Keynote Address_Gary Cohen_HCWH.pdf

7/27/2019 Keynote Address_Gary Cohen_HCWH.pdf

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Gary Cohen

Health Care Without HarmUSA



Climate Change and Human

HealthGary Cohen

President, Health Care Without Harm



3

3

9 occurred in the first 12 years of this century

2012 2007 2009 2002 2003

2006 2004 2001 1990 2008

2000

10 Hottest Years on Record

Source: NASA/GISS

RUNNING A FEVER



4

4

Chemical Dependency



Revolution in EnvironmentalHealth Sciences

Babies in the womb and youngchildren are more vulnerable thanadults.

Chemical exposure at critical

windows of development canmanifest health effects later in life.

Chemicals can interact in synergisticways in our bodies.

Chemical exposures in incrediblysmall doses impact the hormonalsystem and disrupt normaldevelopment.



Body Burden Profile:Pollution in Newborns

A benchmark investigation of industrial chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides inhuman umbilical cord blood.

Though scientists once thought thatthe womb protected developing

babies from pollution, a study ofumbilical cord blood from newbornsfound an average of 200 industrialchemicals, pesticides and other pollutants in 10 newborns. Of 287chemicals detected, 180 have been

linked to cancer, 217 are neurotoxinsand 208 are linked to birth defects.



77

OBESITY PROBLEM



88

BALANCE

1:1

TODAY

1.5X

# o

f

P l a n e t E a r t h s

2050

2.3X

\

1970s

HIGH LEVEL OF STRESS AND OVERCONSUMPTION



• Making the link between the environment and

health• Evolving the Hippocratic Oath

• Leveraging the purchasing power of health care

• Activating health messengers for broader societaltransformation

• Implementing a disease prevention agenda



Climate Change Framing

Climate change as ultimate

environmental crisis

Melting ice caps and habitat

loss

Energy Security





90% of the structures destroyed or severely damaged

May 4, 2007 tornado1-mile wide

200 MPH winds

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital Greensburg Kansas (USA)



Asthma rates doubled between 1980 and 1995. (Mannino 2002)

127 million Americans are overweight; 60 millionare obese. (AOA 2006)

Between 1997 and 2004 diabetes incidence

increase 45% among 18-44 year olds (CDC 2005)

21st Century Chronic Diseases



The Environmental Impacts of Climate ChangeWill Directly

ImpactHuman Health

Heat Stress

Asthma

Allergies

Infectious Disease Waterborne diseases

Food Insecurity

Source: Living Water International / Flickr www.water.cc

http://www.water.cc/

http://www.water.cc/



West Nile Virus Activity by State 2013 (as of September 24, 2013)



16

Greenhouse Gas Emissions byCountry



17

Health Impacts of Climate Change

“Countries that have contributed least to greenhouse-gasemissions will the first and hardest hit by climate change.” - Dr.Margaret Chan, Director General WHO Data from: WHO 2004



Preparedness andResilience

ClimateMitigation/LeadTransition to LowCarbon Economy

Messengers LinkingClimate Change andHealth

Healthcare’s Critical Roles in Addressing

Climate Change



St. Rita’s Nursing Home

Memorial Medical Center New Orleans, Louisiana

Hurricane KatrinaSeptember 2005



Hurricane SandyOctober 2012

Bellevue Hospital Floods andEvacuates Patients

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/york-citys-bellevue-hospital-forced-evacuate-patients-sandy/story?id=17607625



Kiowa County Memorial Hospital

• 1st LEED Platinum critical accesshospital in US

• Two on-site 50kW wind turbines

• 59% energy savings

• Waste water reduced 50%

“Greensburg … is being rebuilt by its residents as a global

example of how clean energy can power an entire community.” President Obama, joint session of Congress, February 22, 2009



Combined Heat and Power ImprovesHealthcare Resilience

• Invested $3 million in new CHP system

• Annual Energy Savings: $500,000• Reduction in NOx – from 110,000 lbs/yr to 5,600 lbs/yr

• Hospital was able to operate for 15 days off the gridwith CHP



Source: Estimated using Energy Impact Calculator. Does not include effects associated with other energy fuel sources: natural gas, fuel oil,

and district energy.

