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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

Historic rally in Detroit — 3,000, led by RNs and community leaders 'Turn on the water.'

Thousands of registered nurses, community, labor, environmental and community activists marched in Detroit today in a resounding protests against the shutoff of water to tens of thousands of city residents – an action the marchers called a wanton violation of human rights that creates a public health emergency.

National Nurses United

Nurses join with partner environmental groups to demand climate justice now

More than 1,200 California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee registered nurses, environmental and healthcare activists, and students on Dec. 3 marched and rallied in Los Angeles to demand that the world’s leaders, now convening in Paris for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, adopt a binding and enforceable climate treaty, commit resources to fund the transformation to clean, renewable energy including a just transition program for those who now work in the fossil fuel industry, and call on wealthy, developed countries to provide resources for the less-developed countries to act on climate, with funding coming from a carbon tax and the Robin Hood tax.

National Nurses United

Council Nurses Urge San Francisco To Divest from DAPL

Nurses from the San Francisco Metro Council attended an San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting to urge the city to divest from any banks and financial institutions who have investments in the Dakota Access Pipeline.

California Nurses Association