As my contribution to this year's Earth Day celebration, I am posting an essay I made regarding the role of MD's in averting climate change. We really should all be involved in this earth-saving endeavor for our sake and our children's future. It is our obligation as inhabitants of this planet.
The Physician's Role in Averting Climate Change
Anything and everything that will affect human health is our business as individual medical practitioners.
Reports about the earth’s rapidly changing climate are not new to us and for several years now, we have heard planetary scientists conveying their concern over its effect to the balance of the biosphere. Numerous studies have also been showing its serious implications to the human health. We are now seeing a rising number of vector-borne infectious diseases every year. Respiratory diseases are also becoming less and less responsive to treatment. This could also probably explain the increasing cases of allergic rhinitis to environmental pollutants or the rising number of seemingly unresolving upper respiratory diseases that we see in our practice. We are happy because it is good for our business, but as promoters of health, sooner or later, we will run out of rational explanations to their recurrence or persistence, and it will not speak well of us. We should thus at least make an effort to do our role in averting this human-caused tragedy of nature.
As in medical research, in order to find the solution, we need first to define the problem. Experts claim that the most significant cause of climate change is the increased carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by human activity. Carbon dioxide, as well as nitrous oxide, methane and water vapor, trap energy from the sun making the earth’s temperature rise. Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and the earth’s average temperature will be about 16 degrees Celsius colder. Richard Somerville of the University of California San Diego believes that global warming is just a symptom of the ill situation of our planet, just like a fever. As doctors, we know that fever is important but it is just a manifestation of a deeper problem like infection. Similarly, a rise in the atmospheric temperature just means bigger problems like melting ice caps, rising sea level, heat waves, more rainfall and severe weather conditions. So what we are experiencing as a mere warm season is actually a grave sign already of a progressing environmental disease.
There are lots of talks about how this climate change is being brought out of proportion or exaggerated. Many would dismiss it as something that started even before our time and it’s something that we can’t do anything about. Burning of oil, gas and coal has been a practice since time immemorial and the effects that we saw and are experiencing, are more on the brighter side than on the negative. But as doctors who look at prognosis and survival rates of diseases, we should know better than adhering to this passive attitude. We recognize that an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure.
Hence, our efforts should focus on how to reduce the release of these gases into the atmosphere in our own little ways. This might be in the form of reducing our reliance on air conditioning at home and at the clinic, driving and flying fewer miles, using energy efficient medical equipments, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, utilizing emailed reports and double sided printing, reducing paper and plastic wastes, recycling, reducing beef and dairy consumption, and tree planting, if we have the time and opportunity.
It will take a lot of sacrifices and personal commitment to do this but it is not close to impossible. Moreover, societal changes of this magnitude require leadership and as specialists, we are in the position to do just that. We are looked upon by our community as models of exemplary behavior, and so, if we can reduce the greenhouse emissions in our homes and clinics, then we can set an example and inspire them to follow. We should also be vigilant in our own simple ways as physicians. Taking a thorough social history can make us establish vital information regarding community-wide health status and identifying potential environmental health risks.
Our patients respect and believe in us. They know that being specialists, our advices are well worth following. There will be some cases of non-compliance but generally, everybody takes our word for it. In fact, our opinions also impact our policy-makers, and as physicians, we can be active proponents in support of progressive policy development and review of important issues such as this. We are effective as agents of public information and advocates of research.
The society as a whole and its affiliate study groups can also take part. The information exchange though electronic mail is a good start, lessening the need for printing and travel to relay messages. Regionalized or chapter based conferences and seminars will cut air travel and so, less fuel consumption. Our involvement in environment-saving programs is laudable and should be continued. The society can also encourage more research that will promote service and equipment efficiency. It can also come up with committees that will collaborate with local environmental groups to identify and facilitate opportunities to raise the environmental consciousness of the community.
Economist Sir Nicholas Stern, in his review on the economics of climate change, released last October 2006, said that we need to reduce greenhouse emissions by 30% by 2020 if we were to have any hope of averting a climate crisis. This equates to 2.3% per year if we start now. This could just translate to a collective lesser time of travel or use of the air conditioning!
At the present time there is no known single solution that can eliminate the advent of warming. However, the totality of our simple actions as community members and as physicians could substantially prolong its dreaded coming!
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