Monthly Newsletter
APRIL 2021
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In this issue:
Welcome & Announcements | Action Alert | Educate, Empower, Engage | This Month's Checklist | Friday Note's Summary | Upcoming Dates & Events
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WELCOME
Greetings! We're excited to share some great resources and let you know about a few events you won't want to miss. Happy reading!
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Announcements
Our next meeting will be held March 26th from 12 to 1 pm EST on our new Zoom line! Meeting password: 123
Lisa DelBuono will present at our March Meeting.
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Lisa will do a quick overview of MIT's En-ROADS global climate action simulator which allows one to evaluate different methods of reducing emissions and their macroeconomic effects.
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Action Alert!
Write postcards to President Biden asking him to include carbon pricing in any comprehensive package of climate legislation.
Check out this video for instructions or
Join CCL’s Great Lakes Region Postcard Writing Party on this Zoom line either
Thursday at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT or Friday at 3 pm ET/2 pm CT
to walk through how to use the MyPostcard app or website.
Passcode: 123
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Action Alert!
We have a tremendous opportunity to affect hospitals arounds the Great Lakes Region by inviting administrators, Board members, and sustainability officers from your healthcare system to our next Decarbonizing Healthcare webinar on April 27 @ 7:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm CT (see flyer).
Here is a sample email to get you started.
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Thank you to MiCCA member, Nan Barbas, for volunteering her time and leading MiCCA's Readers Group!
After over 30 years in her profession as a clinical neurologist, researcher and educator, mostly at the University of Michigan, Nan’s retirement has led her to engage in one of her passions, advocating for the environment and climate health. Relatively new to the science and policy of environmental action, Nan joined CCL and MiCCA. She hopes others will join her by coming together in a newly forming “Reader’s Group”, to expand environmental literacy and fluency with fellow MiCCA members (or anyone interested, for that matter!).
Thank you Nan for your work towards the development and success of MiCCA.
Please join us tomorrow, Friday April 9th, at 12pm-1pm EST for the inaugural meeting of the MiCCA Readers Group on our new Zoom link.
Password: 123.
Enjoy a 'first read" here and here!
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Educate
Great Lakes Regional Webinar #4, "Decarbonizing Healthcare" April 27 @ 7PM EST: MiCCA will be hosting the fourth edition of the Great Lakes Webinar series!
Please join us and our esteemed panelists:
- Dr. Jeff Thompson: Former CEO for Gundersen Health, who was instrumental in their system's success in decreasing their carbon footprint, becoming energy independent, and making it into a model for sustainability and profitability.
- Dr. Aparna Bole: Associate professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University and co-chair of the boards of Practice Greenhealth and Healthcare Without Harm who was instrumental in designing the ambulatory UH Rainbow and Babies Clinic.
- Dr. Laura Donohue: Current internal medicine resident at Northwestern University and a recent graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School where she led research on carbon emissions associated with vaginal speculums and travel for residency interviews.
Please ask board members, Chief Medical Officers, and Sustainability officers in your healthcare system to join us.
A sample email can be found here.
Click here to register for April 27th!
'When Texas Freezes Over': Artic Conditions in U.S. show Climate Change", an op-ed by MiCCA's Executive Director Lisa DelBuono and Mark Renyolds.
Racism as a Motivator for Climate Justice by Dr. Mark Mitchell, the State Affairs Director for The Medical Society Consortium on Climate Health.
Lisa DelBuono's interview with WEMU: Issues Of The Environment: A Carbon-Fee Plan To Address The Climate Crisis.
MiCCA signed onto the letter from Michigan Climate-Oriented NGOs about UM Carbon Neutrality Recommendations, read it here and check out Dr. Larry Juncks short presentation he did on the topic at our March monthly meeting here.
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Empower
Please remember to send post cards to President Biden ASAP, refer to the action alert above for instructions, CCL Writing Party links, and an example!
Mi Air Mi Health is asking for help writing some letters or sending emails to Members on the State House Energy Committee, the Speaker of the House, the Democratic Leader and the Governor, urging them to support House Bill 4236. This bill will remove the 1% Cap that limits the number of solar installations that the utilities are required to connect to the electric grid. If this Cap is not removed, once the utilities hit this Cap, they are no longer legally obligated to connect new small scale solar systems to the grid.
