We are living in a time when the devastating effects of climate change are no longer theoretical. They are real — and deadly. We’ve seen the horrific death toll from Hurricane Helene, with more than 225 lives lost and counting. This is not an isolated event. Climate change is making extreme weather more frequent and more intense, and New Jersey, like many other states, has experienced its share of deadly storms that have torn apart communities and taken lives.
When these climate disasters happen, the attention is appropriately on helping victims and getting communities back on their feet. But then, all too quickly, the attention turns to the next disaster without addressing the underlying cause: climate change.
As a physician, I need to consider the root cause of disease. Why is this patient presenting with this illness now, and what lead to it? The burning of fossil fuels — oil, gas, and coal — is fueling climate disasters and worsening public health.
The good news is that we know what we need to do to address climate change. And we all can use the power of our vote to support evidence-based and proven solutions.
Our planet has already warmed, and we are currently on track to see global temperatures rise more than 3 degrees by 2100. It doesn’t have to be this way. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has shown that if we reduce carbon dioxide emissions by half over the next ten years, we could keep the Earth’s warming trend line close to where it is, triggering real-life climate tipping points.
The Biden administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, aided by the rapidly dropping price of clean energy solutions, has spurred green energy adoption and innovation, raising hopes that we will meet those goals. Here in New Jersey, we have an opportunity to create thousands of well-paying, clean energy jobs with offshore wind while helping to protect the health and well-being of our children and our communities.
Other states, such as California, one of the largest economies in the world, have made enormous progress in meeting the demand for electricity with renewable energy. However, some policy platforms and proposals propose rolling back our clean energy progress. This is not the future most Americans want. In an April survey, voters noted a desire to reduce global warming to: provide a better life for our children and grandchildren (47%); help prevent extreme weather events (37%); and prevent the destruction of most life on the planet (37%). All of these are laudable goals, but none will come to fruition if our clean energy progress is dismantled and oil, coal, and gas continue to choke our lungs and heat up our planet.
Billion-dollar fossil fuel industries and the lobbyists in their pockets need politicians to prop up their industries and continue to sow doubt about clean energy. They have taken a page out of the tobacco industry’s playbook, prioritizing profits over lives. This is no different from what we saw with cigarettes — first, the pollution of our lungs with smoke, now the pollution of the air we all share. The consequences are undeniable, but we have the power to change the course of history.
That’s why this election is so important. One party is consistently championing policies to address climate change and its devastating health impacts. While some politicians deny the science or downplay the urgency, others are pushing for the clean energy solutions we need. Offshore wind, solar power, and other renewable energy sources are crucial to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting public health, and preventing future climate disasters like Hurricane Helene.
We are at a critical moment. We can choose to continue down a path of inaction, where the climate crisis will only worsen, or we can vote for leaders who understand that our health and our planet’s health are inseparable. As physicians, we see the harmful effects of fossil fuel pollution every day in our patients. It’s time for us to act, and that begins with voting in November.
Let’s not wait for the next disaster to wake us up. Let’s choose health. Let’s choose action. Let’s choose leaders who will fight for a livable planet for all of us.
Dr. Elizabeth Cerceo is an internal medicine physician and policy team director for Clinicians for Climate Action New Jersey. The views expressed in this column are her personal views and do not reflect those of her employer.
