Doctors are urging all state and federal governments to set emissions targets to zero as quickly as possible to address dangerous climate change. Medical group Doctors for the Environment Australia is responding to the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO’s State of the Climate report released on Friday.
The report states that Australia is already experiencing climate change and can expect more extreme weather events.
DEA spokesperson Dr John Van Der Kallen says, “To protect public health, Australian governments have made a swift and unprecedented response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We now need them to respond to the climate crisis with the same urgency and determination.
“There has been up to 1.68C in rise in temperature, increasing ocean acidification, increasing ocean temperatures, increase in extreme fire weather and decreased rainfall in southern Australia. “These outcomes have been predicted for decades and we are now seeing them become reality.
“ We have seen deaths due to heatwaves, deaths due to bushfires and bushfire smoke, communities on their knees from climate impacts and ongoing mental health impacts.
“We no longer have the luxury of discussing how to deal with greenhouse gas emissions. We must act now, and we must act decisively.
“The solutions already exist.
“All jurisdictions need to set targets aimed at reducing our emissions to zero as quickly as possible.
“The economic stimulus to address the pandemic offers us an opportunity to transition to renewables, invest in public transport infrastructure and support the uptake of electric vehicles.
“The State of the Climate report is a further wake-up call that we’re in a climate health emergency, and that we need to act urgently to contain it.”
Media contact: Media and Communications Coordinator Carmela Ferraro’- 0410 7 03 074
About DEA
DEA is an independent organisation of medical doctors protecting health through care of the environment.
We are supported by a Scientific Advisory Committee of distinguished health experts:
Prof Stephen Boyden AM, Prof Emeritus Chris Burrell AO, Prof Colin Butler, Prof Peter Doherty AC, Prof Michael Kidd AM, Prof David de Kretser AC, Prof Stephen Leeder AO, Prof Ian Lowe AO, Prof Robyn McDermott, Prof Lidia Morawska, Prof Peter Newman AO, Prof Emeritus Sir Gustav Nossal AC, Prof Hugh Possingham, Prof Lawrie Powell AC, Prof Fiona Stanley AC, Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, Dr Norman Swan