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Nurse’s notes –
By BETH SCHENK
“Human health is a subsystem of the Earth’s health. You cannot have well humans on a sick planet.”

- Thomas Berry

Why is caring for the earth so important, and why would Earth Day be the subject of a Nurse’s Notes column? Because the health of the environment is crucial to everyone’s health.

Of growing concern to our health are the effects of climate change. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (www.climatescience.gov) looks at elements of climate change, putting together governmental and nongovernmental research to assess how human activities affect the climate and how we can prepare for or lessen these changes.

The program also outlines known and anticipated health effects of climate change. How will we treat these health problems? How will we plan for growing problems? How do we slow down the changes?

For instance, in the Rocky Mountain states, we expect more heat waves and extreme high temperatures, leading to earlier snowmelt and drought. These climate changes are associated with heat stress and heatstroke, and an increased impact on mortality for those who are more vulnerable.

With the heat waves and drought comes dreaded wildfires. Depending on the severity and longevity of the fire, we will suffer from degraded air quality, contributing to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Many of the expected health effects are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor, elderly, disabled and uninsured. (www.climatescience.gov). Our already taxed system faces more pressure, our poor and vulnerable even greater challenges, our children increased risk. What do we do?

Consider the “Precautionary Principle” adopted by the American Nurses Association in 2003. It says, “When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”

In other words, since we have knowledge that climate changes are happening and these changes have health effects, it’s wise to take precautionary measures now, even as more evidence is being analyzed. This might lead us to increased screenings of vulnerable populations, increased risk education, and measures to prevent or lessen the damage to our climate.

This approach is right in line with how nurses are educated and how we approach decision-making in patient care. We use caution, we use evidence, we try to prevent health problems and illness, knowing that prevention is often easier and less expensive than treating the disease. For these reasons, working toward preventing further climate change and dealing with the problems that are already under way is a nursing concern. Dealing with these impacts will likely affect our careers and those of future nurses.

In the United States, approximately 6.6 tons (almost 15,000 pounds carbon equivalent) of greenhouse gases are emitted per person every year. Most of these emissions, about 82 percent, are from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and power our cars. The remaining emissions are from methane from wastes in our landfills, raising livestock, natural gas pipelines and coal, as well as from industrial chemicals and other sources, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The United States emits more greenhouse gasses per person than any other country. Emissions also vary by state as they are based on many factors, such as the types of fuel used to generate electricity, the total population of a state, and the distance traveled by commuters. There are three areas where we can make the most impact in reducing carbon emissions – the electricity we use in our homes, the waste we produce, and the transportation we choose to use. Here are just a few ideas from Earth911:

• Change a light. Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one saves 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

• Recycle more and buy recycled. Save up to 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year just by recycling half of your household waste.

• Check your tires. Having properly inflated tires means good gas mileage. For each gallon of gas saved, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are also never produced.

• Use less hot water. Make the most of your hot water by insulating your tank and keeping the temperature at or below 120.

• Avoid products with a lot of packaging. Reducing your garbage by 10 percent reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 pounds.

• Adjust your thermostat. No matter where you set your dial, two degrees cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer can mean a reduction of 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

• Plant a tree. A single tree can absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

• Turn off electronic devices when not in use. Unplugging your TV, DVD, computer and other electronic devices can save each household thousand of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

Getting educated, speaking out and working toward supporting human health, intricately linked with that of the planet, are all good ways for us to celebrate Earth Day, which as we are reminded by the saying, is really every day.

Beth Schenk is a registered nurse and women’s health coordinator at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center.