@WePublicHealth - counting down to the election

Classified as: reflective journal - advocacy

This week I am supporting Fiona Armstrong, of Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), who is tweeting as @WePublicHealth on climate and health issues.

@WePublicHealth is a citizen journalism project supported by the health policy blog Croakey.

So far in this election campaign, environmental issues have received very little coverage. Yet they are fundamental to the well-being and future of Australians and the world. Climate change in particular has been described by the Lancet as the "biggest global health threat of the 21st century".


Through @WePublicHealth we are trying to get climate and health issues on the agenda.I've copied Fiona's @WePublicHealth tweets from today and yesterday below, including some from a question and answer session hosted by Croakey, plus a few others.
Update: Melissa Sweet has posted a full report of thus session at http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2013/09/03/twitter-brings-the-news-on-climate-change-and-health-that-the-mainstream-media-doesnt/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
- better than what I've got below! But I'll keep adding further posts on this blog.

I'm not sure if all the links will come through, but this should give the flavour of the discussion. Tweets are in chronological order starting from the latest.

Fiona Armstrong (@WePublicHealth)

3/09/13 12:15 PM Think Australia should treat climate change as a public health priority? Check out this call for national strategy climateandhealth.good.do/act-on-climate 3/09/13 9:53 AM Climate action is key to #health wellbeing and economic security but little discussed this election #ausvotes treealerts.org/topic/renewabl Melissa Sweet (@croakeyblog) 3/09/13 7:37 AM If you missed asking questions about #climate & health in the T-interview w @WePublicHealth yday, Fiona Armstrong is in the chair all week Fiona Armstrong (@WePublicHealth) 2/09/13 8:11 PM Population health expert Tony McMichael says #climate change should be a key #health issue this election #ausvotes theconversation.com/why-climate-ch… 2/09/13 7:15 PM Check out @LiveEcological latest blog: Nature - our health and economic inspiration #business #sustainability #nature ianmcburney.com/blog/ 2/09/13 7:09 PM All marine life to suffer if #carbon emissions kept making oceans more acidic, via @NatureClimate study ow.ly/ofOuP #climate #GW 2/09/13 6:59 PM Legal representatives tell a Sydney court that approving Ashton #coal mine "not in the public interest" of Camberwell m.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/hu… 2/09/13 4:03 PM .@croakeyblog if climate and health links are a priority then take a look at CAHA policy analysis and scorecard at caha.org.au 2/09/13 3:50 PM .@TimRead_Wills @croakeyblog Indeed balancing adaptation and mitigation vital - improving insulation can help and cut costs & improve equity 2/09/13 3:48 PM .@croakeyblog @m_hef no, valiant efforts by small group of journos & bloggers but Murdoch reach and power an obstacle - health shld do more 2/09/13 3:46 PM .@croakeyblog @andydweatherall Currently unrealized benefits 2 health & health budgets tht accrue from cutting emissions - dividend nt cashd 2/09/13 3:44 PM .@croakeyblog not yet but movement internationally eg Climate Change Health Protect & Promotion Bill in to Congress gr8 template to build on 2/09/13 3:44 PM .@croakeyblog not yet but movement internationally eg Climate Change Health Protect & Promotion Bill in to Congress gr8 template to build on 2/09/13 3:39 PM .Thanks @croakeyblog only 2 ask ppl to consider climate & health in context of election - such profound risk from inaction - vote for future 2/09/13 3:33 PM .@croakeyblog Not sure but local govt in v powerful position 2 drive change so this leadership is valuable and can have real impact w/o feds 2/09/13 3:25 PM .@andydweatherall @croakeyblog Hope works, according to climatechangecommunication.org but like much research does not get into msm - need 2 promote 2/09/13 3:21 PM .@timsenior @croakeyblog Absolutely need mechanism 2 create structures 2 support integrated policy - an agency dedicated 2 integrtng climate margo kingston (@margokingston1) 2/09/13 6:12 PM Just caught up with Abbott walking away from bipartisan target to lower carbon emissions. Can get away with it because Labor dropped CC ball Mardi Chapman (@mardidiane) 3/09/13 11:02 AM Good luck to Pacific nations discussing impact of climate change bit.ly/17l4jG7 @abcnews