Body

Environmental Justice

As nurses, we recognize that bold action is needed to address the catastrophic health impacts of global warming, and the associated extreme weather conditions such as wide spread drought, wildfires, and flooding all over world. We witness daily the illness brought on by environmental injustice in our communities; disease from air pollution, inadequate access to clean water, substandard and polluted housing, and toxic dumping. We know that globally 8 million people die annually from illnesses directly attributable to air pollution, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. If present trends continue, the world is facing a catastrophic increase in global temperature between 3.7 and 6 degrees celsius by the end of the century. As temperatures rise, vector-born diseases, such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and lyme are expected to spike. In addition, further global warming will magnify the already disastrous health impacts of fossil fuel pollution, hunger and malnutrition due to desertification, devastation and displacement from severe weather events and sea level rise, all leading to immeasurable human suffering and economic ruination.

CNA/NNOC is committed to providing relief for communities impacted by extreme weather events and environmental injustice both in the US and around the world. We are committed to supporting policy measures to protect, air, food, and water services for all people. We support the Paris Accord, the transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy sector. We will continue to work in our communities, nationally and internationally, to build a powerful movement for environmental and climate justice with the life-and-death urgency the this task requires.

Resolution on Environmental and Climate Justice »

NNU President Jean Ross on Zoom call

Nurse union leaders worldwide demand government action on health impacts of climate crisis

At a late November briefing for members of the global press, Global Nurses United released a statement urging governments to take action against the health impacts of climate change, in advance of international climate negotiations at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

January 12, 2024

10 Reasons to Oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline

Here's a commentary by National Nurses United Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro. With the clock ticking down on a final decision by the Obama administration on Keystone XL, it’s time to update why the nation’s largest nurses organization is opposed to a project that looks more like a pathway to pollution than a gateway to our gas pumps. Citing the threat to public health and how the project would hasten the climate crisis, nurses have been on the front line of protests against Keystone, a 1,700-mile pipeline that would transport 830,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil every day from Alberta, Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, largely for export.

By RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United

Sign The Nurses' Petition to John Kerry Demanding a Public Health Eval or #NoKXL

Registered nurses from coast to coast are stepping up the challenge to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline with a demand that Secretary of State John Kerry provide proof that Keystone will not harm the health and safety of Americans prior to any final decision on the project. In addition, National Nurses United, the nation’s largest organization of RNs, is circulating an online petition to Kerry that will be presented to the State Department demanding the guarantee, and has released a new short video from nurses titled, “Don’t Pipeline My Patients.”

National Nurses United

RNs join Great Climate March Rally in Chicago & Fight Against Dangerous Pet Coke Piles

National Nurses United RNs know firsthand how attacks on our environment threaten public health. That’s one reason why NNU members from across the country are speaking out for environmental justice and joining the Sept. 21 climate march in New York City.

National Nurses United