Call to Action on Climate and Health 2020

TEXAS PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS SUPPORT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

As Texas physicians and healthcare professionals, we the undersigned call on members of the Texas Congressional Delegation to recognize climate change as a health emergency and to work with government agencies and our local communities and businesses to prioritize action to address how climate change is already impacting public health.

CALL TO ACTION

We call on the Texas Congressional Delegation to lead Congress in recognizing climate change as a health emergency and to prioritize the actions in this Climate and Health Policy Call to Action. Building healthy energy, transportation, land use, and agriculture systems now will deliver immediate and sustained health benefits to all and reduce future health risks from climate change.

Climate Action for Health should include the following actions:

  1. Meet and strengthen the commitments the U.S. made under the Paris Climate Agreement.
  2. Transition rapidly away from the use of coal, oil and natural gas to clean, safe, and renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  3. Co-sponsor one or more of the bills recently filed by both Democrats and Republicans on climate that are aimed at achieving zero-net emissions by 2050.
  4. Support and improve infrastructure to encourage active transportation plans, including more and better options for walking and biking, and incentivize cleaner alternatives like public transit and carpooling, in the transition to zero-carbon transportation systems.
  5. Promote healthy, sustainable, and resilient farms and food systems, forests, and natural lands.
  6. Ensure that all U.S. residents have access to safe and affordable drinking water and sustainable water supply.
  7. Invest in policies that support a just transition for workers and communities adversely impacted by climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

TEXAS PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS SUPPORTING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE:

