What do the Dalai Lama, Senator Bob Brown, nomads in Tibet, climate change, social justice and the health of former untouchables in India have in common? All these people and issues have been and are central to our charitable but secular NGO, Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health and Insight, or BODHI for short. Let me explain.

When I was young, my mother and I both suffered from asthma. This was in the 1950s, and treatment was not so good. Apparently, one day, I announced to my father that in the future I might find a cure for asthma in a cave. I'm not claiming that that is any evidence for reincarnation, but it is true that from a young age I tool an unusual interest in Buddhism. As well, perhaps because I was usually the smallest boy in the class, I also developed a strong empathy with the underdog.

Prescription for a Healthy Planet. A report from Sarah Morton
The Prescription for a Healthy Planet posters and brochures have been very well received.

The project was launched to the media on Wednesday 22nd March. Prof. Tony McMichael, the renowned epidemiologist who sits on DEA’s Scientific Committee and Dr. David King, our DEA Queensland representative and GP advisor to the project, both took part in a number of regional radio interviews on the day and during the week following. Many thanks to Tony and David. News of the project launch was also circulated throughout several GP and physician e-lists, appeared on ABC Online and is due to appear in further medical media and surgical news in the coming weeks. The project’s new website http://www.healthyplanet.info displays the posters, brochures and further information, including how to sign-up to receive the posters. It has already recorded 6000 hits from more than 80 different users since the launch date.

Demand is likely to exceed the initial pilot project’s printing run of 200-250 copies of each poster. Some of the posters and brochures are still to be sent out this week, so if you signed up and haven’t received them yet, don’t worry. The project team will now need to discuss where we go from here.
Thank you to all who will be displaying the posters and to all those who helped to spread the word about the project. If you would like to display the posters but haven't yet registered to receive them, please do so, as we hope to supply more in the near future and this will help to guide our decisions. To view the posters or register to receive them please go to the above website or email posters@dea.org.au

Some Comments from David Shearman
All the reactions to the posters received by me are very complementary. Steve Schneider, climate change scientist at present visiting Australia at the invitation of the South Australian government says “the punchline about mozzies and humans is great”. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the WHO’s climate change initiative says “I very much liked the poster and brochure - I now have a copy of the poster on my wall. As a result our educational efforts DEA will have a link with WHO. There are many messages of praise from members of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment.

The poster project has been our first major educational effort. As always these initiatives become much more time consuming than expected. Sarah Morton, Glen Morris and David King have put in a huge amount of effort and all members of your management committee have played a part. Others who are not DEA members have also helped and we will acknowledge them in our reports. Thank you to everyone.

No doubt we will expand the project but we need more help to do this. We remind members that we are appealing for funds to enable us to have paid secretarial assistance to relieve our work load. To those who have contributed already, we thank you

New South Wales Representatives for the Management Committee
For the past few years our efforts in New South Wales have lagged behind those of other States because we have been unable to attract a representative to the Management Committee. Last year Jo Senior was appointed but she is sorry to announce that she will be resigning as the NSW representative as she feels she cannot devote enough time to the position, given her commitments to her young family, study and work. The Management Committee regrets Jo’s departure and looks forward to her help once more in the future.

It is good news that we now welcome two NSW members to be representatives on the Management Committee, Graeme Horton is in General Practice and has an appointment at Newcastle University. Michael Schien is in rural General Practice. They will present a new and vital perspective for our endeavors. Their details will soon appear on the web page and they will be contacting New South Wales members soon.

This is a request to DEA members and to all practicing doctors in Australia to enrole for the project "Prescription for a Healthy Planet". This will involve the placement of posters on the health aspects of climate change and biodiverity in waiting rooms.

Many members of DEA have expressed the wish to participate in DEA activities. We need your help with this project by displaying posters in your waiting room.

You can elect to receive only one of the two posters, or the posters without the brochures, whichever you wish. Please also spread the word amongst your colleagues. Once the posters are finalised we will send out an email that you can forward on to your own networks if able.

With global environmental change gathering pace, and the almost universal recognition that climate change is with us and is already presenting numerous challenges to humanity, it would be inappropriate for us to be satisfied with our achievements over the past year. Rest assured that our New Year resolution will be to work harder.

Nevertheless in the past 4 years Doctors for the Environment has established itself as an organization that is scientifically credible and one that can gain access to those in power to brief them on the essentials for environmental sustainability. We have established educational programs and have sufficient financial members to maintain the momentum. We thank all those who have joined us and supported us in these endeavors.

Management Committee—call for nominations
At the AGM on 26 November, under the Constitution, the Management Committee is subject to reappointment. I am therefore calling for nominations from any member who wishes to serve. Since we were formed in 2001 there has not been an election, presumably because members are satisfied with our efforts. In maintaining an effective committee we have tried to attract Committee members from all states and territories in accordance with the Constitution. This year our priority is to find a representative in NSW (yes we are still searching!) and to have a student representative. Nominations must be lodged with the secretary 2 weeks prior to the AGM, see Constitution at www.dea.org.au item 5.3

International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE)

At present I am in Europe having just attended the General Assembly of ISDE which was held in Vienna. I will be making a full report to the AGM of Doctors for the Environment, Australia (DEA) in Canberra on November 26, but meanwhile I will provide for you some of the key messages that I bring from the meeting.

ISDE and Childhood Health

DEA is a member of ISDE and we pay annual dues for this privilege. The General Assembly of nation members of ISDE is held every 2 years. On this occasion there were some 15 representatives from a total membership of about 30. Each national organization works on national issues of importance to them and these tend to be diverse. However ISDE tries to coordinate efforts in a small number of international issues. The most important activity is in the sphere of child health and in particular the increasing threats to childhood development from pollution of the biosphere with persistent organic pollutants, dioxins, mercury etc. Chemical industries are not under control and are exporting their production and pollution to developing countries. ISDE is well represented in the EC, WHO and the UN on these issues and is holding seminars and teaching sessions on children’s health.