A big shout out to the wonderful health promotion practitioners and students who participated in the Climate and Health Alliance's initiative at the Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival for the second year in 2013. Here, volunteer Sally talks about what they got up to and what the Climate and Health Clinic is about. http://vimeo.com/63054314

Australian's lives are increasingly at risk from extreme weather being driven by climate change, the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) has warned. CAHA has responded to a new report from the Climate Commission, The Angry Summer, which shows the recent summer was the hottest ever, during which Australia recorded its first ever average maximum of 40.30°C, on 7 January 2013. Heatwaves pose the most serious threat to health, but lives were also lost in recent bushfires and flooding following extreme rainfall. The report shows the world is moving into a ˜new climate', the consequences for which could be devastating for all people everywhere and for the natural systems on which we rely. Read more here.

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!    

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

Climate and Health Clinic - all weekend Saturday 16^th and Sunday 17^th 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'.