Advancing Climate Health in Arizona

Happy New Year.  We are ready for continued success in 2024 and to have you join us at our next meeting, Tuesday, January 9^th at 5:30 pm.  Join by this NEW Zoom Link.  It’s time to hear your ideas and to set our 2024 goals.

During 2023, our first year, we are happy to report the following successes in addition to establishing our Workgroup:

• Increase Nurse Education & Awareness:
  • Published 3 articles in the 2023 Arizona Nurse and submitted an article for the Winter issue. Spring (p. 10) Summer (p.12) Fall (p.7).
  • Weekly AzNA Today posts began March 13^th.
  • Established a monthly meeting schedule, 6 held in 2023.
  • Health Environments MyAzNA posts started March 23^rd.
  • Provided presentations about Climate Change and Health at 3 conferences and/or webinars.
• Establish partnerships & collaborations:
  • Actively worked with the Alliance of Nurses for Health Environments (ANHE), the Arizona Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Arizona Health Professionals for Climate Action (AzHPCA), and the Energy Foundation team in Arizona on climate change issues and advocacy efforts
  • Met with ANA staff to discuss climate change collaboration opportunities and with AzNA staff help, have established contact with three other states working on climate change and health to create a partnership to expand our efforts and enhance ANA’s focus on climate change and health.
• Enhance Advocacy Efforts for Climate Health:
  • 13 climate-related actions, including asking you to help us spread the word and sign on to letters, position statements, and legislation.
  • Participate in MAG and Arizona Clean Air Planning meetings, assisted AzHPCA chair in presenting to the members of the State Joint legislative committee on clean air and energy and ANHE-led efforts, worked with local organizations and the Energy Foundation to address clean air and improve Peaker Plants
  • Investigated support for the establishment of a health professional tabletop (ongoing)

Join our meeting and assist with planning our goals for 2024, what would you like to know and do to address Climate Change and its impact on health in Arizona?

Action Alert

From the Lung Action Network at the American Lung Association, thank the President and the EPA for tackling the climate crisis and cleaning up our air while asking them to finalize the process so we have strong National Air Quality Standards for Ozone, Methane, Carbon, and Particulate Matter.  Submit your comments today using a simple pre-filled form.

What We Are Reading & Listening to This Week

• Mayor Kate Gallego on Phoenix’s hottest year and what’s in store for 2024 (AZ Republic, Dec 27)
• Look for these 9 red flags to identify food that is ultra-processed (WashPost, Jan 2)
• Ten ‘you must be kidding’ weather and climate facts of 2023 (Yale Climate Connections, Dec 26)
• An Odd Silence (The Crucial Years, Dec 26)
• AZ Climate (AZ Central, Jan 2)
• Climate Conversations: COP28 Outcomes Webinar January 18^th (NAM, Jan 2)
• Toxic Ties: Fossil Fuels, Plastic Pollution, and Inequity (Katharine Hayhoe, Jan 3)

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

Lowering Hospital Emissions Made Easier

The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) has a new report entitled Cleaner Health Care: Hospital Emissions Mitigation. This is one of the best reports to walk through action steps clearly and why healthcare systems should act now (hint: money is available to help). We encourage all nurses to review and share the report so you can help your hospital be the next in Arizona to act. Did you know:

• The US remains the top emitter of healthcare greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at 27%
• Hospitals generate the most emissions in the US healthcare sector at 36%, followed by physician and clinical services at 12% and prescription drugs at 10%
• Healthcare supply chains account for nearly 80% of US healthcare emissions

Time to act: the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act both offer significant incentives for the US healthcare system to lower GHG emissions.

• Hospitals should utilize the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager or similar measure tool to report energy efficiency and gain certification.
• Hospitals should reduce their GHG emissions from anesthetic gases by reducing, with the goal of eliminating, the use of desflurane gas and nitrous oxide—both of which are potent GHGs.
• Hospitals should reduce their GHG emissions from food waste by:

• devoting resources to sourcing more locally grown, healthier, and fresher fruits and vegetables options.
• providing more tailored meal options to patients.
• taking immediate advantage of opportunities for composting or otherwise repurposing food waste and unused food products.

Read more in the BPC Report.  A webinar on November 9^th highlights the report further. View on YouTube (hint: start watching at the 17min mark to avoid all the introductions)

What We Are Reading & Listening to This Week

• New Solar Farm Project will supply 70,000 homes with renewable energy (Pinal Central)
• The ‘double whammy’ of climate change in Arizona: higher temps and worse air (AZ Mirror)
• We Need ICD Codes for Climate-Linked Health Outcomes (Med Page Today)
• How to Boost EV Sales? Pay Drivers to Turn in Old Polluting Cars (Bloomberg)

AzNA CC&H Workgroup Meeting

The AzNA Climate Change and Health Workgroup meets on the second Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is, on December 12^th at 5:30 pm Join Us.    

Thank you for joining us and engaging today!

Advancing Climate Health in Arizona

QR codes with hyperlocal recycling instructions will soon show up on your milk cartons, ice cream tubs and more — meaning you'll be able to scan an item, type in your ZIP code, and see if it's eligible to go in the blue bin, Axios' Jennifer Kingston reports.

Why it matters: 60% of consumers are confused about what and how to recycle, depressing the already low recycling law compliance rate, according to The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit. The overall U.S. recycling rate is around 32%, the EPA says.

Be smart: While waiting for the QR code program, you can use the Recycle Right Wizard to search for what items are recyclable in your city.

What We Are Reading & Listening to This Week

• You don’t have to shovel sunshine: Amid heat waves, why do people still move here? (AZ Rep)
• Famed climate scientist has a new, dire prediction (WashPost)
• Environmental Injustice and Cumulative Environmental Burdens in Neighborhoods Near Oil and Gas Development: LA County, CA and Beyond (AJPH)
• Time to Treat the Climate and Nature Crisis as One Indivisible Global Health Emergency (JAMA Intern Med)
• Is drinking recycled water safe? (AZ Rep)
• It’s time for the EPA to get tough on our biggest roadway polluters: heavy-duty trucks (AZ Mirror)
• In a heat wave, some people wait too long to turn on the AC (AZ Rep)

AzNA CC&H Workgroup Meeting

Are you interested in an ‘internship’, need a practicum in community health, or wish to volunteer with us?  We are interested in talking with you.

The AzNA Climate Change and Health Workgroup meets on the second Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is, November 14^th at 5:30 pm. Join Us.    

Thank you for joining us and engaging today!