FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2020
Contact:
Cara Cook, Climate & Health Program Manager, ANHE
585.469.2383
cara@envirn.org
Nurses Call on Legislators to Support the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis’ New Framework to Address Climate Change
Washington, D.C. (August 25, 2020)— Today, the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis released a new framework to address climate change entitled, “The Case for Climate Action: Building a Clean Energy Economy for the American People”. The committee’s report includes 15 key pillars, outlining policy recommendations and a framework for Congress to address the climate crisis by focusing on reducing emissions that worsen climate change while concurrently advancing economic and environmental justice.
In response to the report release the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ Executive Director, Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM, FAAN issued the following statement:
“Climate change is not an issue for the future. People across the country are already experiencing the health impacts of climate change. Wildfires are raging in the West and hurricanes are threatening coastal Southern states. All while communities are still reeling from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s time for our elected leaders to support a framework that will protect our health, advance economic and environmental justice, and reduce the threat of the climate crisis.”
“As our country works to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must not revert back to business as usual – which leaves too many people behind. Instead, our elected officials can choose to push for bold and ambitious climate action that puts us on a path to a healthier and more equitable future. The Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis’ framework released today shows how we can concurrently rebuild our economy and take on the climate crisis by investing in communities, protecting those most vulnerable, and transitioning towards a 100% clean energy economy.
“Nurses are calling on our elected officials to put the health of the American people first, listen to the growing demands for climate action, and support this framework for action.”
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
