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Daniel Oppenheim is a retired endocrinologist from Portland. Kathryn Bourgoin is a retired family doctor from Orono. They are chairs of the Maine Medical Association’s Public Health Committee.
As chairs of the Maine Medical Association’s (MMA) Public Health Committee and of the Alliance of Maine Health Professionals for Climate Action (AMHPCA), we are writing about a public health crisis affecting Maine and the world: the health consequences of fossil fuel-driven climate change. On behalf of physicians, nurses and other health professionals, we are committed to protecting our patients’ health. This means addressing the root causes of the illnesses we treat. We also have a responsibility to advocate for policies that reduce these threats. Unfortunately, the dangers of climate change are being ignored or worsened by the Trump administration and the current Congress.
It is well established that extracting, transporting, refining, and burning fossil fuels — including oil, gas, and coal—creates toxic air pollution, contaminates water, and releases greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The impact of this pollution, along with the effects of climate change — such as extreme weather, rising temperatures, sea level rise, flooding, droughts, and wildfires — are already harming the health of Maine residents, especially children.
For years, President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “a hoax.” While he has moved away from that claim, he still refuses to take the crisis seriously, despite overwhelming scientific evidence. His administration withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, is pushing for increased fossil fuel production, and is seeking to eliminate nearly all regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions. This is happening just as the U.S. was making progress in tackling climate change.
The MMA has long recognized the severity of global warming. Nearly 10 years ago, we passed a resolution acknowledging the crisis. At the time, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — a group of over 2,500 leading scientists — warned that human-caused climate change would have “wide-ranging and mostly adverse impacts on human health, with significant loss of life.” A 2009 article in The Lancet stated plainly: “Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.”
Even then, we were already seeing unpredictable weather events, worsening air quality, and an increase in diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes. In the years since, the crisis has only escalated. Yet, President Trump’s policies would expand the use of fossil fuels — the very thing fueling this unfolding disaster.
The newly-formed AMHPCA seeks to broaden our voice to include not just physicians but all health professionals in the fight to protect our citizens from the devastating health effects of fossil fuels and climate change.
The health effects of fossil fuels are far-reaching. Fossil fuels are used to produce plastics and other petrochemicals, which release harmful toxins and microplastics into the environment. These pollutants contribute to cancer, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and hormonal disruption. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels kills more than 8 million people worldwide each year, including an estimated 200,000 premature deaths in the U.S.
Fossil fuels account for over 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of fossil fuel pollution and climate change harm vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, low-income communities, immigrants, and many outdoor and indoor workers. Reducing fossil fuel use could save approximately 1.4 million lives over the next 20 years through improved air quality, generating trillions of dollars in health benefits.
Under Gov. Janet Mills’ leadership, Maine has taken bold steps to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. We cannot allow the Trump administration or Congress to reverse this critical progress.
We urge Maine’s congressional representatives to: Demand transparency from the Trump administration regarding its climate policies. Ensure that any proposed changes to federal environmental policies are subject to congressional approval. Protect Maine’s residents from reckless and indiscriminate cuts to climate and public health initiatives.
Our federal government must work with us — not against us — to safeguard our climate, transition to clean energy, and protect public health.
