Written by Mia McPherson, BSN, RN
Right out of nursing school, when I was working overnight at a hospital in Detroit, there was unprecedented rainfall. Highways and roads were flooded. The hospital basement flooded and a fire started.
The hospital lost power. Internal communications were down. We couldn’t access medications. I was terrified that an emergency would happen. I felt powerless.
That experience laid bare how much is at stake if we don’t take action to stop climate change – the driver of worsening extreme weather events. Climate change is the determining factor of our lives. This is our reality. If we don’t change course it will only get worse.
After that night in Detroit, I knew I needed to act. I went back to graduate school to learn as much as I could about the intersection of health and the environment. I volunteered time with a community organization, Eastside Community Network (ECN), creating tools to support local climate resilience hubs that are lifelines for community members during extreme weather events. Being involved with organizations like ECN and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments have shaped me into the advocate and leader I want to be.
When we organize as a community, we see the power that we have. Not just in numbers, but in ideas and spirit. That’s how change happens. Right now, I’m called to act.
Today, the Trump administration is gutting the Environmental Protection Agency and the policies that clean up our air and water, attacking climate science, and with the passage of the Big Brutal Bill, funding for life-saving programs has been slashed. Programs that provide critical resources to communities to address environmental injustices. Our elected officialshave a responsibility to ensure that people across the United States have access to clean air and water.
– Mia McPherson, BSN, RN
Join the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and nurses across the country demanding elected officials put health first.
