurs at the expense of other industries. It suggests cutting coal production would lead to a net economic benefit, with growth made possible in other sectors such as manufacturing, tourism and education.

And regardless of where it’s burnt, Australia’s coal represents a huge contribution to global emissions. Proposed coal exports would lead to an additional 700 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, and would place Australia (just the Galilee Basin in Qld alone) at a ranking of seventh largest contributor in the world to global CO2 emissions arising from the burning of fossil fuels. For a nation that likes to pretend we contribute only 1.5 per cent to global emissions, that’s quite a jump in our contribution.

What does it mean for our climate commitments? The International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2012 (pdf) was quite clear about the prospects for limiting damages and reversing climate change associated with global warming from burning fossil fuels. Quite simply, if the world wishes to limit warming to less than two degrees (a level that is considered the absolute maximum in order to prevent escalating and irreversible warming trends), we cannot even exploit existing fossil fuel reserves, much less liberate even more.

The expansion of coal and coal seam gas (given the high emissions signature of CSG from emissions during extraction) would completely negate many times over any gains that are made from emissions reductions achieved through Australia’s carbon price.

There is also serious harm to human health associated with the coal rush. The burning of coal for electricity is associated with the compromised health of thousands of people living in proximity to these plants. The mining and transportation of coal also carries serious health risks from coal dust and toxic pollutants released during extraction and rail transport to ports.

But who is looking out for the community in terms of protecting health and wellbeing? For those who still hold the quaint notion that elected parliamentary representatives might be interested in achieving the best outcomes for the community, it’s disappointing news.

State governments appear willing to approve projects despite serious community opposition because of the revenue they provide in mining royalties. Climate risk is severely underestimated in the Australian Government’s Energy White Paper, and Premiers Newman and O’Farrell also appear oblivious to the climate implications of their respective coal booms.

Even the health professionals have been missing in action, with communities such as those in Maules Creek in NSW and adjacent to a fourth coal export terminal in Newcastle forced to undertake or organise their own health impact assessments from proposed coal projects. Supported by volunteer groups such as Doctors for the Environment, community groups are researching health impacts, setting up air quality monitoring, and collecting baseline health data.

Last week however signaled a shift in the involvement of the health and medical community in Australia. Health leaders met at a national Roundtable in Canberra last week and resolved to engage more directly with energy policy in this country, to see that the local and global implications of the coal rush are highlighted in terms of the impact on health.

Speaking to the Roundtable of around 40 health care leaders, Professor Colin Butler from the School of Public Health at Canberra University said: “Australia’s reliance on the export of coal is no more justifiable than profiting from slavery or the supply of cocaine. Of course, energy is vital, including in Asia, but a clever country would develop energy technologies that can wean civilisation from its highly dangerous reliance on 19th century technology.”

A statement (pdf) from the Roundtable participants said: “The risks to human health from energy and resources policy are not being well accounted for in current policy decisions. Significant policy reform is needed to ensure health and wellbeing is not compromised by policy decisions in other sectors. Recognising the importance of the social and environmental determinants of health is an important part of that.”

Clearly, relying on the weight of evidence in relation to climate and human health is insufficient to lead to effective, safe, equitable policy. Many of us who participated in the meeting in Canberra last week believe civil society leaders such as health professionals and health sector executives have a responsibility to help develop policy in every sector that protects and promotes health. This involves getting a better understanding of health risks associated with energy and climate policy – and making sure the community is aware of these risks as they prepare to vote for a new national government. Because right now, energy policy is possibly our greatest threat to health on the planet.

Fiona Armstrong is the Convenor of the Climate and Health Alliance, which together with Public Health Association of Australia,Climate Change Adaptation Research Network – Human Health, Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, and National Rural Health Alliance co-hosted the Health Implications of Energy Policy Roundtable and Workshop.

Categories Advocacy, Climate, Coal, Emissions, Energy, Health, Public health, survival, Sustainability
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Book your tickets to Melbourne!

by CAHA
February 4th, 2013

The Climate and Health Alliance is involved in THREE events at the 2013 Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival:


Climate and Health Clinic – all weekend Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th February

Roving ‘health promoters’ will help people develop their own individualised ‘prescriptions for a healthy life and a health planet’.

The clinic and ‘prescriptions’ provide opportunities for people to learn about sustainable lifestyles are healthy lifestyles and how cutting emissions can improve health. Some strategies people can choose for their own prescription include: walking, cycling or using public transport; switching to clean renewable energy e.g. installing solar panels; adopting a plant based diet; or spending time with nature e.g. bushwalking, or getting involved in community gardening or tree planting projects.

To volunteer, contact Volunteer Coordinator Bronwyn Wauchope [email protected] or Fiona Armstrong [email protected].

 

The Heat is On – Climate change, extreme heat and human health – a panel discussion: 3PM-4PM Sat 16th Feb in The Greenhouse @ Birrarung Marr

Featuring CAHA President Dr Liz Hanna; CAHA scientific advisor Professor David Karoly; and Victorian AMA Vice President Dr Tony Bartone on the impact of climate change on extreme weather including heatwaves; how heatwaves affect people’s health; and what we can do about it.

 

Our Uncashed Dividend – 11am-12pm Sunday 17th Feb in Under the Gum talk tent

Come and hear the good news about climate action – how strategies to reduce emissions can improve your own and the community’s health, not to mention save money.

Our transition to low-carbon living provides the opportunity to create healthier, happier communities and could save billions of dollars for health budgets by avoiding much ill health and lost productivity.

The report Our Uncashed Dividend: The Health Benefits of Climate Action, produced by the Climate and Health Alliance and The Climate Institute, spells out the evidence.

Come and hear from report author Fiona Armstrong and contributor Corey Watts about our nation’s ‘Uncashed Dividend’.

 

 

Categories Advocacy, Climate, Emissions, Extreme weather, Health, Heat, Heatwaves, Sustainability, Transformation, Uncategorized, Well-being
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Extreme heat: Australia’s record breaking heatwave

by CAHA
February 4th, 2013

Australians have been sweltering this summer as extreme heat conditions are felt across many parts of the country.

Health groups are urging people to take care in the heat, observe heat and fire warnings and to seek medical advice if they feel unwell.

There is heat health advice available from each of the state and territory healthy departments (Victoria; NSW; Qld; SA;  WA; NT; Tas; and ACT) as well as local healthcare providers to help reduce exposure and risks to health.

The Climate Commission has developed a new resource on extreme heat Off the Charts: Extreme Australian Summer Heat highlighting the links between climate change and extreme heat events, urging appropriate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to put measures in place to prepare for, and respond to, extreme weather.

Download the report here.

Categories Advocacy, Children, Climate, Extreme weather, Health, Heat, Heatwaves, Public health
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Have you signed the DOHA Declaration on Climate, Health and Well-being?

by CAHA
February 4th, 2013

Health Must Be Central to Climate Action

The international health and medical community have developed a joint statement on climate health and wellbeing calling for health to be central to national and global climate action.

Signatories include the World Medical Association, the International Council of Nurses, International Federation of Medical Students, Health Care Without Harm, Climate and Health Alliance, European Public Health Association, Public Health Association of Australia, Royal College of General Practitioners (UK), Climate and Health Council, OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate & Health Council, NHS Sustainable Development Unit, Umeå Center for Global Health Research, Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) and many others.

The Doha Declaration outlines why health experts are extremely worried about slow progress on climate action, and highlights how the health co-benefits of emissions can build support for ambitious climate strategies.

If you want to support this statement, sign up here: www.dohadeclaration.weebly.com

Categories Advocacy, Climate, Emissions, Energy, Health professionals, Uncategorized
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