HEALTH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 2018 WHO WE ARE Founded in 1980 to - PDF document

10/18/2018 HEALTH AMBASSADOR PROGRAM 2018 WHO WE ARE • Founded in 1980 to prevent threats to public health related to nuclear weapons. In 1989, the LA office was the first PSR chapter to broaden its • public health mission to include environmental threats. • Since then, we have grown to be the largest PSR chapter in the nation. PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA Mission & Vision PSR-LA advocates for policies and practices that improve public health, eliminate environmental and nuclear threats, and address health inequalities. Our Values: WHAT WE DO 1. We recognize that the physical and social environment often • Support to physicians and health professionals. determines health status, and are committed to addressing that reality. • Technical assistance, training, capacity-building to members & allies 2. Our work is grounded in science, and the lived experiences of health • Work in coalitions and community partnerships professionals and their patients. • Science-based links between health, environment, and policy 3. We are guided by the precautionary ideal to foresee and forestall choices damage to human health and the environment. • Policy development, legislative education, media advocacy, litigation PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 1

10/18/2018 Video Clip PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA Health Ambassador Program Nuclear Threats PSR-LA Program Air & Climate Toxics Justice s Land Use & PSR-LA will amplify your voice, helping you Health connect your medical expertise to to important health advocacy and social justice work. PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 2

10/18/2018 Bring the Voice of Science and About The Program Public Health to Decision Makers Pick an Issue Area Engage Provide a clear pathway for health Select the PSR-LA issue professionals to engage in policy Directly impact public area of your choice: advocacy in a meaningful and strategic policy outcomes with ● Nuclear Threats action alerts to visit Air & Climate way. ● decision makers, you Justice HAP is for health professionals seeking Attend the Trainings will use your skills ● Land Use & Health to lend their expertise and small portion and knowledge to ● Toxics Dig deeper into an issue advocate for health of their time to social justice and policy area to become a more protective policies effective advocate for the advocacy change we need to see in policies and to raise This program is NOT a doctors-only awareness among the public program and decision-makers about why change is necessary to protect health. PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA AIR & CLIMATE OUR MODEL FOR Health Professional Engagement JUSTICE Listen to Community and Know the Community Build Trust with a Community (Don’t Parachute In) Co-power the Community through Education Community Owned Health Research Advocacy Grounded in Community Experience Media Coverage PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 3

10/18/2018 Health Professionals Confronting Money In Politics S Program Goals: 1. Mitigate health harming emissions by reducing toxic air emissions at the source and ensure that state climate policies are health protective and based on equity principles; 1. Build climate resiliency in Los Angeles’s most vulnerable communities, including in South LA, in order to protect against the health impacts of climate change communities in order to protect against the health impacts of climate change; 1. Ensure a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuel based economy to a 100% renewable energy economy. PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA ACJ Health Ambassador Goals What comes to mind when you For each of you to leave here: think of 1. Feeling connected to the broader issue of air quality & climate change; 2. Understanding the important role you can play in solving these Poor Air Quality vs. Climate problems; and 3. Equipped to engage meaningfully in the social justice-based vision of Change? the policy change necessary to improve people’s lives. During the year, each of you will: 1. Participate in at least two engagement opportunities. 2. Become strong advocates for environmental justice communities! PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 4

10/18/2018 We experience the two in different But the sources are the same; ways. Fossil fuels are the Poor Air Quality Climate Change connecting link! Impact: Local or regional Impact: Global Health effects: Asthma, Health effects: Deaths related to Pollutant Contribution To Source headaches, dizziness, extreme weather, vector-borne Carbon Dioxide Climate Change Combustion of fossil fuels Particulate Matter Poor Air Quality Wood and fossil fuel burning premature death disease Sulfur dioxide Poor Air Quality Combustion of fossil fuels, cement manufacturing Methane* Climate Change Oil and gas production, landfills, cattle farming PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA Toxic air Connecting Air Pollution & Climate pollutants and Change greenhouse gases are often released together. We call these co-pollutants. PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 5

10/18/2018 Fossil Fuels: The Main Culprit for Air What does this look like in Los Angeles? Pollution and Climate Change ● The entire lifecycle of oil & gas from extraction, production, refining, transport and consumption is dirty. It involved toxic chemicals and health-harming air pollutants , while also increasing heat- trapping greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere. ● Solution: transition off of oil/gas to clean and renewable energy . Clean the air, PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA cool the planet! 6

10/18/2018 Health Impacts of Poor Air Quality IMPACTS Air Pollution Health Risks OF LA’s • Premature death LETHAL • Asthma attacks • Heart attacks, strokes AIR • Worsening of pulmonary & cardiovascular diseases • Hospital and emergency room admissions Source: “The • Stunted lung growth Benefits of Meeting Clean Air Standards in the South Coast and San Joaquin PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA Valley Air Basins” (Hall et Deaths from air pollution in perspective... Each day, on average, 8 people die, 5 children are taken for an asthma-related ER visit, and 3,000 children miss school, 1,090 people miss work, and 8 people have non-fatal heart attacks because of the ongoing failure in the South Coast Air Basin to meet federal clean air standards for ozone (smog) and particulate matter. Died in car accidents (2006) Died from PM2.5 (2006) Los Angeles 801 1,720 South Coast Air Basin 1,747 3,000 PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 7

10/18/2018 What are we doing about this? Take Action! 1. PSR-LA membership 2. Don’t Mourn, Organize! TBD 3. Take the STAND-L.A. Pledge 4. Learn to advocate PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY-LA 8