"Aggressive, global action" is needed to stop greenhouse gas from worsening and to avoid the devastating effects of climate change, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Physicians have their own role to play in combatting climate change, the ACP said in a policy paper published online in Annals of Internal Medicine. "ACP calls on the healthcare sector to implement environmentally sustainable and energy efficient practices and prepare for the impacts of climate change to ensure continued operations during periods of elevated patient demand," the group said.
"Our climate is already changing and people are already being harmed," the ACP said, citing respiratory and heat-related illnesses as well as infectious diseases, along with food and water insecurity brought on by altered weather patterns.
In this video, ACP president Wayne Riley, MD, MPH, discusses the policy paper and what physicians can do individually to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.