Wildfire smoke, extreme heat and flooding are not just environmental problems. Wisconsin health leaders said they are becoming a medical emergency.

More than a dozen doctors and nurses from Wisconsin’s largest health organizations want the state’s next governor to prioritize climate change as a public health emergency. They said recent wildfire smoke alone caused a spike in emergency room trips for breathing problems, chest pain and worsening heart conditions.

Dr. Andrew Lewandowski, a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, speaking at a news conference this week, warned children are also feeling the effects.

"Preterm birth, epilepsy, diabetes, autoimmune disease, allergies, asthma, heart disease, mental health disorders, and even coughs and colds are medical conditions that are getting harder to treat because of climate change," Lewandowski outlined.

As Wisconsin continues to be a hot spot for Lyme disease, Lewandowski pointed to research showing more than half of infectious diseases can be aggravated by climate change. The coalition called on the state to prioritize clean energy and stop building fossil-fuel power plants to help address what they call a public health crisis.

Climate experts said rising temperatures from greenhouse gases continue to worsen severe weather events and natural disasters.

Eric Ido-Bruce, a member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, believes fossil fuels, which generate nearly 75% of Wisconsin’s electricity, are a key driver of the warming climate and will contribute to a worsening pattern of subsequent health effects if not addressed.

"It affects healthy kids, healthy adults, pregnant patients, and our older neighbors. Every wildfire smoke advisory, every canceled camp day, every extra hour spent in an emergency room, these are health consequences of a warming planet and they are preventable," Bruce asserted.

The group wants lawmakers to commit to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. Similar goals were previously outlined by the governor's office, but they've faced legislative resistance.

Meanwhile, these voices also want better disaster preparedness, more affordable energy and stronger oversight of large data centers.

Source: Public News Service