Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON June 30, 2022 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) is extremely concerned by the Supreme Court decision that was issued today to restrict the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to set limits for carbon emissions from power plants. Climate change is already harming the health of millions of people in America and throughout the world. We need to be putting into place policies to help mitigate the harm that that climate change has on human health.
Today’s decision sets us on the path of a potential retreat from our nation’s efforts to curb carbon emissions and address climate change by moving us in the wrong direction on this issue. Failing to mitigate climate change means we will see even higher rates of respiratory and heat-related illnesses, increased prevalence of diseases passed by insects, water-borne diseases, and food and water insecurity promoting malnutrition. The elderly, the chronically ill, and the poor are especially vulnerable to these potential health consequences.
ACP will continue to press federal and state officials to ensure that they are acting in the interest of human health and that our patients and our communities are protected from these potential harms.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org