Approach |
Adaptation |
Approach modeled around accepting and responding to definite current and/or future climate change impacts |
Mitigation |
Approach attempts to reduce rate and extent of as-yet-unrealized climate change by curbing carbon footprint |
|
Motive |
Political |
Driven to action by presence and/or absence of political will regarding climate change |
Ethical |
Driven to action by ethical imperative of climate change |
Health trends |
Driven to action by current and/or future health impacts of climate change |
Economic |
Driven to action by economic consequences of climate change |
|
Pathology |
Infectious/vector-borne disease |
Increased rate and morbidity of infectious, vector-borne, or other communicable disease caused by climate change |
Food |
Food system compromise, soil erosion/infertility, malnutrition or other food-related issue associated with climate change |
Water |
Drought, freshwater shortage, groundwater salination, aquifer depletion or other water-related issue associated with climate change |
Housing/sanitation |
Insufficient, destroyed or otherwise hazardous housing and sanitation caused by climate change |
Extreme weather |
Extreme heat, rainfall, hurricanes or other extreme weather event aligned with climate change |
Migration |
Domestic/international relocation, civil unrest or displacement resulting from climate change |
Air pollution |
Particulate matter and airborne toxins caused by industrial processes that induce climate change |
Mental health |
Anxiety, depression, addiction and other psychological ailments resulting from climate change impacts |
|
Profession |
M.D. |
Primary authorship by medical doctor |
Nurses |
Primary authorship by nurse |
Non-M.D. medical academics |
Primary authorship by medical academic e.g. anthropologist, ethicist |
Environmental/public health |
Primary authorship by environmental or public health practitioner |
Administrators/lawyers |
Primary authorship by administrators, lawyers or clerical |
Students |
Primary authorship by medical student |
|
Role |
Leadership role |
Health care should own, shape and promote best practice for addressing climate change, fully characterizing it as a health care concern |
Proactive role |
Health care should zealously implement best practice for addressing climate change, going above and beyond existing prescriptions and mandates |
Conformative role |
Health care should comply with existing prescriptions and mandates for addressing climate change |
Passive/no role |
Health care should take no action to address climate change |
|
Region |
South |
AL, AR, DE, FL, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, DC, WV |
Northeast |
CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT |
Midwest |
IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI |
West |
AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY |
|
Sector |
Energy |
Reduce carbon footprint via alternative energy sourcing/energy reduction |
Food |
Reduce carbon footprint of food consumed |
Water |
Reduce carbon footprint of water utilization |
Waste |
Reduce carbon footprint from waste generation/disposal |
Infrastructure |
Reduce carbon footprint from buildings and static infrastructure |
Transport |
Reduce carbon footprint from related transport |
|
Partnerships |
None |
Health care has no need to respond to climate change |
Public |
Health care should respond to climate change partnered with government/public entities |
For-profit private |
Health care should respond to climate change partnered with private, for-profit entities |
Non-profit private |
Health care should respond to climate change partnered with private, non-profit entities |
Health care only |
Health care should respond to climate change independently |
|
Strategy |
Education |
Education of professionals, public can/does help health care address climate change |
Advocacy |
Publicly highlighting risk, and supporting efforts/organizations reducing carbon can/does help health care address climate change |
Technology |
Technological solutions and innovation can/does help health care address climate change |
Legislation |
Lobbying for, and shaping, legislative initiatives can/does help health care address climate change |
Behavior |
Behavior change programs can/do help health care address climate change |