Summary
Awareness of the importance of climate change to public health has been growing. Calls
for health professionals, including nurses, to take action to prepare for, and mitigate,
climate change have been coming from a number of credible sources. This paper will
assist nurses to recognise the health consequences of climate change, to generate
and disseminate knowledge about these health consequences, to be active in mitigating
emissions locally and within their organisations and to advocate and have input into
policy processes. It is valuable for nurses to understand the health co-benefits of
emission mitigation and the current health costs of fossil fuels. As advocates for
evidence-based public health initiatives, nurses have a role to play in communicating
to the public and to policy makers accurate information, including about the health
costs of fossil fuel policies and the affordability of renewable energy technologies.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: November 26, 2013
Accepted:
October 28,
2013
Received in revised form:
September 26,
2013
Received:
May 5,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Australian College of Nursing Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
