Dear Councillors,
I write regarding the motion declaring a climate emergency in the Eurobodalla. I believe that this declaration would be an extremely positive step in leading our community into the future.
I am a local resident, rural landowner, father of three young children and local GP Anaesthetist. I have spent the last 20 years of my life studying and working in an environment where strong scientific research and evidence based methodology is the foundation of practice.
As a global community, we have been given irrefutable and overwhelming evidence that we are currently in a climate crisis. Over 99% of scientists worldwide agree that climate change is real and it is man-made. Unless real and meaningful action is taken immediately, our crisis will deepen and lead to irreversible changes.
No longer can we tolerate the mutterings of ill-informed sceptics, who profess their anecdotal experience with the weather disproves the evidence from the worlds most informed and intelligent minds. Whether you wish to believe the sceptics or the scientists, moving towards a zero-carbon society is undeniably the healthier option.
I wish to acknowledge the efforts that council have already made to reduce emissions and become more sustainable. Yes, we are doing a lot, but are we doing enough? I believe that every council in Australia should be urgently reviewing all of their programs and ensuring that they align with the global consensus of appropriate measures to mitigate and adapt to this crisis.
It is my duty of care to my patients to inform them of any threat to their health and how best to manage this. I believe your duty of care is to inform our community of the threat that is before them. Declaring a climate emergency is not scare mongering and does not impose further anxiety to the community. It serves to inform, educate and rally the community.
Dr Luke Mitchell
Bsc (Biomed), MBBS FACRRM JCCA
