ADVOCATING FOR EACH OTHER & BUILDING COMMUNITY
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drink , the air we breathe and the natural disasters we experience . Furthermore , the effects of climate change are not shared equally . The most severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities , often already burdened by poverty and structural racism , and those who are least able to prepare for and recover from heat waves , poor air quality , flooding or other weather events . 2
In 2021 , I met with Julia Richerson , MD , and we happened to share an interest in climate health . Dr . Richerson is a giant in community pediatrics , and she has long advocated for child health equity in Louisville . Together , we joined forces to form a task force through the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics . Through this task force , we invited pediatricians and community partners to share about local climate initiatives .
The gathering of like-minded individuals sparked partnerships , leading to projects like the Louisville Climate Action Network providing LED lightbulbs to low-income families at office visits . It led to a joint initiative with The Parks Alliance , creating a prescription for play in nearby Louisville parks to encourage physical activity and play in nature . It led to a nature play date at Bernheim Arboretum during Trees Louisville ’ s Trees Week . I am so grateful to the many community partners who continue to show up and share ideas that create powerful community connections for our patients and families .
To better educate future physicians , I built and implemented a climate curriculum for pediatric residents during their ambulatory pediatrics rotation . Surveys of residents before and after completing their climate curriculum showed improved knowledge and confidence in providing climate health counseling at office visits . A quality improvement project , aimed at increasing the amount of climate counseling that residents were doing at adolescent well visits , resulted in residents going from not providing climate counseling at all , to residents providing climate counseling at 15 % of adolescent well visits . guidance given at office visits can be one way to adapt your practice to a changing climate . Talking about the prevention of heat illness during sports physicals or discussing air quality index monitoring with patients affected by asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be small , significant changes that will better prepare your patients for a warming planet .
Furthermore , practicing health care sustainability , like forming a green team , can decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve cost savings for health systems . Teaching medical students , residents and fellows about disaster preparedness can better prepare them as we see frequent severe weather stress traditional health care delivery systems . Advocating at local , state and national levels for policies that decrease carbon emissions and advance climate justice can improve everyone ’ s health . Finally , taking personal steps to decrease your carbon footprint , like practicing active transportation and choosing a plant-based diet can be good for your health and the health of the planet .
Physicians are natural advocates , and I have every faith that we can and will rise to the challenge to become climate-informed providers and use our patient stories to advance zero carbon policy and work toward climate justice .
References
1
IPCC , 2023 : Summary for Policymakers . In : Climate Change 2023 : Synthesis Report . Contribution of Working Groups I , II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [ Core Writing Team , H . Lee and J . Romero ( eds .)]. IPCC , Geneva , Switzerland , pp . 1-34 , doi : 10.59327 / IPCC / AR6-9789291691647.001
2
EPA . 2021 . Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States : A Focus on Six Impacts . U . S . Environmental Protection Agency , EPA 430- R-21-003 .
Dr . Mims is a pediatrician with Norton Children ’ s Medical Group at the Novak Center for Children ’ s Health . She is also an Assistant Professor and Director of Climate and Environmental Health in the UofL School of Medicine , Department of Pediatrics , Division of General Pediatrics .
Subject matter experts expect that global warming is projected to continue and to bring with it warmer temperatures , worse air pollution , more natural disasters , increased range and habitat for vector-borne diseases , more food insecurity and increased psychosocial effects globally . The problem seems so big that it often leaves one feeling hopeless to change anything . However , as physicians , we must meet this challenge and adapt our practice to better prepare our patients and students for the climate reality they will inherit .
Practicing climate advocacy and incorporating it into the
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