Renowned health and climate advocacy organisation, Healthy Futures and countless health professionals have penned an open letter to Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen to demand policy reform for coal and gas-induced methane emissions.
More than ten of Australia’s primary health bodies have signed the letter, including the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Federation of Medical Women, Doctors for the Environment Australia and many more signatory bodies representing over 350,000 health workers.
Relying on the impact of first-hand accounts of treating climate change-related illnesses, the letter outlines the immense health benefits to be derived from combatting methane emissions.
Methane poses a severe health threat to humanity as a dangerous greenhouse gas, in addition to contributing to the development of ground-level ozone.
“We know climate change is the biggest public health emergency there is. We need better coal and gas methane regulation now,” says general practitioner Dr Harry Jennens.
Primary demands from Healthy Futures
Healthy Futures campaign manager Bronwyn McDonald wants to see the government implement airtight measures to safeguard public health. “Healthy Futures is urging the Australian government to take decisive action to reduce methane emissions from the coal and gas sector to protect public health,” she says.
Ground-level ozone and smog worsen respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – subsequently producing preventable hospitalisations. Australia’s methane emissions management trails woefully behind other countries – a reality that Dr Kate Wylie, Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) executive director, wants to see reversed.
“Australia is lagging behind on methane reduction regulations. We need stronger standards to protect our health and fight climate change,” says Wylie.
Healthy Futures maintains climate change is undeniably a public health emergency, and unmitigated methane emissions are galvanising a climate catastrophe into action. Adverse weather conditions instigate other dire implications such as destabilised food access, increased health-related illnesses and infectious diseases.
Pacific-region decarbonisation efforts recognised at Schneider’s Sustainability Impact Awards.
