THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANISATION (WMO) has declared the last three month period the hottest in the history of earth. Warning of the consequences of extreme heat on our health, WMO has raised the alarm on air pollution and supercharged temperatures. The following spokespeople are available for comment.
HEALTH
Dr Kimberly Humphrey is an Emergency Medicine Physician and public health professional with a background in research, policy and advocacy at the intersection of climate change and health, emergency medicine and public health, and disaster mitigation and adaptation. She is a Doctors for the Environment Australia board member. Location: Adelaide, SA.
“The imminent threat of heat on health is indisputable, so I'm extremely concerned about the dire risk that increasingly intense and frequent heatwaves pose to our communities. Through the compounding effects of heat that intensify pollution's harmful influence on air quality and detrimentally affect heart, lung, and kidney function, the toll of extreme heat on human health is unfathomable.
‘’Vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and the socially isolated will bear the brunt, along with outdoor workers and athletes. In this critical juncture, the sole lifeline to safeguard lives and our planet lies in an unwavering commitment to abandon fossil fuels without exception.”
Prof Hilary Bambrick, Climate Councillor, Professor and Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at Australian National University said:
“This is a warning for Australia. The memories of Black Summer are still fresh in our minds, including that intense and prolonged exposure to bushfire smoke. That summer, one third of our country were inhaling the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day.
“Climate change turned up the temperature on extreme heat then, and it’s doing the same thing now. It’s going to get worse, but we can choose to limit how much worse it gets by cutting fossil fuel use. We can’t keep stoking the fire if we want the room to cool down.”
EXPERT
Dr Simon Bradshaw, Climate Council Director of Research said:
“This alarming global temperature rise is strikingly consistent with what science has warned us to expect. That same science tells us just how bad things will get if we don’t immediately start phasing out the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. We’re deciding our future right now with each decision we make this decade.
“Climate change is impacting on our health, our safety, and our well being right now. It is frankly unbelievable that we are still approving coal and gas projects at this point. We must strengthen our national environmental laws so that we are leaving fossil fuels in the ground where they belong.”
ANIMALS
Dr Angela Frimberger, Deputy Chair, Vets for Climate Action, can talk about the impact of heat and climate change on all animals: pets, livestock and wildlife. Location: Port Macquarie, NSW
Ron Glanville, former Chief Vet, member Vets for Climate Action, can talk about the impact of heat on livestock as well as the spread of pests and diseases that can harm animal and human health. Location: Woodend, Victoria.
Additional spokespeople available on request.
Contact details:
To arrange interviews with Dr Simon Bradshaw or Prof Hilary Bambrick, please contact Lydia Hollister-Jones on 0448 043 015 or lydia.hollister-jones@climatecouncil.org.au
For everyone else please contact Jemimah Taylor on 0478 924 425 or jemimah.taylor@climatemediacentre.org.au