Here are 3 documents that will help you if you choose to participate:
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expanding their Division of Environmental Health in order to better serve the people of Michigan. Here are two openings we have been made aware of so far:
Check out Michigan Environmental Council’s Friday webinars “Capitol Connections” to learn more about what is happening in the State legislation - Check topics here!
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Engage
Are you seeking to improve your health and climate literacy and fluency? Whether you are newly entering the health-climate discussion or are a veteran looking for that deeper dive, we value your input on how to read together and enhance the process of becoming better informed activists. Join us tomorrow, Friday April 9th at 12pm-1pm EST for the first MiCCA Readers Group! Zoom link here. Password:123.
All are welcome.
The Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health will once again hold the Annual Meeting virtually via Zoom on May 21-23, 24 and 25, 2021. The theme for this year’s meeting is The Medical Promise of Climate Solutions: Moving to Action for Health and Equity. Take a look at the schedule here, registration is open! Please note we will lobby our Members of Congress on May 25!
MiCAN will be joining their Summit with the Michigan Clean Energy Conference for one big virtual climate event on May 24 - 27! They will be bringing together terrific speakers, national leaders, and hundreds of Michigan climate and justice activists and organizations for plenary and networking sessions so we can move forward as a stronger force for climate action. Discounted early bird tickets are on sale until April 23rd, register here!
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- Send President Biden a postcard asking him to include carbon pricing in any comprehensive package of climate legislation (see action alert above).
- Invite board members, Chief Medical Officers, and Sustainability officers from your respective healthcare systems to join us for the April 27 Decarbonizing Healthcare webinar, a sample email can be found here!
- Sign on to hold President Biden accountable to his promise of listening to scientists and support him in moving swiftly to make the United States a leader on climate action.
- Please sign: Michigan Public Service Commissioners (MPSC) will decide whether or not to consider the impacts of climate change in their review of Enbridge's proposed Line 5 oil tunnel.
- Check out MEC's "Capitol Connections" webinar series here.
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Friday Notes Summary
Follow this link to see the notes from the 3/26/2021 meeting, which summarize information shared about the committees and their goals and members as well as upcoming events and information to have on your radar.
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Upcoming Dates & Events
- April 9th 3:00pm ET Webinar: Join the Consortium and two leading experts for a webinar on access to renewable energy and energy efficiency for frontline and environmental justice communities. Speakers will include: Rahwa Ghirmatzion, Executive Director of People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo) and Chris Walker of GRID Alternatives. Register here and please share widely!
- April 15, 12PM EST: Learn more about how enacting clean energy and transportation policies can drive the public health conversation forward improving these disparities with Mi Air Mi Health. Please RSVP to Kindra Weid at Kindra@miairmihealth.org if you would like to attend.
- April 27th, 7:00 PM EST: Great Lakes Webinar #4 - "Decarbonizing Healthcare" , hosted by MiCCA.
- May 21-25: MSCCH Annual Meeting.
- May 24-27: MiCAN Summit.
- May 25, 7:00 PM EST: Great Lakes Webinar #5 - "Social Determinant of Health and Environmental Justice", hosted by Illinois Clinicians for Climate Action.
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"Covid-19 has forced the world to pause and take stock, providing us with a unique opportunity to make changes that will benefit the planet and all the people on it. Climate change poses an imminent and serious threat to the health of the world’s population. We are calling on governments to make sure that pollution levels do not return to previous levels, so that our children and grandchildren will be able to grow up healthily in a liveable and sustainable climate. Only by investing in both healthcare and the environment can we create a sustainable future".
-Annette Kennedy, president of the International Council of Nurses
May 26, 2020
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The purpose of this newsletter is to keep us on the same page between meetings and serve as a resource for this community. If there is anything you would like to include (upcoming events, a riveting climate health article, or something to add to the announcements), please do not hesitate to reach out to Ellie or submit suggestions to this google form. |
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