News & Media Opinion Pieces It’s time for the health professions to rally around the patient

It’s time for the health professions to rally around the patient

It’s time for the health professions to rally around the patient

Originally posted at Crikey

 

Dr David Shearman, Honorary Secretary of the Doctors for the Environment Australia, writes:

Until now, there has been deep regret that, in an increasingly complex world where informed leadership is paramount, our political institution has sunk so low. Regret that in a wealthy and most fortunate country, the government appeared to sell an intergeneration measure with sweeteners to large sections of the population who man the barricades shouting “but what about me”. Dismay that a liberal, reforming Party has allowed its endeavours to be hijacked into a naked grab for power whatever the consequences as it travels down the destructive path of the US Republican party.

Doctors for the Environment Australia regards a price on carbon as a public health measure, for climate change is one of the greatest health threats of our time. It is a measure primarily to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Even in wealthy Australia there is significant morbidity and mortality from the cardio-respiratory pollutions of coal mining and combustion. A price on carbon is a health measure like a tobacco tax. Perhaps the latter would be attacked if 60% of the population smoked?

All these regrets now give way to relief that after 20 or more years of prevarication, we have a first small but significant step to effectively reduce carbon emissions and to change our consumptive economy and lifestyle into a sustainable one. The Prime Minister is on the front foot, the proposals are comprehensive and should be supported and built on. This is not the death knell of Australian civilisation and industry that some have claimed but a way forward to their resurgence.

……..read the rest at Crikey