Washington, D.C. –(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2015. Today, as part of national health week, the Obama Administration announced new steps it will take to protect American families and communities from the health effects of climate disruption, including a public health summit with the Surgeon General, expanding access to climate and health data, and reaching out to the most at risk communities.
In response, Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, released the following statement:
“50 years ago, the Surgeon General under President Johnson’s administration first warned the public about the devastating health effects of tobacco use. Today, the Obama Administration is bringing the same spotlight to recognizing the dangers that climate disruption poses to the health of our children and our communities.
“The climate crisis, fueled by unlimited carbon pollution, brings with it smog and other conditions that trigger asthma attacks, cause heart problems and even lead to premature death, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. We applaud the Obama Administration for not just recognizing what the best public health research indicates, but taking action by bringing medical experts to the front of the fight for climate action. Even better, the Administration is acting to curb the dangerous conditions that cause these threats by putting limits on carbon pollution for the first time with the Clean Power Plan and strengthening the smog standard later this year.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
Source: www.sierraclub.org
