RNAO: Nurses care about climate change and will continue to demand action

An historic opportunity to reach a much needed agreement on climate change has been squandered due to a lack of political will, nurses say.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) says the world's top political leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, will point to the deal reached late Friday as a "first step" but that claim rings hollow for nurses and millions of other Canadians for whom the environment and the impacts of climate change are top-of-mind issues says the association's President Wendy Fucile.

Fucile points to the lack of targets for emissions cuts and the fact that the agreement isn't binding as evidence of how little was accomplished.

"The scientific data is overwhelming and the lack of leadership and strong action from Canada is deeply disturbing because nurses know how global warming is dangerous for our health and our patients," says Fucile.

Doris Grinspun, RNAO's executive director, says the failure to act is inexcusable given the broad consensus on the evidence and urgent calls to action from the association and others across the country. In the days leading up to the summit, more than 1,000 RNs wrote letters to the Prime Minister imploring him to assume Canada's traditional proud role as a leader in convincing other nations of the urgency to act.

"It's clear Mr. Harper wasn't listening but we urge him to step up and lead on this issue," she says adding "Canada is a wealthy nation that is playing a negative role in global warming through decades of high per capital emissions."

Grinspun adds RNAO will continue to demand action on climate change. "Nurses care about climate change, nurses have power and nurses vote. Our political leaders must understand that the environment is an urgent priority that we can't afford to ignore."