Leaders see hope in tackling deadly climate change and public health problems together
Associated PressNEW YORK — Trying to lessen climate change’s sweeping impact, experts are hoping that attempts to improve the sputtering global public health system and sometimes-stalled efforts to curb global warming through collaboration can combine — and create a better system for handling the problem along the way. Leaders of both the World Health Organization and the upcoming climate negotiations said Monday that for the first time, they are going to devote a day during December climate talks to public health issues. “Climate change is killing us, and climate change is a health crisis,” said Vanessa Kerry, the World Health Organization’s special envoy for health and climate change, CEO of Seed Global Health and the daughter of U.S. climate envoy John Kerry. “At the heart of the fight against climate change is the need for adequate resources,” Chakwera said at Monday’s climate and health session. “That,” he said, “is in no way acceptable or enough.” Maybe talking about lives that can be saved by spending more money on adapting to a warmer world — but also cutting back on carbon emissions — is a positive message that could change the way negotiators and leaders think about fighting climate change, said Maria Neira, the WHO director of climate change, environment and health.