New Year, New Focus on Climate & Health Solutions

As noted in a recent Washington Post article, small changes alone won’t stop climate change or save our planet, but your actions are still worthwhile, and you shouldn’t feel helpless. With New Year’s resolutions poised to guide us toward better health in 2025, here are some steps to lower your carbon footprint while enhancing your well-being.

• Create less food waste – The carbon footprint of US food waste is greater than that of the airline industry. The biggest proportion of food waste (37%), happens in the home.
• Ditch your grass. This saves trillions of gallons of water a year, decreases pesticide and fertilizer runoff into waterways, and reduces the use of billions of gallons of gasoline to run lawn and garden equipment.
• Shop sustainability by buying less – Very few things you can purchase actively benefit the climate. Refurbishing, repurposing, and redistributing items in your community is one idea for ‘greener’ economies.
• Weatherize your home – Most utilities will help by offering home assessments to seal leaks and decrease energy waste on heating and cooling. Arizona’s Department of Housing provides Weatherization Assistance Programs, and assistance from APS and TEP is also available.
• Trade in for an electric car or consider public transportation – One of the most powerful individual actions people can take against climate change is modifying how they get around. This is because the transportation sector is the biggest source of planet-warming emissions in the United States. Rebates remain available for electric car purchases.
• PASS IT ON – Educating your peers, family, and community is a great way to multiply your efforts. Please share this information and help them take steps to make their lives more climate friendly.

What We Are Reading & Listening to Now

• 2023 was extremely hot. Then came 2024 (NPR)
• The Lancet report: Global temperatures continue to rise at catastrophic rates (PublicHealthNeswire.org)
• NY Law Penalizes Companies for GHG Emissions (NY Times)
• Air pollution caused by AI Tech could lead to 1,300 US deaths annually by 2030 (watch the video) (Independent)
• Researchers create a Sponge to Soak Up 99.9% of Microplastics (GoodNewsNetwork)
• Can Phoenix lead heat and climate change responses? (AZCentral)
• How to deal with all the black plastic in your kitchen (WashPost)
• Meeting January 9^th on SRP’s rate hike (Mesa Independent)
• Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe: 2024 progress, challenges, and what you can do (Substack)
• AZ Climate: 2024 Review (Azcentral)
• Climate Action Through Innovative Policy: New Initiative Aims to Improve Health Care Sustainability (NAM)
• NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative 2024 Annual Report (NIH)

Join Us

• Recording from December 10^th’s webinar: Perspectives on Plastic Lifeecycle Series: Plastics use and Demand Recording.
• Recording from December 11^th’s webinar:A panel discussion on Extreme Weather in Arizona Recording.
• January 8^th: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Health Hazards of Plastics: From Production to Disposal Register
• January 21^st: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (AZ) Save the Date. AzNA Climate Change and Health Workgroup meeting
• January 22^nd: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (AZ) Climate for Health Ambassador Training co-hosted by APHA and Climate for Health Register for this free training designed for nurses and other health care professionals.
• February 12^th: 8:30 am – 2:00 pm Sierra Club Environmental Day at the Capitol. Learn more about the day and register here.
• February 12^th: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Youth Climate Action Register
• February 19^th: 12:00 pm: Health Center Preparedness & Response Forum: Extreme Heat Virtual Register
• March 1-4^th 2025: Our Planet, Our Health 2025 Climate Action Convention Washington DC Register
• March 12^th: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Achieving Energy Independence in a Healthcare Setting Register
• April 9^th: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Climate Change and Farming: Worker Protections and Community Resiliency Register
• January 8^th: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Health Hazards of Plastics: From Production to Disposal Register
• May 21^st: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (MST): Impacts of Heat on Vulnerable Populations Register

Thank you for joining us in making a healthier planet today!