III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 509 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 9, 2008 Mr. Sanders (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Leahy, and Mr. Nelson of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions RESOLUTION Recognizing the week of April 7, 2008, to April 13, 2008, as National Public Health Week.

Whereas the week of April 7th, 2008, is National Public Health Week, and the theme is “Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance”; Whereas, since 1996, the American Public Health Association, through its sponsorship of National Public Health Week, has educated the public, policy-makers, and public health professionals about issues important to improving the public’s health; Whereas, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change is a significant and emerging threat to public health and the WHO estimates that human-induced changes in the Earth’s climate lead to at least 5,000,000 cases of illness and more than 150,000 deaths each year; Whereas, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change contributes to the global burden of disease, premature death, and other adverse health impacts due to extreme weather events and changes in infectious disease patterns, air quality, quality and quantity of water and food, ecosystem changes, and economic impacts; Whereas, according to the IPCC, the United States will be challenged by increased heat waves, air pollution, and forest fires during the course of the century, with potential risk for adverse health impacts, such as heat stress and increases in asthma, allergies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Whereas the Director of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Julie Gerberding, testified, in October 2007, that, Climate change is anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of Americans and the Nation’s public health infrastructure; Whereas, according to the World Health Organization, the negative public health impacts of climate change will likely disproportionately impact communities that are already vulnerable; Whereas these communities include developing countries, young children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses or otherwise compromised health, people in underserved communities, communities of color, traditional societies, subsistence farmers, and coastal populations; Whereas it is estimated that more than 900,000,000 people worldwide live in slum-like conditions and are particularly vulnerable to the possible health impacts of climate change due to a lack of access to health care, sanitation, and vulnerability to displacement; Whereas future vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change will depend not only on the degree of climate change the Earth experiences, but also on development and adaptation measures; and Whereas the public health system will be a first-line responder to emergency conditions related to impacts of climate change and plays a key role in informing, educating, and empowering local communities: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes National Public Health Week; (2)recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, first responders, States, municipalities, and local communities to incorporate measures to adapt health care systems to address impacts of climate change; (3)recognizes the role of adaptation in preventing impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities, the potential for improvement of health status and health equity through efforts to address climate change, and the need to include health policy in the development of climate responses; (4)encourages further research, interdisciplinary partnership, and collaboration between stakeholders to understand and monitor the health impacts of climate change, for preparedness activities and for improvement of health care infrastructure; and (5)encourages each and every American to learn about the impacts of climate change on health.