Healthy Futures, a leading health and climate advocacy organisation committed to addressing the health impacts of climate change, will release a groundbreaking report next Tuesday the 26th of November - "Toxic air, urgent action: Unveiling a methane health crisis." The report details the growing threat climate change poses to Australians' health and the direct link between methane and deadly air pollution known as ground ozone – a dense invisible smog that blankets the land and causes life threatening health conditions.
The report reveals the alarming consequences of methane emissions on public health, particularly from the coal and gas industry. It calls for the urgent need for the Australian government to take decisive action to curb methane emissions to protect health.
"Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to climate change. It also happens to be short-lived in the atmosphere, meaning if we dramatically reduce methane emissions now, its impact will diminish relatively quickly. This would have a substantial effect slowing down climate change and potentially allow us to stay below the 1.5-degree Celsius warming limit set by the Paris Agreement, a threshold that we desperately need to attempt to stay under," said Dr John Van Der Kallen, Rheumatologist
The report outlines how methane, because of its contribution to catastrophic climate change and because of its role in forming ground ozone pollution (smog), is:
Increasing the frequency and severity of heat-related illnesses, including deaths
Increasing the respiratory exacerbation and development of asthma and bronchitis
Causing avoidable deaths attributable to air pollution
Leading to food insecurity because of damaging ground ozone impacts on crops
Exacerbating severe mental health challenges from the escalating impacts of climate change, including increased anxiety and ecological grief.
"Methane pollution is toxic. By exacerbating climate change, methane is causing heat stress, harm from extreme weather, increased allergic and infectious diseases and mental health impacts. Reducing methane emissions will protect the health of Australians and mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change," said Dr Kim Loo, Western Sydney GP.
The report calls for immediate action to reduce methane emissions, specifically from fossil fuel operations - REGISTER HERE to attend the launch event next Tuesday the 26th of November.
