Doctors and medical students gathered in Melbourne recently for a stellar line up of speakers at a Doctors for the Environment Australia conference.
As The Guardian has already reported, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt faced a sceptical crowd, with medical leaders unhappy about the government’s climate change policies.
Thanks to the tweeters for providing the below reports on speeches by Tim Flannery, Rob Moodie, Kerry Arabena, Fiona Stanley, Ross Garnaut and others.
Flannery warned that we are already living in a “new climate” and compared the planet’s health with that of a stroke patient – saying the next decade was the “golden hour” for intervening.
Overview of public health threats in a changed climate
Federal Minister Greg Hunt came in for a grilling, and judging by the comments on Twitter, he failed to impress.
The federal opposition spokesman Mark Butler was urged to do a better job of engaging the public.
Some countries are making progress.
The role of healthcare and health professionals was highlighted.
The WHO’s Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, is quoted in the conference materials:
“Climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health… we need champions throughout the world who will work to put protecting human health at the centre of the climate change agenda.”
Professor Kerry Arabena challenged the audience to step up to the plate.
Professor Rob Moodie urged health professionals to be persistent in the campaign for action.
Professor Fiona Stanley called for urgent action.
(Read more about the poem here.)
Looking to the future leaders.
