News from the Secretary July 2006
Nuclear Policy
There has been some delay in the completion of the Doctors for the Environment policy. At the AGM in November 2005 it was resolved that DEA would develop a position on nuclear energy which would be encapsulated within a policy on the health aspects of energy generation. Work commenced on “An Energy Policy for Australia” at the end of 2005. The intent was to place nuclear energy in the context of all the measures necessary to address the climate change threat. During the final preparation of this policy the nuclear issue became debated nationally when the Federal government made statements for the need to consider the use of nuclear energy in Australia as a greenhouse saving measure. This was followed by the announcement on a “Review of Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy". It is possible to see this Review as the economic justification for nuclear developments in Australia. The composition of the Committee leads credence to this interpretation.
One of the terms of reference is “The health and safety implications relating to nuclear energy” Looking at the composition of the taskforce we do not see any member with qualification to examine the health aspects. Our policy is therefore delayed in order for us to expand our examination of the health issues and coordinate them with our submission to the Review Committee. Two other terms of reference that we will contribute to are “The extent to which nuclear energy will make a contribution to the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions” and “The extent to which nuclear energy could contribute to the mix of emerging energy technologies in Australia”.
The closing date for submissions to the Review is August 18 and we aim to have both our policy and a submission to the Review completed by then. Submissions to the Review will not be published by the Review Committee and we are considering whether we will publish ours on our web page. We expect our Policy paper to be released early August and there will be a press release
Bike Doctor
Users of our web site will have noticed the embryonic section ‘Bike Doctors”.
Ben Ewald the creator of Bike Doctor says
”I am constantly asking my patients about how much exercise they get, and suggesting ways they could do a bit more. In a world where nearly every task has been taken over by a labour saving device, opportunities for physical activity should be treasured rather than avoided. Nowhere is this more obvious than in transport. Walking is excellent exercise, but too slow for me and most of my patients, so cycling is an obvious choice. Few people seem to regard cycling as a viable option for real transport. Some will drive with their bike to what seems a suitable spot for a bike ride! There are plenty of people out there commuting by bike so I want their stories to be told, showing that cycling to work is a perfectly rational choice for a diversity of good reasons. These stories from doctors will give cycle commuting a community standing from the medical profession. We no longer all drive in expensive imported cars. That was a 20th century phase that is passing.
If any readers out there cycle to their clinical jobs and would be prepared to share their stories, have a look at the site, and write something to suit. If any of you are thinking of riding to work, have a look at the site for inspiration and a few useful tips on getting started. Once there are a few stories up there, point them out to your patients to help them start riding to work themselves. Every car trip avoided is a genuine contribution to the environment, both at the macro greenhouse level and the local urban landscape level, so is an ideal prescription from a doctor for the environment."
Are we an “Academic organisation”?
We have an occasional contact from GP members to the effect that we do not have an interest in GP members and that we are orientated to specialists and academics. We take this matter very seriously for to be effective we must retain a balance. I estimate that around 70% of our members are GPs. Of the Management Committee five are in general practice, including one in country practice. All the others see patients as specialists or interns apart from Bill Castleden who is retired. We have worked to involve our general practitioner membership around Australia and the poster project www.healthyplanet.info has information for display in practices is creating great enthusiasm. Please keep us informed of your views on this issue.
Healthy Planet Poster Project
We are keen to get this project moving again. The posters are undergoing some minor revisions before reprinting. We are making plans for national distribution of posters and will keep you informed of our progress.
Annual General Meeting
This will be held in Canberra on 28 October. Please consider attending if at all possible
Change of email address
Some members change their address without informing us. It consumes our meagre secretarial resources in locating them. Please keep us informed.