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.
