“It’s real. It’s us. Experts agree it’s bad. There’s hope.”1

These ten simple words summarize the essential truth about climate change. What can we do to prevent increasing suffering from its effects and rapidly reduce our heat-trapping gases? Nurses can help and here is one way you can help this week. 

What’s the Issue: The Salt River Project (SRP) is proposing a nearly $1 billion investment in new gas infrastructure. In addition to concerns about climate impacts, we know that clean air and water are essential for our health and there are cleaner, cheaper and reliable energy alternatives available. A hearing is scheduled for this proposal on 2-7-2022.

As nurses, we are aware of Big Tobacco and the opioid industry spreading doubt about the harms caused by their products. Profits were prioritized over health. Similarly, the wealthy fossil fuel industry is spreading doubt about climate change science and about potential solutions. We need the trusted voices of nurses to help advocate for cleaner energy alternatives that will not only help reduce gases that are overheating our planet but will have immediate benefit of ensuring cleaner air and water for our communities like Coolidge and Randolph, a historical Arizona community that will be disproportionately impacted by the SRP proposal.

How Nurses Can Help Now: Visit the Sierra Club’s Action Toolkit. There are 5 actions (listed below) you can take. Select one or more and the toolkit walks you through the steps. Nurses can help protect our most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children, who need clean air for healthy pregnancy outcomes and the development of healthy lungs by acting today. 

Five Actions You Can Do To Help Today:

• Give oral comment at the Committee hearing [Tips for Effective Public Comments]*

• Submit written comments

• Tweet on social media
• Sign an online petition*
• Write a letter to the editor

*If you choose to sign the petition or provide written comment, don’t forget to identify your credentials that make you a trusted health messenger. 

If you have questions, please contact Ronda Seifert, RN BSN IBCLC at rseif214@gmail.com.