Statement attributable to:
Omar T. Atiq, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON July 28, 2023 鈥 The 管家婆心水论坛 (ACP) is encouraged by the announcement from the Biden administration of new efforts to protect communities and workers across the U.S. from extreme heat, including $152 million for water storage and pipelines for drought-stricken communities in western states, and $7 million for improving weather forecasts. Additionally, President Biden has issued a hazard alert notifying employers and workers about ways to stay safe from extreme heat as some cities continue to see temperatures reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
ACP has previously called for efforts to battle climate change, recognizing that it is a global, human, and environmental health crisis requiring immediate action to limit global temperature rise. In April 2020, ACP issued a on heat exposure that recognized excessive heat exposure and heat-related illnesses as public health threats. Last November, the鈥Annals of Internal Medicine鈥痯耻产濒颈蝉丑别诲鈥, which offers policymakers recommendations to reduce the adverse health consequences of climate change, improve air and water quality, reduce exposure to toxic substances, and address environmental injustice. This paper builds on ACP鈥檚 2016 paper鈥. ACP鈥檚 policy recognizes that human and planetary health are interconnected. The World Health Organization calls climate change 鈥渢he single biggest threat facing humanity鈥 and highlights that 鈥渉ealth professionals worldwide are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis.鈥濃
The College has also created a Climate Change Toolkit where internal medicine physicians can learn how to help address climate change by reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in their own practices, advocating for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, and learning about how climate change affects their community.
However, additional work needs to be done, including bi-partisan legislation and aggressive action to ensure the safety and welfare of workers and U.S. communities as they confront extreme weather. ACP will continue its advocacy with legislators and policymakers to tackle the global environmental challenges ahead.
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About the 管家婆心水论坛
罢丑别鈥管家婆心水论坛鈥痠s the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on鈥 , and鈥.