Newswise — The University of Oregon's Climate Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials and public health organizations around the state, have issued two new guidebooks aimed at helping health-related agencies and organizations cope with climate change.
Throughout the nation climate change is expected to contribute to increased rates of heat illness, asthma, respiratory disease, food- and water-borne diseases, malnutrition and mental illness. Public health agencies and organizations play a vital role in preparing communities to cope with these climate-related health impacts. They can also set an example of how to reduce the extent of climate change by reducing carbon emissions from their own facilities and operations.
"Ready for Change: Preparing Public Health Agencies for the Impacts of Climate Change" outlines the steps and strategies involved with proactively planning for the health threats posed by climate change. "Leading by Example: Emissions Reductions in Public Health Agencies" outlines the steps involved with analyzing and reducing internally generated carbon emissions.
"Public health departments today are typically understaffed and lack needed resources," said Bob Doppelt, director of CLI and project manager. "The intent of these guidebooks is to outline actions that can be taken at any level of capacity and be integrated into existing programs."
'The handbooks fill a large gap in the knowledge and tool base public health agencies need to respond to climate change," said Toby Harris, Washington County Public Health Program Supervisor and member of the Oregon Coalition of Public Health Officials Environmental Committee. "Public health agencies in Oregon and across the nation will find that they provide valuable information and practical recommendations and strategies."
"The guidebooks identify the most feasible actions available for preventing climate-related illness," said Stacy Vynne, a CLI project manager. "They also recommend cost-effective actions that can have a significant impact on emissions reductions in public health facilities." Vynne and Meredith Herr, a project coordinator with the CLI-affiliated Resource Innovation Group, wrote the guidebooks with support from CLHO, the Oregon State Division of Public Health, public health departments from several Oregon counties, and UO CLI student interns.
The climate preparedness guidebook covers a variety of topics including extreme heat, disease, food, air quality and mental health. Each section provides an overview of the topic, identifies vulnerable populations, and provides actions as well as associated costs and capacity needs. Case studies are also provided throughout the document, such as a Midwest training program by mental health professionals for community leaders to provide crisis counseling during extreme events and disasters.
The mitigation guidebook provides simple, inexpensive changes that agencies can make to save energy and costs. They can insulate water heaters, take advantage of natural lighting, and pursue longer-term changes that may require additional funding, such as improvements to the building envelope and shifts in purchasing programs. Case studies are provided in each section to demonstrate feasibility. For instance, Kaiser Permanente shifted to reusable cups and nontoxic IV bags as a means for reducing waste.
The guidebooks also provide suggested communications frameworks for integrating climate change consideration into policies such as food and purchasing, as well as talking points for communicating internally and externally about climate change preparation. The guidebooks also acknowledge and suggest strategies for improving collaboration and integration of climate change considerations into existing initiatives.
About the University of OregonThe University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The UO is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
About The Climate Leadership Initiative The Climate Leadership Initiative is a social-science based global climate change research, education, and technical assistance collaborative between The Resource Innovation Group, a 501 (c)3 non-profit, and the Institute for a Sustainable Environment at the University of Oregon.
Links: UO Climate Leadership Initiative: http://climlead.uoregon.edu/ Resource Innovation Group: http://www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org/Access both guidebooks: http://climlead.uoregon.edu/node/168PDF download of Ready for Change: http://climlead.uoregon.edu/sites/climlead.uoregon.edu/files/uploads/PubHealthPrepManual5-10LR.pdfPDF download of Leading by Example: http://climlead.uoregon.edu/sites/climlead.uoregon.edu/files/uploads/PubHealthMitigManual5-10LR.pdf
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