The 2022 legislative session represents a key opportunity to pass bills that protect people from catastrophic climate change.
On Jan 28, health workers will cycle from Seattle to Olympia to deliver a #ClimatePrescription to our Governor and legislators calling for real action to address the climate crisis. And please join the ride to Olympia and help deliver the petition to Governor Inslee! Contact annemarie@wpsr.org for info.
Show your support for health workers and the climate by signing the below letter!
Tell Governor Inslee and state legislators that action on climate is needed right now:
***
Rx: Climate Prescription
January 2022
To: Governor Inslee and Washington State Legislators
As healthcare workers, we recognize our obligation to speak out about the climate crisis, one that will be even more catastrophic than the COVID-19 crisis we currently face. As we work in our hospitals and clinics, we have already seen some of the harm caused by climate change:
Forest fires have increased air pollution that was already causing 200K deaths a year in the US.
Extreme flooding has damaged homes and farms, increases the risks of food and water-borne illness
A massive heat event in Washington took the lives of 400 people in 2021 and overwhelmed our own healthcare facilities.
Serious mental health issues have impacted young people with 75% of those aged 16-25 agreeing with the statement “The future is frightening.”
While no one is safe from risk, the people whose health is harmed first and worst by the climate crisis are the people who contribute least to the problem: our black, brown, poor and Native American communities that bear the brunt of the burden. We must integrate health and equity into climate policy.
Specifically, we ask that you:
Launch a public information campaign in the media, as well as in every public building, bus, and rail station to inform people exactly what is at stake
Electrify residential and commercial buildings at a faster pace.
Help pass legislation on growth management to rapidly build affordable housing, increase public transportation, and eliminate discriminatory zoning statewide.
Transfer funds to low-income communities to help with mitigation and adaptation.
Ensure that pandemic recovery investments support climate action and reduce social and health inequities.
Our health and lives depend on your actions around this legislative session.
Sincerely,