Adam Rosenbloom MD MPH FAAP
Adelita Cantu PhD, RN
Alan Friedman PhD
Alan Mincher MD
Alan Northcutt MD
Alexander Papanastassiou MD
Allison Teng Med Student
Amanda Boornazian Med Student
Amanda Horton MD
Amanda Mishra APRN, ACNS-BC
Amina Haji MD
Amy Sugeno LCSW
Ana Herrera DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Andrew Valenzuela MD
Angela Wang Med Student
Angela Zhang Med Student
Anitha Veerasamy MD
Ann Melendrez LVN
Anna Vu MD
Archie Smith MD
Arthur Fellows PhD
Ashwin Gowda MD
Audrey Han Med Student
Barbara Dauerty PA-C
Beck Trammell NCC, LPC
Beth Belk DPT
Bharath Ram Med Student
Bill Carville RN. CRRN
Brennan Lanier Med Student
Brian Reed MD
Bryan Roberts PhD
Canaan Hancock BA, NREMT-B
Carina Souflee Med Student
Carolyn Vanek Medical Student
Cecile Roeger RN
Celia Neavel MD
Christian Shannon Med Student
Christina Shields Med Student
Christopher Driscoll MD
Dan Nguyen MD
Dana Sprute MD, MPH
Daniel Bland Med Student
Daniel Crowe MD, FACP
Daniel Hochman MD
Danielle Glade MD
David Wright MD
Debra Patt MD
Derek Mora MD
Donald Williams MD
Ed Garcia MD
Elliot Trester MD
Esha Hansoti Med Student
Felix Hull MD
George Miner MD
Gina Duong MD
Gina Fowler DO, FAAP, ABOIM
Greg Sheff MD
Gretchen Crook MD
Hannah Kay Med Student
Hannah McFarren Med Student
Hasan Seede Medical Student
Heather Falvo MD
Helen Schafer MD
Hilda Guevara RN
Ian Alward MD
Ife Shoyombo Med Student
Indu Gupta MD
Izaan Roos PT
James Baker MD
Jannon Fuchs PhD
Jenny Raman
Jessica Hines MD
Jim Sheridan BS HRMA
Jonathan Kini MD
Jonathan Yang MD, MPH, FACS
John Walker MD
Jori Short RN
Joshua Kollars MD
Joyce Overton RN
Jubilee Barton MD
Julia Graves MD
Julia Sargent MD
Julianne Hastings Student Nurse
Julie Hall MD
Juliette Owens MD
Karen Carvalho MD
Karen Smith MD, MEd
Katharina Hathaway MD
Kathleen Van Dam RN, BSN
Katie McNiel Med Student
Katrin Lichtsinn MD
Kelsey Mumford Med Student,RN
Kim Rowlands MMD
Kimberly Carter MD,MPP
Koushik Shaw MD
Kristie Pham Tu Med Student
Krupa Patel MD
Kumar Pandian MD
Lamia Kadir MD
Lara Hochman MD
Laura Landis Med Student
Lauren Crawford MD
Laurie Seremetis MD, MPAff
Leah Weipert DO
Leigh Grady MD
Lesa Walker MD, MP
Leslie Cortes MD
Lisa Doggett MD, MPH, FAAFP
Lisa Glenn MD
Lisa Stone MPH
Liza Sanchez MD
Lori Wright PhD
Lorraine Stehn DO
Lynn Thoreson DO
Lynn Van Epps RN
Makenzie Franklin Med Student
Maren Fuller MD
Margaret Amada RN
Margaret Erickson PhD,RN
Margaret Kini MD
Maria Colon-Gonzalez MD
Maria Guerra APRN, FNP-C
Maria Monge MD, MAT
Marian Morris PhD, MPH, RN
Mary Ann Gonzales MD
Mary Beth Bennet Med Student
Mary Mulroney RN
Mary Robichaux Med Student
Matthew McCurdy MD PhD
Melissa Thoreson MD
Michelle Gallas DO
Michael Hole MD, MBA, FAAP
Michelle Zhang Med Student
Mike Stefanowicz MD
Nalinda Charnsangavej MD
Nancy Lee PA-C
Nanditha Shivaprakash MD
Naomi Hanser MD
Natalie Rusk MD
Natalie Sivak MD
Natalie Weston Med Student
Natasha Dass Med Student
Nehal Thakkar MD, MBA
Nichelle Haynes DO
Odera Okafor Med Student
Pamela Mathews
Patricia Connolly LT
Peter Gilbreath MD
Pradeep Kumar MD
Rachel Brightwell MD
Rachel Fresques Med Student
Rachel Guess MD
Rachel MacAskill Med Student
Randall Moore MD, JD
Rania Milleron PhD
Richard Barber DO
Ricky Thompson DO
Robert Patterson MD
Roberto Rodriguez MD, MPH
Roseanna Jackson-Parekh MD
Roy Pruden MD
Ruth Sanchez Med Student
Ryan Lowery MD
Sabitha Rajan MD, MSc
Sam Baldazo Med Student
Sapna Bhagat MD
Sara Oritz-Romero MD
Sarah Buttrey MD
Sarah Gee MD
Sarmila Bhatta FNP
Sean Liu Med Student
Shannon Evans APRN,NSN,FNP-C
Sharad Kohli MD
Shirley Li Med Student
Stanley Reiser MD,MPA,PhD
Stephen McKee MSSW
Steven Inano MD
Susan Dubois MD
Susan Roberts PhD
Swati Avashia MD
Syed Ajaz Med Student
Tara Greendyk MD
Teri Newsom MS,RN,NP-C
Terrell Benold MD
Thiru Lakshman MD,FASCRS
Timothy Singer MD, MS
Toni Wakefield MD
Trish O'Day MSN, RN
Valerie Espinosa MD
Van Tran PA-C
Vincent Fonseca MD,MPH
Vishal Kancherla DO
Waqas Haque Med Student
William Perkison, MD
Xiao Yun Wang MD

ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE:



Texas Academy of Family Physicians Heart of Texas Chapter
Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition
Texas Public Interest Research Group
Population Health Institute of Texas
Austin Urology Institute
Doctors for Change
Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

 

 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR URGENT ACTION

Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to human health in our lifetimes. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has repeatedly issued warnings about the significant consequences of global warming. As they and the vast majority of climate scientists around the world have stated, urgent actions are needed now to curb the rise in global temperatures and to prevent ecological, public health and other societal catastrophes.

In Texas, we are already feeling the effects of increasing temperatures and climate-related health emergencies. Our ER physicians care for folks when climate disasters occur such as hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and wildfires. Our primary care physicians and cardiologists have to deal with increased and worsening heart disease due to ozone action days and increased heat. Psychiatrists have to deal with fatalism and depression that occurs with the increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters. And we struggle to care for patients affected by increasing pandemics and other health crises.

In the coming years, Texans will experience rising seas, retreating shorelines, more coastal storms like Hurricane Harvey, rainstorms and tornadoes, increasing wildfires, more frequent and severe droughts, and worsening air pollution leading to premature death from heart and lung disease.

Please join us – the time for action is now.

 


  1. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2018
  2. Dr. Matthew McCurdy, in an op-ed published by the Houston Chronicle, 2018