Hospitals’ energy consumption contributes todisease and rising costs

Electricity: 57 B kWh(~43% of total energy

consumed)

Health impacts(CO2, NO2, SOX, Hg emissions)

Direct Medical Costs

$412,831,922

Societal Value

$3,514,987,379

Incidents Per Year

Respiratory Symptoms 452,561

Work Loss Days 83,798Asthma Attacks 9,521

Premature Death 464

Hospital Incident Visits 420

Chronic Bronchitis 295



Climate change mitigation strategies inhealthcare sector

•Hospitals have a mission-related incentive to reduce

carbon burden

•Hospitals save millions of dollars through climate

mitigation

http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/food/Balanced_Menus.pdf

http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/climate/Healthy_Hosp_Planet_Peop.pdf



Gundersen Healthcare – invested $30 million La Crosse, Wisconsin

“Our goal is to show that we can be environmentally

sound and improve our finances at the same time." Jeff Thompson, Gundersen CEO, Fast Company, May 2012

Total Investment : $30m



Gundersen Healthcare:Community Energy Projects

“Years ago, you would rarely hear ‘healthcare’ and ‘climate

change’ in the same sentence…..we are responsible for thehealth and well-being of our community.”

Jeff Thompson, Gundersen CEO, Midwest Energy News, August 2013

• Partnered with Organic Valley on

wind project for Cashton, Wisconsin• Partnered with dairy for waste to

biogas project in Dane County

• Partnered with local brewery to takewaste heat and develop electricity

• Partnered with La Crosse County onlandfill methane energy project



The strategy includes investing in clean and renewable energy sources while

also targeting energy conservation measures

Invested $24 million in renewable energy (both on-site and RECs)

"These measures will improve the overall health of our communities andreduce our operating costs at the same time." Rame Hemstreet, ChiefEnergy Officer at Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanentecommitted to reduce itsgreenhouse gas emissionsby 30% by 2020





Global Green and Healthy HospitalsAgenda: 10 Goals

Leadership Chemicals Waste Energy Water

Transportation Food Pharmaceuticals Buildings Purchasing



30

GGHH Objectives

•

To serve as a vibrant virtual community for hospitals andhealth systems seeking to reduce their environmentalfootprint.

• To chart progress in achieving measurable outputs, whilesharing best practices, finding solutions to common

challenges, and raising the bar.

• To mobilize health care around the world to work together toward and advocate for greater environmental health, locallyand globally.



IMAGINE… Cancer treatment centers built without

materials linked to cancer

Pediatric clinics free of chemicalsthat trigger asthma

Hospitals with healthy food, fresh air, sunlight...

265 hospital pilots

Basis for LEED for Healthcare

www.gghc.org



Philippines: SPC Health Care Ministry

16 Hospital Catholic system

Mercury substitution

Autoclave waste

Vermiculture

Food cultivation

Trash to works of art



Mercury as Messenger

Seventeen year global

campaign.

Organizing on every continent.

Global treaty signed in Japan in

October, 2013

A global network of hospitals,health systems, healthorganizations and ministries of

health.



34

Catholic Healthcare andClimate Change

“As Catholic healthcare providers,climate change is a moral concern and

our faith demands prudent action toreduce our climate footprint, protecthuman life and dignity…and raise our voice on behalf of creation and the

poor.”

Over 600 Catholic hospitals serve 100million Americans



Mercury in Health Care Coalition Evolves toAddress Climate



Coal and Health Initiative– CHI Goals

Generate a worldwide consensus in the health sector on coal’sconsequences for human health.

Mobilize the health sector to advocate for the phase-out andreplacement of coal with healthier low-carbon sources of power.

Contribute to a broader campaign-- prevent some 500 Gigawatts ofcoal-fired electricity from coming on line--the bulk in India andChina.



Full energy chain CO2equivalent

emissions by primary energy

Source: The Lancet, 2007; Data from IAEA, 2001.40



Health Impacts of Coal

Respiratory disease

Cardiac trauma Reproductive health

Neurological impairment

Shortened life expectancy



Right to Environmental Health andAccess to Health Care



Documents

Keynote Address_Gary Cohen_HCWH.pdf