Looking into Baby Faye's Eyes
Washington, DC —
Eric Lerner
U.S. Climate Director
I am cradling my newborn in my arms. She is 12 days old. Her big, blue-black eyes scan my face and her new surroundings. I nurture and care for her, but if we can’t do the same for the planet, her future and the futures of all of our kids will be in jeopardy.
The news that CO2 concentrations have passed 400 parts per million is an ominous sign for the next generation. It’s a clear indicator that we are not doing nearly enough to address the climate crises.
For example, when the health movement frames energy reduction as a cost-saving strategy, it feels grossly inadequate. When we avoid politicizing climate change out of fear of stirring up controversy, it feels like a justification for playing it safe.
It’s not that saving money isn’t an important motivator to get health systems to reduce their energy use. But with a climate crisis knocking on our door we need to take bold action and do more than frame strategies in context of short-term, win-win solutions.
Health systems need to name climate change as the single biggest health threat of the 21st century. They need to invest community benefit dollars into meaningful adaptation and mitigation efforts. They need to support local and regional climate initiatives.. They need to cut their carbon footprint and divest their endowments from oil and gas holdings. They need to push business leaders in economic sectors like transportation, hospitality, and commercial real estate to do the same. Health systems need to take on climate change with the same focus and vigor that they would a flu pandemic.
As with marriage equality and immigration reform, we can’t be afraid to politicize climate change. We wouldn’t advise same sex couples who seek the right to marry, not to politicize the issue out of concern about stirring up the opposition or polarizing public opinion. We wouldn’t tell an 18-year old Latina, born and educated in this country, but considered “illegal” because her parents are undocumented, not to name the injustice of her situation and organize and fight for the right to citizenship.
We need to respond to the climate crises with the same passion and inspiration we feel when we look deep into our kids’ eyes. We need to act with greater urgency. We need to be willing to take more risk. We need to have more impact. CO2 concentrations of 450 parts per million isn’t a viable option for the next generation.
Heath Care without Harm, an international coalition of more than 500 organizations in 53 countries, is working to transform the health care sector, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. To learn more about HCWH's work, visit our website at
www.noharm.org, our YouTube channel at
HCwithoutharm, and our twitter feed at
hcwithoutharm.
Title : Looking into Baby Faye's Eyes
Description : Looking into Baby Faye's Eyes Washington, DC — Eric Lerner U.S. Climate Director I am cradling my newborn in my arms. She is 12...