Burnie doctors chase a stable climate future

Tasmanian doctors are holding a free screening of award winning film ‘Chasing Ice’ this Thursday night (7th November) at 6.15pm the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus.

The screening, which is supported by the Tasmanian Government through the Tasmanian Climate Action Council’s sponsorship program, depicts dramatic and stunningly beautiful images of evidence that global warming is proceeding at an unprecedented rate.

‘Chasing Ice’ tells the story of acclaimed environmental photographer and previous climate skeptic James Balog’s daring assignment across the Arctic Circle for National Geographic magazine. After himself discovering undeniable evidence of our warming planet, Balog took a group of young adventurers across the Arctic region deploying time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of melting glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice as they disappear at an alarming rate.

Audiences are invited to arrive at 6.15pm at the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus for a 6.30pm start to the film.

There will be free dinner for the audience on offer, as well as some excellent lucky door prizes including Paul Gilding’s motivational and hopeful book, ‘The Great Disruption’.

The event has been organised by the Tasmanian branch of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA), a non-profit medical organsation that aims to protect human health through care of the environment.

“Unchecked climate change has been recognised by the World Health Organisation and peak medical journals and experts as one of the greatest threats to human health of the 21st century.” commented DEA Tasmanian representative Dr Rohan Church.

“Addiction to fossil fuels is perhaps the most deadly of human addictions. If Australia and the world is unable to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, health impacts around the world will be severe and largely untreatable.”

The World Health Organisation estimates that over 150 000 deaths have occurred due to climate change since 1997, and that millions of lives will be threatened by rising sea levels, food and water shortages, and a resurgence of vector borne diseases. Human health in Australia will also likely be threatened through more frequent and severe bushfires, altered weather patterns and the southward spread of some infectious diseases such as dengue fever.

“This movie is both incredibly beautiful and motivating – it is a call to arms for individuals, communities and governments to work harder to protect human health through preventing dangerous climate change.” said Dr Rohan Church.

DEA is a national, independent, self-funded, non-government, medical organisation
Dr Rohan Church Doctors for the Environment Australia – Tasmania