Healthcare professionals must lead on climate change

Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and unchecked carbon dioxide emissions are the main contributors to climate change and pose a serious threat to human health. This article argues that health professionals have key roles in fighting climate change. By advocating effectively, and educating their peers, and demonstrating how the destruction of ecosystems, declines in crop yields, and acidification of the oceans could reverse recent advances in global health, health professionals can help persuade the wider public and put pressure on governments to take immediate action. 

Source: BMJ 2016;355:i5245 doi: 10.1136/bmj.i5245 (Published 4 October 2016)

Authors: Veerabhadran Ramanathan distinguished professor of climate sciences, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Andy Haines professor of public health and primary care, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK