Code Green

By Beth Grimmer, 2nd year MBBS University of Tasmania

From the 23rd-30th July, UTAS’s global health society IMPACT pioneered our first ever Code Green Week, aiming to raise students’ awareness of the way that climate change impacts human health as well as that of our environment.  

We wanted to focus on empowering each individual to make small manageable changes to their behaviour in order to reduce their overall carbon footprint, and did this through a number of educational displays and activities.

Throughout the week we had displays on the sustainability of different fashion choices and the interaction with these was great, with students comparing the brands each other was wearing to see who could have the lowest environmental impact.

With Hobart being a large regional city surrounded by such great agricultural land we’re spoilt for choice with fresh produce. We again used displays to push students to think more about their food choices and encourage them to make the most of our incredible location by buying locally and seasonally to reduce the food miles of their meals.

As always, the food related event proved popular – this time the focus was on the extra environmental burden that livestock prove to be on our limited resources – and we aimed to show just how not only palatable, but downright delicious a animal-product free lunch can be. Our veggie patties were a hit, with vegos and meat-lovers alike coming back for seconds!

The week finished off with our inaugural Green Party – green themed of course! As well as encouraging sustainable outfit choices and getting creative with the face paint, we continued our ‘food miles’ theme with ‘Beer Miles’ – pricing local brews to encourage party-goers to favour these over imported beers. It was a great night for all with ticket prices raising a grand total of $634 for the great charity OzHarvest that takes food waste and donates it to organisations that feed those who need it.

It was great to see the involvement of all the students, and was even better to follow up this hype with Code Green’s Social Media Week to give UTAS students even more of an opportunity to engage with, and educate themselves on the effects of climate change on health in a local and international context. We’re all excited to make Code Green Week even bigger next year and we’re looking forward to hearing more about what the other universities have got up to in their respective Green Weeks.

By Hasnain Khan

After nearly four months away at medical school in Australia, I’m back in my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As you may recall, Fort McMurray—the oil capital of Alberta—was devastated by a fire that tore through the city in May 2016. Since Edmonton is the provincial capital, it was host to many thousands of evacuees. Today, however, you would be hard pressed to find any signs of that fire: most evacuees have returned, most shelters have been closed, and the evacuees that remain are now residing in more permanent accommodations while they wait to rebuild homes lost to the fire. Most importantly, and unfortunately, I have heard very little to no discussion of the role climate change may have had in causing or perpetuating the fire.

Like most other places in the developed world, by far the most predominant issue on peoples’ minds and the collective agenda is the economy. That isn’t surprising since Fort McMurray has been the driving force behind Alberta’s (and Canada’s) economic growth. What is surprising, however, is that even the brush with death during the fire proved insufficient to propel climate change to the forefront of peoples’ minds. This is, in my mind, clear evidence of cognitive dissonance caused by the false importance we place on the economy for our livelihoods.

As it stands, the commonest perceptions of our economy and therefore jobs and livelihoods stand divorced from our physical environment. Unlike the pre-industrial era, when the livelihoods of most human beings were completely dependent on the land on which they lived, modern individuals can live in cities almost completely insulated by the effects of climate change. Even when climate change-related disasters—like the Fort Mac fire—do strike, they rarely prompt an appreciation of the devastating consequences of climate change.

Outside of some island nations where climate change has become an existential issue, it rarely garners the political attention it deserves. The result is that it has been second fiddle to economy and security in the political arena, even though it is playing in increasingly pivotal role in both. In large part this may be attributable to the slow and intangible impact of climate change on ordinary individual’s lives. For instance, even though the Fort Mac fire made headlines for several weeks around the world, its direct and tangible effect was only felt by a very insignificant number of people.

As medical professionals, we have an important role to play in raising the salience of climate change by articulating and explaining its impact on patients and communities. For instance, the mental health impact of climate change is yet to be clearly appreciated. For instance, droughts in Australia have devastated farming communities leaving depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rates soaring in their wake. At the same time, air pollution from burning of fossil fuels in many developing countries is causing health issues, especially respiratory illness, in hundreds of millions of people.

By Violet Inati & Tom Mills

Enter: Super cute paraplegic ex-marine from planet Earth, who just lost his brother, and now selflessly dedicates his life to fulfilling his brother’s mission.

But this isn’t just any life mission, It’s one which involves manipulating an avatar of the indigenous people of a moon, Pandora, located 6-light years away. This moon is full of people, well not just people, not people at all, blue creatures known as Na’vi, who have evolved to live off the land. Na’vi that will “Shit you out dead, with zero warning”.

Yep, I know what you’re thinking now, you know what this movie is, your classic Disney rip-off complete with a Romeo and Juliet love story intertwined …Even so, every cynic will soon stop critiquing, and their ticking mind will quiet as they take in the wonderful world that James Cameron created. We follow Jake Sully, ignorant and child-like, making snap decisions for his short-term satisfaction, into Pandora, a rainforest moon, with lush trees towering over its creatures, filled with plants that turn all the neon colours of the rainbow and rock platforms floating in the sky, upside down, like stalactites,. These flora make physical electrical connections with each other, just like nerves in the brain, showing us, how although all different, they somehow contribute via this network to a greater Pandora, all creatures interdependent.

Jake Sully’s mission is to obtain an unobtainable mineral, creatively named…Unubtanium, buried under the Na’vi clan’s home, a giant tree called…Hometree. During this mission, he meets Neytiri, a native to Pandora, and daughter of Capulet, no, I mean another Clan chief, who due to witnessing an auspicious sign, convinces the clan and the chief, that he be initiated into their clan. And so after a Rocky Balboa training montage, Jakesully(his Na’vi name) learns to think about his actions, learns to ask himself, not what Pandora will provide him, but also how he can connect with his surroundings and give something back. And that is exactly what we learn, Neytiri puts it so eloquently “Our energy is only borrowed, and one day you will give it back.”

When Jakesully realises the wonderful network of life he identifies with, he forgets Jake Sully, and his mission. At this moment, we are reminded, that we live in Jake Sully’s world, one which justifies economy over the environment. We will sacrifice ecosystems, existing billions of years before our time, to profit in the short-term. Much like a child would do whatever it takes to get that final piece of candy after mum says no. The corporate administrator in this film represents this so nicely when he so bluntly states “The only thing worse than bad press is a bad quarterly statement”. This is the subliminal motto of all industries today, this somehow justifies our hunger for industrial resources, and our killing of our own people, both directly, in a war for resources and indirectly, through diseases carried by natural disaster. All this for a black rock. Cultures break down, children lose their futures, and people lose their homes to help a greedy man avoid a bad quarterly statement.

By Grace FItzgerald

Last year’s Lancet Commission on Climate Change and Health contained a quote that stunned me with it’s truth:  “achieving a decarbonised global economy and securing the public health benefits it offers is no longer primarily a technological or economical question - it is now a political one”.  In plainer English, we know how to solve the climate crisis, we just need to overcome the political obstacles standing in our way.

In Australia it is easy to get overwhelmed by the political inertia on the issue. We’re a country built from coal, and the fossil fuel industry has its hands deep in the pockets of many of our pollies. Yet groundswells of community support for stronger action on climate change are growing as individuals, families, schools, workplaces and local government areas are proactive in their efforts to protect health and wellbeing. If our government wants to reflect community attitudes by getting on board the safe-climate train, here are some important evidence-based steps it should take.

Set stronger emissions reduction targets for Australia

First and foremost, we need to cut our emissions of health-harming greenhouse gasses. Australia’s most recently announced emissions reductions targets of a cut by 26%-28% on 2005 levels by 2030 is vastly inadequate to protect Australians from climate change. Such a small target fails on the timely and attractive criterion of any SMART goal - it is not in line with preventing the devastating effects of 2 degrees of warming, and does not represent a fair contribution to global efforts to preventing climate change. Emissions reductions targets agreed upon by the Climate and Health Alliance, a network of health bodies and professionals around the country, recommend that in order to protect human health and wellbeing we need

a minimum target of 20% of 2000 levels by 2020;

a minimum of 40% of 2000 levels by 2025;

a minimum of 60% of 2000 levels by 2030;

a minimum of 80% of 2000 levels by 2035;

full decarbonisation by 2040; and

negative net emissions by 2050.

Support the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and redirection of funds to renewable energy

Current estimates suggest that a whopping $12 billion a year is provided each year to subsidise fossil fuels. Over a six-year period, state governments in Australia spent $17.6 billion supporting the mineral and fossil fuel industries.  Estimates from the International Monetary fund suggest  eliminating subsidies for fossil fuels would cut global carbon emissions by 20 per cent; slash the number of premature deaths from outdoor air pollution by 55 per cent (about 1.6 million lives a year) and deliver projected economic gains of around $2.9 trillion in 2015….a huge amount of money which could be redirected towards health promotion and community development initiatives. Federal legislation could see a cessation of subsidies to fossil fuels, and diversion of funding to boost the availability and affordability of clean, renewable resources for energy and transport.

How to find out more: The International Monetary Fund report on fossil fuel subsidies can be found here http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2015/wp15105.pdf

Expand the Renewable Energy Target

We know that Australia has the technological capacity to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030. Renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind power are critical to decarbonising our daily living, our transport, our agriculture, and other areas of industry. Plus, they promise to be a booming source of employment - both in research and innovation, and in operational activities. In its current form, the Renewable Energy Target alone will not deliver sufficient emissions reductions to achieve the targets outlined above. In addition to the forced closure of coal-fired power stations, complementary measures to encourage both small and large scale renewable energy  are required, such as loan guarantees (where there is market failure) and, feed in tariffs (to provide investment certainty) could help encourage investment and research to expand renewable energy use.

How to find out more: The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney has outlined how Australia could get to 100% renewable energy by 2030.

http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/institute-sustainable-futures/our-research/energy-and-climate/100

End further development of coal and gas resources, and plan a just transition for workers

The prognosis is clear - protection of our health and wellbeing requires an absolute cessation to the issuing of coal mining or gas extraction licences, and a quick reduction to in the export these resources. This prescription has some complexity to it, given the need to ensure a fair transition from fossil fuels. A social justice framework requires that the transition away from fossil fuels should involve equitable sharing of responsibilities and fair distribution of the costs: those who have contributed less to the problem should not bear the burden of the transition costs. In order to avoid burdening workers and vulnerable communities with the human cost of shifts in industry and the economy, a plan for a just transition should include:

Formal education  and retraining

Development of economic and employment diversification policies

Preserved access to social protection measures (eg access to health services)

How to find out more: The 2015 ACTU Policy Congress resolution outlines a vision for  just transition in Australia http://www.actu.org.au/our-work/actu-congress/actu-congress-2015/congress-policy-resolutions/a-fair-go-for-all-policies/environment-and-climate-change

Support stronger air pollution laws

Every year, more Australians die from causes associated with air pollution than from road accidents.  The production and combustion of petroleum and diesel for transport is a major source of air pollution that causes respiratory, cardiovascular disease and cancer. For example, the health costs associated with ambient air pollution levels in Sydney are estimated to be between $1 billion and $8.4 billion per annum. Further, health costs associated with motor vehicle related pollution in Australia are estimated to be between $1.6 and $3.8. Clearly, the current regulations for air quality in Australia are inadequate to protect health and well-being. There are strong economic arguments for improving air quality as evidenced by the cost: benefit ratio associated with improving air quality under the USA Clear Air Act. Australian state and territory regulations need to be expanded to ensure the impacts on health and wellbeing are being considered in planning and development decisions. Additionally, improved monitoring of compliance with existing regulations is needed...there’s no point having goals if we’re not measuring our progress towards them!

How to find out more: The Clean Air Action Network is a group of organisations working together to tackle air pollution as an environmental justice issue and putting pressure on governments - both state and federal - to take real action. Their exploration of the issue can be found here: http://www.cleanairaction.net.au/health

Support a National Climate and Health plan

The signs of worsening climate change will manifest themselves in poorer health and wellbeing, putting greater stresses on our healthcare system. Critical to meeting this demand is the ability to plan and prepare for healthcare in a more volatile climate. A National Climate and Health plan could enable the

Development of strategies to improve the preparedness and ability of the healthcare sector to respond to climate threats to health, including from extreme weather events.

Establishment of a national sustainable healthcare unit to drive change towards low carbon operations in the health sector

Development of a national agency with responsibility for coordination and development of research, policy and community education regarding the health risks from climate change and the health benefits from emissions reductions

How to find out more: Keep in touch with the Climate and Health Alliance campaign for a National Strategy on Climate and Health here: http://caha.org.au/campaigns/national-strategy/

By Alice McGushin

It is now almost six months since the adoption of the biggest agreement ever on climate change. On the 22nd of April a record 175 countries signed the agreement in New York on the first day it was opened. Sixteen countries have already ratified the agreement, and with the promise of the USA and China ratifying this year, it is possible that the Paris Agreement could come into force by the end of 2016, well before the anticipated year of 2020. With one of the weakest emissions reduction target and elections around the corner, the pressure is now on Australia to live up to its commitment to a 1.5 degree ambition in Paris by ratifying the Agreement, increasing its contribution to a target that is consistent with 1.5 degrees of warming and adopting policy measures that will get us there.

I had the opportunity to attend COP21 and witness first-hand climate change history. Here is my account of what happened in Paris.

“Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” I was in my third week of medical school; young, green and keen to change the world. This statement grabbed me and held on with a tight grip. I became part of a movement. Over the following six years, my passion for action on climate change grew in parallel to my degree and burst into full bloom at the end of 2015. This is the story of my adventure in the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21); the biggest climate change conference the world has ever seen.

We were a team of six medical students at a conference of 40,000. We came from Panama, Canada, Tunisia, Italy, Denmark and Australia. Our aim? To ensure that health would be adequately addressed in the COP21 negotiations and the final outcome. For all of our tiny team, this would be our first time at a UN conference. No prior experiences had really prepared us for what was in store for the next two weeks.

The Paris conference was split into different players. First, there were The Parties: seasoned negotiators, sent by their governments with their countries’ game plan to grind through the development of a universal agreement for action on climate change. Then, there were The Observers: representatives from NGOs (including us) and businesses, there to lobby The Parties on their take on the biggest issues. Thirdly, there were The UN Bodies. They couldn’t lobby directly, but would weigh in heavily on discussions by holding hundreds of high-profile side events. Finally, there were The Media: who would seek sensational stories in the halls and on the street.

As I look back on our journey, I marvel at our ambition to influence this agreement. We were armed with youth, passion and some knowledge of the health impacts of climate change. We entered the game with very little understanding of international negotiations and the naïve belief that we could truly make a difference.

A ‘typical COP21 day’ began with us leaving our Parisian Airbnb at 6:45, dividing into two groups. Skander, our delegation leader, and Kit, our ideas man and strategist, would walk to the Global Climate and Health Alliance meeting near Gard du Nord. The rest of us would travel on the special bus to COP21 to the Youth NGO constituency (YOUNGO) ‘spokes council’, to work together to represent the voice of the youth. Then we would split again to immerse ourselves in the hundreds of daily activities. Betta, who loved the drama and scandals of the negotiations, would attend the Daily Tck, to get an update on the previous day’s progress. Line, the policy nerd of our team, would try and get inside the plenary hall (where negotiations and announcements took place), or if that failed, follow intently on a TV screen outside. Anne-Lou and Sam, who each spent one week at COP21, wanted to share their skills and knowledge to other young people around the world through presentations, radio interviews and webinars. Above all other exciting activities, we would try to meet with The Parties (through emails, phone calls and politely knocking on country office doors) to talk about the importance of health when tackling climate change.

I tried my best to impersonate a sponge; to absorb as much information and as many skills as I could, and then try and squeeze them out for maximum impact. I would go to the Australian civil society and government briefings, attend a range of different side events and arrange meetings with people who I hoped would listen to me (or if not me then the WHO). I would move from one place to another many times and would often not see all of my team again until our meeting at the end of each long day. When we journeyed home at 10, our day was not over. We still had reports to jot down, articles and blogs to write and the occasional attempt to communicate to the outside world.

By the end of the first week, we felt we were getting into a routine. But of course, the moment we let our guard down, our world was thrown into chaos.

On the morning of Friday 4th of December, Skander and I went to a health event in the city, far away from the COP21 action. Whilst Skander presented on medical student climate change action – suddenly I received a message from our World Medical Association Allies: health had been removed from Article Two of the draft agreement.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time for us. Kit and Anne-Lou were also outside COP21, leaving only Betta and Line to run from country to country in an effort to call on The Parties to keep health in Article Two. I awkwardly escaped Skander’s presentation to trek back to COP21 to raise the issue with Australia. I then joined the rest of our team in a mad dash around the world within the conference. By the end of the day we were exhausted, but excited. This sudden change had forced us to adapt and try out new tactics.

Few countries denied the importance of human health. But when so many other aspects of the text were being debated – Indigenous Peoples, human rights, financing and ‘Loss and Damage’ – not many were willing to risk further prolonging the negotiation process by bringing up another issue. Some countries looked promising, but as we progressed into the second week, the issue of health in the text was not raised by any of The Parties as they battled through the ultramarathon negotiations. Long days that extended well into the nights were taking their toll on all players.

Outside, Paris was ALIVE. The bureaucratic halls of COP21 were wildly contrasted with the impassioned cries of thousands of people from all over the world, who had gathered outside the gates, pushing our talks forward and warning us should we fail. I caught a glimpse of this in a community hall, bursting with people there to see Naomi Klein. She told us that we, civil society, were the ones with the power to make change. There, I also learnt of secret plans to thwart the French Government’s ban on marches. The recent terror attacks were very close to all of our hearts, but nothing was more important for people’s protection than the success of the climate change movement. I tried to make sense of these two parallel worlds: people working towards the same objective, but taking radically different approaches to solve the problem.

Back in COP21, conference President Laurent Fabius called a plenary on Saturday at 5:30pm. We hoped with all our hearts that this was the moment we had been waiting for. My supervisor from my recent intense internship with the WHO climate change team managed to secure me an extra UN ticket into the plenary hall. There I sat, in the hall filled with world leaders, pretending to be part of UN Habitat, hoping that soon the world would cross this all-important finish line.

An hour passed. Still we had heard nothing. All around me people were mingling as if they were at a cocktail party and not awaiting one of the most anticipated announcements in recent history. But I knew something must be happening behind the scenes. Away from my team, I watched as our WhatsApp conversation derailed wildly. The second hour drew to an end. Fabius took to the stage. A few words on the day’s progress and some typos that needed to be corrected. Then, suddenly, he announced that the Paris Agreement had been adopted.

Everyone in the hall took to their feet. We clapped, cheered, hugged and cried. Years of hard work by everyone in that room, and hundreds of thousands of people outside it, closed with Fabius banging a leaf-shaped hammer. I silently slipped out of the hall, ready to join my team and the rest of the conference to celebrate, as country leaders continued to speak well into the night…

The Paris Agreement is not perfect and it alone will not solve climate change. But Paris is a symbol of real momentum and commitment at a level never seen before. Health is in the preamble of the Agreement, but not in Article Two. Regardless of the wording, we worked the inception of the Paris Agreement as a public health agreement into the minds of The Parties and our Observer allies. This process of discussion and the final conclusion is what will shape the minds of leaders in the years to come.

What have you accomplished so far this year? (Be specific and give dates of the events)

I was in contact with the University Student Executive and consequently the staff body and received this in the Investment Policy meeting minutes from 2015:

The Committee ADOPTED the Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP) 2015 -2017...Financial Services have received confirmation that the University does not hold any direct investments in the fossil fuel sector other than a small parcel of BHP shares that came from a bequest to the University some years ago and which legally cannot be disposed. Financial Services are now investigating the next level of investments and further reports will be provided to the Committee once available.

This sounds pretty positive, but due to the Newcastle area's relationship with coal mining, I have heard that the lack of investment has never been openly disclosed to students as the uni receives research funding from the fossil fuel industry. There is a Fossil Free UoN Group that is relatively inactive, but our Environmental Officer has spoken to them about 'barking up the wrong tree' as UoN is relatively fossil-free already, but making this public may jeopardise funding that the university desperately needs as it is a small and poor new uni compared to the 'sandstone unis' that have stacks of money.

This has been great in building awareness of Code Green and connecting different university societies with what CG UoN Is doing on-campus.

We are working on building our page following, and I've created an Instagram account (which is still very much a baby) to share what sustainable initiatives all over campus are occurring to increase engagement with the student body and increase connectedness between the different society and staff media channels focusing on sustainability

Our chief medical society, UNMS (University of Newcastle Medical Society) uses the Commonwealth Bank for their funds due to the relationship the University of Newcastle has with Com Bank (we have a ComBank on campus)

BREAATHHE (our rural health club) gets direct federal government funding and the bank they use to store funds is administrated by a member of university staff and is kept in account by the University itself (which is most likely an account with Comm Bank)

WakeUp, our global health group, receives SSAF funding from the university. The bank they use to store funds is Comm Bank

At the start of SMW we are hosting a free Speaker Night in conjunction with UoN's Global Health Group WakeUp. The event is open to all university students and staff, and is currently being promoted via staff and student media channels. It is linked with our university's leadership program iLEAD, and will have free vegetarian and vegan food available on the night. The speakers we have so far are:

Dr John VDK from DEA, Rheumatologist (from Newcastle) -  relationship between mosquito-borne viruses and arthritis, Hunter region coal industry and climate change

Dr Murton from Doctors4Refugees and founder of Operation Bahati in Kenya -climate change and environmental refugees, a changing environment in Kenya, climate change and tropical diseases

Dr Greg Blyton, indigenous RN and researcher specialising in Aboriginal culture and social justice - how climate change impacts health outcomes of Indigenous people, including mental and spiritual health

Natalie Isaacs - Founder of 1 Million Women - women as more vulnerable to climate change, individual action to combat climate change

Ok. This is a big ongoing project and it has grown so much as more staff and student bodies get involved. It is way easier for me to give you the project brief (it's attached)

This is still a bit flimsy as yet but we are having a Refugee Health Week 2 weeks after SMW and are hoping to have an Advocacy Day based on UNE Aspire Code Green's event. Students will hear a panel of speakers talk about refugee health and will do a workshop focused on writing and calling MPs.

What events/activities do you still have planned for 2016?

Continuing our relationship with Love Food Hate Waste, the Environment Society (NUSEC), the Veggie Club and our Environmental Officer (as well as other smaller societies)

Promoting any events of the other societies we support, such as Bushcare workshops, Love Food Hate Waste focus groups on-campus and a Veggie Club movie night

Pushing for the installation of more energy-efficient fridges in the New Residence college buildings in alliance with our Environment Officer as part of the Environment Sustainability Plan

Pushing for disclosure of the energy consumption of different colleges (water, electricity) to students and potentially create a Sustainability Shield in the Inter College Competition to foster competitive reduction of energy use among student residents

by Rebecca Tuma. 5th year JCU Darwin student

It is almost impossible to imagine my life without a bicycle and I often wonder why many abled people don’t ride. I think the issue is that there is an underlying misconception that the ownership of a car is a rite of passage for an adult. Thus being twenty-four years old and having never owned a car, I commonly get asked why I choose to ride over drive.  I explain that there is no one reason why I ride, but I can point out today’s favourite - incorporating play, fitness and fun into my commute. Commuting excites me almost as much as chocolate. Cruising no handed, having the breeze rushing across my face and wake me up better than coffee on the way to uni and hearing the birds chirping (as long as they are not swooping magpies) are a real treat in my day. There are also no traffic jams, no insurance/rego/petrol/mechanic costs, and no worries about car parking! The benefits to mental health are also flabbergasting. When feeling wound up and stressed, peddling out the worries helps substantially. Obviously the endorphins released through exercise contribute, but the rhythmic motion of the peddles going round and round brings peace and stability to the mind. The money savings are incredible too! Transport (15.5%) is second only to food (18.2%) as the largest item of household expenditure. In Australia the family car costs on average 79 cents per kilometre to operate. The cost of buying and maintaining a bike is around 1% of the cost of buying and maintaining a car. I can do med school without having the need to work to pay for an expensive car, freeing up more time for study and fun. So hopefully after reading this you are racing to dust off the cobwebs, pump up the tyres and get out on your bicycle. If you are unsure how to start cycling – get in touch with your local bicycle users group (BUG) and they should be able to help out with things like getting a bike and finding a nice to route to uni. Let’s together make Australia the new Copenhagan of cycling.

By Isabelle McKay, Second Year Medical Student, Code Green Representative for the Medical Students’ Aid Project, UNSW

Directed by Jeff Orlowski, Chasing Ice follows the journey of a man named James Balog as he throws his life into bringing the issue of climate change onto centre stage. Today, the topic of global warming is the cause of many a- for want of a better word- heated discussion. A large portion of the general public still cling to misguided shreds of denial in the face of an endless stream of statistics and studies that prove climate change is happening, and happening now. With only a small window of opportunity left for us to act, Balog realised that the answer was not going to lie in more numbers and papers, but in a different kind of evidence that would be impossible to refute. Who exactly is Balog, you might ask? A photographer.

James Balog during one of his glacial photography projects.

Chasing Ice captures Balog’s endeavours to use his professional skillset to make global warming a global issue. Together with his colleagues Svavar Jonatansson and Adam LeWinter, Balog traverses the Arctic in search of the best photographic evidence that climate change is a problem that needs to be confronted. The documentary begins as Balog and his team first establish the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), a project dedicated to recording the glacial changes throughout Greenland, Alaska and Canada. While glaciers are dismissed by many as boring and unattractive, Balog harnesses the best of his skills as a photojournalist for National Geographic to portray them in a more ‘seductive’ way.

Photograph of LeWinter in one of Balog’s glacial shoots.

His persistence with glacier photography may initially confuse the passerby, but fruit of his work definitively affirms that that glacial movement acts as “the canary in the global coal mine”. Balog’s team, through installing several revolutionary time-lapse cameras developed from scratch, were able to document the gradual recession of age-old glaciers over several months. Compressing days into seconds, Balog’s photography series provides world-first public insight into the fragility of the Arctic’s icebergs. Laying his photos side by side sets out undeniably tangible evidence that our increasingly carbonised world is wreaking damage that will soon be too deep to repair.

Columbia Glacier, Alaska in 2006 (Balog) and 2012 (EIS).

The documentary itself is exquisitely pieced together.  The imagery is a seamless fusion of world-class landscape cinematography and original footage from the EIS. Panoramic shots scan glacial plains from a helicopter, while hand-held cameras follow Balog’s team on foot through their gruelling treks. The footage is broken up periodically with still photographs taken by Balog or the EIS cameras themselves, immersing the viewer in the process and the results of the project. Interview clips of Balog’s team and other climate experts narrate the documentary, adding further weight to the strength of the EIS photographs. Dr Gerald Meehl, Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, explains Balog’s photographs with a simple analogy:

“Imagine a baseball player on steroids, who steps up to the plate and hits a home run. Can you attribute that home run to his taking steroids? Well steroids occur naturally in very small amounts in your system, but by adding just a little bit to those steroids, you can change your background physical state and increase your chances for enhanced performance. And that’s exactly what happened to the climate system. Greenhouse gases occur in very small amounts, but by increasing that just a little bit, you change the background state of the system and make it much more susceptible to increased extremes.”

By Liam Bell

I will assume the majority of those reading this article believe in the mechanisms and existence of climate change. Therefore most of us can assume three things will be happening in hospitals around the world. Firstly, that burden of certain diseases will increase. Secondly, that hospitals will need to become more environmentally friendly. And finally, many hospitals around the world will be physically threatened by extreme climate change, including the threat of rising sea levels.

In short, we will need to practice medicine differently, in a more sustainable way and some of us will be working in very wet clinic rooms.

The impact of climate change on health outcomes has been well debated and well documented. Extreme heat will cause a rise in cardiovascular and respiratory related deaths, particularly in the elderly. High temperatures increase the levels of ozone, pollutants, pollen and other aeroallergens, which trigger exacerbations of asthma and COPD. Increasingly variable rainfall is also likely to affect fresh water supplies around the globe, leading to increased incidence of water-borne diseases. It is noteworthy to mention that diarrhoeal disease (e.g. E. Coli mediated enteritis) already kills 760,000 children under the age of 5 annually. Drought and flood frequency and severity has also been predicted to increase into the 21st century, disrupting supply of medical supplies and services, creating breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes and crippling staple food production in the poorest regions. This obviously will create new epidemics of malnourishment, to accompany those already plaguing our global society. Medical students are more aware than ever about the dangers of mental health (ALL HAIL PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEARNING OUTCOMES!) and the displacement and loss of livelihood instigated by climate change will stress mental health resources, which are already underfunded in the majority of healthcare institutions. Finally, alterations in climate are predicted to lengthen transmission seasons of several vector-borne diseases and to change their geographical range. One example of this is the widening incidence of snail-borne schistosomiasis in modern-day China.

Secondly, we must commit to making our hospitals as green as possible. There are several areas we can focus on in this “green-up” movement. Firstly, all medical waste in Australia must be destroyed, by-law, via an incinerator or (if one isn’t available) be put in to landfill. This poses obvious environmental threats of increased air pollution, toxic fumes and the need for more land to build giant pits filled with last month’s gauze. An average US hospital makes 7,000 tonnes of waste a day, up to 60% of which is recyclable or compostable. Saw blades, scalpel handles, drills, gowns, surgery clamps, and compression stockings are some of the most common recyclable materials, which are simply thrown away. Adding to this, total energy use and therefore greenhouse gas emissions for hospitals in Australia has increased dramatically. Much of this is unavoidable, due to the increasing reliance on automated medical machinery and monitoring systems.

This highlights the need for continued investment in to clean energy, something which Australia has a chance to be a world-leader in. For a great example to follow, we can look to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, recently voted as the “greenest” hospital in the world, by Healthcare Administration Degree.net.

This sounds like we’re on a slippery slope, and here’s some facts to grease it up some more. The number of natural disasters has tripled since the 1960’s, mainly in developing countries. More than half the world’s population lives less than 60km from the ocean, and rising sea levels and extreme weather events will endanger the medical facilities that serve them. Governments around the world are recognising this, and our own Australian Government has released the “National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy” to partially address this concern. Whilst the document is bright and colourful, it unfortunately doesn’t provide much detail as to how the Government plans to fund and implement greenhouse gas reduction strategies, or strategies to target the challenges to our healthcare system mentioned above. At least the pictures look pretty.

These are just some of the issues that hospitals can and must tackle in the next era of healthcare. Now more than ever we need passionate and brave individuals to band together and stand for a hospital-based response to climate change at a policy-level. If we can make a real change here, maybe our hospitals will be more efficient, greener and hopefully, dry.

Bibliography

Council of Australian Governments, 2012 ‘Baseline Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Emissions’, Australian Federal Government <http://www.industry.gov.au/Energy/EnergyEfficiency/Non-residentialBuildings/Documents/CBBS-Part-1.pdf>

World Health Organisation, 2016 ‘Climate Change and Health’ <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/>

Martin Loosemore, Jane Carthey, Venny Chandra, Anumitra Mirti Chand, (2011) "Climate change risks and opportunities in hospital adaptation", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 2 Iss: 3, pp.210 - 221

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 2016 ‘Environmentally Friendly’, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre < http://www.chp.edu/about/campus/environmentally-friendly>

The Pacific Islands countries are the first few regions to experience the catastrophic effects of climate change such as increasing storm surges, intensity of tropical storms and rising sea levels. These effects will only become more frequent with time. The most vulnerable countries include the low-lying islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. The highest landmass in Tuvalu is only 5 meters and if global temperatures continue to rise above 2 degrees Celsius pre industrialisation, islands such as Kiribati will be underwater by the end of the century. It is important to remember that these places are more than just islands – they are communities with centuries of culture. In the face of rising tides such countries are facing the reality of relocating entire islands of people to prevent the demise of their society.

On 4th of September 2015 leaders of the Pacific Island Developmental Forum gathered in Suva, Fiji to set a blueprint to bring forward to the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015.  The main objective was to make a ‘historic document of a historic moment where the Pacific came together as one’. The four-page declaration outlines the immense ‘distress’ that they ‘see and suffer’ as a result of the adverse effects of climate change. It highlighted that these will well surpass ‘irreversible damage and loss’. As a result, adequate migration action is essential due to the ‘forced displacement of island populations’ that will incur from rising sea levels and increasing natural disasters. Therefore, the effect of climate change becomes one of ‘social and economic rights’.

Whilst the pacific contribute less than 0.03% of world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, they are one of the most vulnerable to their effects. SUVA ensured that the Pacific Islands’ small voice would not go unheard in at COP21. The declaration called for COP21 to limit the ‘global average below 1.5 degrees Celsius’ and to pave the way towards ‘decarbonisation’. This was later achieved at COP21 where 195 countries gathered together in Paris to sign the first ever legally binding climate arrangement to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees below preindustrial levels.

Although the major developed countries celebrated their discussions following the failure at UN Climate Change Conference Copenhagen in 2009, it was the smaller and less represented such as the Pacific Islands that spoke the loudest. This was achieved through their clear approach. As the Prime Minister of the Cook Island explained, climate change was no longer an ‘academic issue’, moreover ‘real life’ and a matter of ‘life and death’ for the Pacific Island countries. Fourteen out of the six-teen Pacific Island countries had signed the Paris agreement to pave the way to a more sustainable economy.

The Pacific islands contribute less than 0.03% of world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, they are one of the most vulnerable to their effects. By implementing strategies to move to a greener economy, the Pacific Islands are leading by example. It can be argued that reaching targets may not save or prevent devastating effects on some of the low lying islands, doing nothing will not stop climate change either.

References:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/01/kiribati-climate-change-fiji-vanua-levu

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/the-science-of-earths-rising-seas/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/artificial-islands-perhaps-the-only-option-to-save-kiribati/7175688

https://unfccc.int/files/science/workstreams/the_2013-2015_review/application/pdf/sed_final_report_presentation_a__fischlin__zou_ji.pdf

http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/09/28/ny-meeting-on-promotion-of-suva-declaration-on-climate-change/

https://www.sprep.org/climate-change/pacific-islands-environment-leaders-at-cop21

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/cop21-the-marshall-islands-and-other-pacific-countries-paris-need-the-15c-temperature-rise-agreement-a6770766.html

http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/blog/cop21-the-paris-outcome-and-the-role-of-the-small-pacific-islands/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-23/pacific-leaders-repeat-climate-warnings/6717878

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-05/majuro-declaration-pacific-islands-forum/4939520

http://eveningreport.nz/2015/09/05/fiji-report-suva-declaration-pushes-losses-damages-issue-for-cop21-in-paris/

http://eveningreport.nz/2015/09/05/fiji-report-suva-declaration-pushes-losses-damages-issue-for-cop21-in-paris/

With celebrities like Emma Watson, Margot Robbie and Lupita N'yongo all rocking more sustainable fashion choices at the 2016 Met Gala, ethical and eco-friendly fashion is nothing short of stylish. We often don’t think of fashion when we think of pollution, carbon footprint, chemicals, water consumption and landfill, but we should. Currently 80 billion pieces of clothing are purchased worldwide each year, made from 400 billion square meters of textiles, a rise of 400% from last decade. AND after all that clothing is made, 60 billion square meters of textile remains on the cutting room floor and three quarters of the garments produced will end up in landfills or be incinerated.

The resource consumption of clothes is tremendous, as each individual garment undergoes a long chain of raw material sourcing, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping (often from the other side of the world), retail processing, wear and ultimately disposal, especially since much of this process involves natural fibres produced with pesticides, other fibres made with petrochemicals and the use of synthetic toxic synthetic dyes. Not to mention the exploitation of minimum wages and unsatisfactory working conditions of the many many workers in developing nations who produce 92% of our clothing sold in Australia. With the rising demand for cheap, ‘fast fashion’, these workers are being pushed to the limits as global brands try to rotate stock often.

Materials: the good, the bad and the ugly

The bad/the worse:

Non-organic cotton – consumes 10% of all agricultural chemicals, 25% of insecticides and 99% of pesticide deaths are cotton farmers, many in rural areas. It can take more than 20,000L of water to produce 1kg of cotton.

Non-recycled polyester and Nylon – made from petrochemicals, non-biodegradable, nylon emits the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (with 300 times the potency that CO2). Virgin polyester production uses about 70 million barrels of oil each year. Also, fibres end up in waterways and are another pathway for the release of chemicals in the fabric into the environment.

Synthetic dyes – 1.7 million tonnes of chemicals and 1.9 trillion L of  fresh water are used in the dyeing of textiles each year across the world. Wastewater discharged, often untreated, into nearby rivers, where it reaches the sea and spreads around the globe.

Imported materials or clothing – a single cargo ship can produce as much pollution as 50 million cars in just one year – especially if it’s coming from cheap clothing production centres like China, Bangladesh, Cambodia and India

PFCs (per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals which are often found in outdoor clothing, tents, backpacks and sleeping bags to make materials stain resistant and waterproof) – these resist degradation and remain in the environment for hundreds of years and are associated with tumour growth, and endocrine and reproductive system harm

Rayon (aka viscose) – an artificial fibre from wood pulp, which sounds good but involves old growth forest clearing to make way for pulpwood plantations, is water-intensive, and uses chemicals including sulphuric acid in its processing

Other synthetic fibres (acrylic, acetate, spandex/lycra/elastane, lastex, orlon and Kevlar) – while not as water-intensive, raise concerns about manufacturing with chemicals and production pollution

The good/the better:

Organic cotton – uses less water, no pesticides, no synthetic dyes, and uses sustainable growing systems that replenish and maintain soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture.

Plant-based polymers – such as Ingeo (from corn by-products) are often biodegradable

Recycled polyester and nylon - takes less than half the energy to produce and helps keep plastic products, like drinking bottles, out of landfills. *However, this still uses fossil fuels to clean and recycle the fibres, and a lot of But there are downsides to recycled polyester. Used plastic bottles must still be cleaned and many of these products are ‘greenwashed’ – touted as ‘recycled’ but actually involves unused plastic bottles to make polyester clothing which they can label recycled.

Hemp - highly productive, easy to cultivate and pest tolerant, so needing few or no agrochemicals whilst at the same time binding and enriching the soil with its deep roots.

Bamboo – hypoallergenic, absorbent, fast-drying and naturally anti-bacterial and comes from a very fast-growing plant. *However, most bamboo still involves chemical pesticides and fertilisers, just in smaller amounts compared to other fabrics

Linen (made from flax) - few chemical fertilisers and pesticides than cotton and uses sustainable farming practices

The ugly:

Animal products involved in clothing are a contentious issue, and products include:

fur (mink, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, badgers, wallabies, possums, racoons, beavers, lynxes, coyotes, seals, otters, bears, chinchillas, martens, bobcats, dogs and cats)

leather (cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, crocodiles, snakes, sting rays, seals, emus, deer, fish, kangaroos, horses, cats and dogs)

silk (from silkworms)

wool

real shearling (sheep skin with wool attached)

suede (leather with a specific velvety texture)

crocodile and alligator

down (duck and geese feathers)

angora (from rabbits)

snakeskin

kangaroo

Leather - The world’s largest exporter of leather is China, which kills millions of cats and dogs for skins and labelling leather does not require species identification

NOTE: leather is not simply a ‘by-product’ of meat production but is a ‘co-product’ as there is still significant demand for leather which drives the raising and killing of animals. The male calves in the dairy industry also contribute to animal skins.

**However, leather substitutes can include problematic materials such as polyurethane, nylon and PVC (from petroleum, and may involve lead, phthalate chemicals and does not degrade)

Fur – the number of animals that need to die for one fur coat varies from six to 12 for seals and lynxes, up to more than 100 for squirrels. 85% of the world’s fur comes from animals raised specifically in battery cages for their skins. 2 million dogs and cats killed in China each year for their fur and this is often mislabelled as fox, rabbit or mink fur. The iconic Australian brand Akubra uses 12 rabbits for each felt hat

Wool – a very Australian product, wool is one of the less destructive animal products, however as many as 15 million lambs also die from temperature exposure in Australia every year

Down –Most down sold in products in Australia comes from China where feathers are obtained from 'live-plucking'

Angora – Angora rabbits are bred for their fur, 90% coming from China, and fur is torn from the live animals by hand or with razors

What is an ethical product?

mitigates the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation  - suitable working conditions, worker protection, living wages

minimises animal exploitation

What is an ‘eco’ product?

Uses organic or sustainable raw materials or recycled and reused textiles

Are made to last, so that people keep them for longer

Comes from fair trade

Marketing misconceptions: Despite many fashion labels using "green" “eco” “recycled” “sustainable” and "ethical" marketing to target "conscious" consumers, it is important to note that these brands cannot possibly achieve sustainable practice when they continue to produce clothing in such high volumes and at such ridiculously low prices. Other companies use this lingo to ‘greenwash’ products to make them more appealing, without committing to minimizing the social and environmental cost of fashion. Stay alert and pay attention to labelling – if its eco and ethical, the materials and processes should be clearly stated

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CLOTHING CHOICES

Ten tips to join the Slow Clothing movement:

think – make thoughtful, ethical, environmentally-sound**, informed choices and wear what you buy

natural – treasure fibres from nature and limit synthetics (within ethical limits considering animal cruelty)

quality – buy well once, quality remains after price is forgotten, look for

local – support local makers, those with good ethos and Fair Trade

care – mend, patch, sort, sponge, wash less, use cold water, line dry, properly launder clothes

few – live with less, capsule wardrobe, have one best style, unfollow trends

make – embrace home sewing as a life skill, value DIY and handmade

adapt – refashion, eco-dye, create new from old to suit yourself

revive – enjoy vintage, exchange, markets, op shop, Etsy, Ebay, Gumtree, facebook swaps, garage sales, swaps with friends/youth groups/unis/community groups

salvage – donate, pass on, rag, weave, recycle or compost

**Certifications to look for: Ethical Clothing Australia, Fairtrade, GOTS (organic textiles and ethical labour conditions)

Seems expensive? If you compare it to ‘fast fashion’ then yes, but ask yourself what cheap fashion prices are really worth - Are the workers getting paid a living wage? Is the fabric good quality and sustainable? Will this garment last? If buying new is too costly even then, go second hand!

Some Ethical and Eco Australian brands (definitely not an exhaustive list)

Cue, Jets swimwear, Nobody Denim, RM Williams, Collette Dinnigan and Carla Zampatti, Etiko, 3Fish, Audrey Blue, (swedish but notable mention for eco jeans), RREPP, Patagonia, Eco Swim, Her, Hunter the Label, Kitsu, Vege Threads, B Goods Label, Oats the Label, A.L.C.H, Bhalo, The Social Outfit, Desert Designs, Moonbird, sticks & sparrow, Topheads Eyewear, Choclo Project, Pink Punk Active, Dragonfly Active, Dharma Bums, Surrender Apparel, Wilderness Wear, Hatha Clothing, Kuwaii, Nico Underwear, Rachel Cassar, Bhumi, Shift to Nature, Thread Harvest

International brands:

Nudie Jeans Co, Patagonia, Matt & Nat, Stella McArtney, Huit, chinti & parker, EDUN, Made, Seasalt, Polly Wales, People Tree, Pachacuti, Osborn Shoes, Filanthropic, Outerknown, Bishopston Trading Company, Gossypium, Greenfibres, Modo Eco Range, Woodwear, Blue Planet Eyewear, Antonio Verde Eco Sunglasses, Proof, Teeki, Book There, Angela Roi, Base Range, Between the Sheets, Lili Piache, Blue Canoe Organics, Reve En Vert, Intertwined Designs, Skin Worldwide Shop, Ayten Gasson Lingerie, Under the Root, Svilu, Amour Vert, Freedom of Animals, Study NY, ALABAMA CHANIN, Feral Childe, Amawaki Lab, Loomstate, Elroy, Eileen Fisher, London Ethnic Fashion by Londoners, Style Saint, Muzungu Sisters, ASOS Africa, Indelust, Sydney Brown, Kabukimono, Laboni Saha, Krotchet Kids Intl, Everlane, Fair Trade Winds, Mata Traders, Madefair, Fibre Athletics, Good Cloth, Sseko, My Sister, Elegantees, Slumlove Wear, Zady, Indigenous Clothing, Nisolo, Pact, Reformation, Ethica, Maiyet, Mina & Olya

Online shopping sites: https://ecohabitude.com/  http://www.ecouterre.com/about https://www.gatherandsee.com/womens/philosophy/

More resources:

By Shannon Lovegrove

The Lorax is a Dr Seuss classic; a cautionary tale of the well-meaning Once-ler and how the far end of town was transformed from a natural utopia into a deserted place overrun by Grickle-grass.  When the Once-ler first arrived in the far end of town he found a place brimming with Truffula trees galore, frolicking brown Bar-ba-loots, and a clean clear pond where Swomee-Swans and Humming-Fish could swim all day long.  The Once-ler saw much beauty and vitality in this place, but he also saw potential for a profitable industry – the soft Truffula tufts were just what he needed to make Thneeds, a “Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need”.  Unfortunately, as with many great business ventures, there was a cost to the environment.

Enter Lorax, who speaks for the trees.  This shortish, oldish, brownish, mossy fellow arrives with a warning: chopping down the Truffula trees for the sake of greed (and a Thneed) is reckless and will have dire consequences.  However, after the Once-ler’s first successful sale, he becomes intent on ‘biggering’ his business and quickly forgets about the Lorax’s advice.  This clever chap builds a huge factory, employs all his extended family, and invents a Super-Axe-Hacker to cut down Truffula trees faster than ever!

There is no denying the Once-ler has great drive, passion, and some mad creative skills.  He even seems well-intentioned with his efforts to continue growing his operation to provide jobs for more of the Once-ler Family.  However, just as the Lorax had warned, as the Once-ler’s business ‘biggered’, the environment suffered.  The brown Bar-ba-loots began to starve without the Truffula fruits, the smog produced by the factory choked the Swomee-Swans, and the Gluppity-Glupp and Schloppity-Schlopp leaking from thee machinery into the pond gummed up the gills of the Humming-Fish.

Reading The Lorax as a child, the moral of the story seemed pretty clear:

look after the environment,

don’t be greedy or hurt other creatures just to get rich, and

don’t buy a Thneed if you don’t need one.

However, I found that a group of 20-something year-old males hearing it for the first time raised a few other interesting issues…

“He probably should have seen that coming”

The Once-ler chopped down every single Truffula tree.  Aside from the fact he ruined an entire ecosystem, this is clearly a very poor business model.  “No more trees. No more Thneeds. No more work to be done” – using up all the resources with no plan for sustainability left all the Once-ler’s brothers, uncles and aunts unemployed with no future employment.  The manner in which the Once-ler Family rolled in, exhausted all the natural resources, and then swiftly picked up and left leaving a trail of devastation behind them seems to be a reflection of our current society’s attitude, and disregard for ‘uninhabited’ environments where much of modern mining takes place.

“So the Lorax is the good guy?”

The Lorax speaks for the trees, and also protects the animal life, making him a pretty good guy.  But defining him as the good guy implies the Once-ler must be ‘the bad guy’, which is debatably a bit harsh.  Throughout the book, the Once-ler reminds us that he does feel sad when he sees the damage he’s doing to the environment around him, and that he intended no harm.  It could be argued that the Once-ler is also a good guy, with a single character flaw that both he and the Lorax are unable to keep in check.

“Why didn’t the Lorax try harder to stop the Once-ler?”

The Lorax pops up a couple more times after his original warning, to remind the Once-ler of the detrimental effects of his industry.  However, his bossy, snappy manner of griping didn’t influence the Once-ler to change his behaviour, and the Lorax’s worst fears end up being realised despite all his efforts.  It is vital that the voices advocating to protect the environment and reminding big powers of the consequences of their actions continue to be active – and not just active, but active in an effective manner.

Hi! My name is Monika and I’m at Deakin University. My favourite thing to do outside medicine? I’d have to say anything that involves dogs. I have a puppy back home in Brisbane, and I love spending time with him and being outdoors with him. My absolute favourite food is sweet potato – it’s so versatile!!

How did you get involved with Code Green?

I saw the position advertised on Deakin’s Global Health Facebook page, applied, and was lucky enough to get it!

Was Code Green your first experience with Climate Change action? If not, please tell us more! If so, how did you feel about taking on a serious with relatively little experience in the arena?

I was actually involved with my high school’s environmental group, which is when I started becoming passionate about helping our planet. We raised awareness for climate change, as well as got involved with local community groups and did a few projects around the school. It was fantastic, and Code Green has let me reconnect with that passion!

How do you feel about Australia and Climate Change at the moment?

I feel that our current government isn’t taking the imminent threat to our environment seriously enough. We could be doing so much more to limit our negative impact on the planet, but things like the Carbon Tax and Renewable Energy Targets are constantly being overlooked and modified, and it seems like any progress that is being made is too slow.

In your own words - explain how climate change affects health?

Climate affects health in so many ways. There are direct health issues caused by adverse climate events, such as heat stroke and trauma. But there are so many other problems associated with how our climate is impacting food supply, water supply, sanitation as well as how changes to our environment threaten the economy. Climate change is impacting so many areas of our lives.

Final statement - what would be the ideal outcome for climate change by 2030?

By Kuhan (JCU)

We all know that self-sustenance is one of the most important principles in being sustainable. Growing your own food is not only healthier; it is better for the planet and thankfully, your wallet. However, so many of us use the excuse that we have neither the time nor the real estate to grow plans of our own. Well I’m afraid that excuse no longer flies. This blog outlines just how easy it is to grow your own little herb gardenAll you need is a milk carton or large plastic bottle, small cloth and a cutting or seedling for the plant you wish to grow.

Method:

Cut the milk bottle along the horizontal plane, just above the halfway point.

Cut a small hole in the top of the lid and put a cloth through the hole

Place the top end of the bottle (with the lid screwed on) upside down within the lower half, such that they fit together without any overhang.

Fill the inner container with soil and plant your cutting in the container. If available, cover the soil with mulch.

Water your plant and place it in a sunny area.

Note that the water will flow from the inner container into the outer container when the soil is saturated. Herein lies the secret to our lazy plant pot! This water will serve as a reserve volume, with the cloth acting as a bridge that will allow water to flow from the reserve into the soil.

That’s it! That’s all it takes! Just remember to try and keep the soil moist at all times, so water the plants lightly once a week. Your newly potted plant should look something akin to the pictures below.

By Angela Zheng

An Inconvenient Truth, featuring former US vice-president Al Gore, is a documentary aimed at educating people on the effects of Global Warming. The video itself depicts Al Gore delivering a lecture with a slide show.

He sees Global Warming as a “planetary emergency” and explains the events in his personal life that made him so passionate about saving the planet, evoking an emotional response in the viewers. These events are an influential college professor and the death and near-death of his sister and son respectively.

Debating the scientific views on global warming, Gore presents us with an array of statistics and discusses the current and future effects of Global warming. A main focus of his is the rise of atmospheric levels of Carbon Dioxide which are currently the highest they have been in the past 650 000 years. He explains that CO2 levels are directly correlated to temperature and that although some argue that temperature has naturally varied on Earth over the years, the current levels far exceed that of the natural cycle. This increase in CO2, and thus temperature, has lead to the melting of the ice caps and a rise in sea levels.

Using real life examples and pictographic evidence Al Gore shows how ice sheets in Greenland in danger of collapsing and how there are shrinking amounts of snow in the mountains and the dwindling ice caps. He proclaims that the increase in sea temperature is to blame for bigger and longer storms and appeals to humanitarian inside each person by discussing the thousands of marine life species that will soon cease to exist due to coral reef bleaching in areas such as the Great Barrier Reef in our home country Australia.

Closing by encouraging each and every person to make a move to prevent global warming, he suggests solutions such as planting trees to consume CO2or recycling. Stating that Global Warming is still reversible he hands the power over to the viewer and leaves us inspired with a new gusto to save our planet.