News from the Secretary, May 2005
Good News for DEA
DEA has obtained its first competitive grant from the Federal Environmental Education Research Grant Scheme.
Our successful proposal entitled “Community environmental education using human health messages”, explained that the medical profession regularly uses health messages to promote good health and a healthy lifestyle. To improve the community’s understanding of major environmental issues, we aim to develop two posters on biodiversity and climate change that link human with environmental health. These posters will be displayed in the waiting rooms of at least 150 doctors (GP’s and Specialists) who are DEA members. The posters will be eye catching and informative and will provide suggestions for individual and collective action. Poster design will utilise the expertise of DEA Members and Committees as well as environmental communication and design specialists.
In submitting our application we recognised that personal responsibility is important in improving both environmental and health outcomes, yet school aged children are the only representatives of the general community who are routinely exposed to environmental messages. We therefore propose to target the general adult community. Approximately 80% of the community visit a general practitioner at least once a year. This large captive audience is representative of the community and usually has ‘waiting time’ to absorb the health messages on display. A secondary audience is other doctors via awareness of the educational initiative and its message.
The award of this Environmental Education Grant is very important for two reasons. Firstly, it establishes a track record that will facilitate success when we apply for other grants. Secondly, it provides an important means for participation by DEA members. Over the past few years, many members have asked what they can do to help. Members can help by making this project a success! We will be in contact with all members soon.
Meeting with Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment.
Two weeks ago our representatives had a positive meeting with the Minister. We were pleased with his acceptance of the health argument in relation to environmental problems such as climate change and indeed his acceptance of the very real threat of climate change. We believe that a good rapport was established and several issues that fall within our Climate Change Policy were discussed. Our report on the meeting with the Minister is brief because it is our policy not to “quote” from such meetings as explained in the recent article by David Shearman and Bill Castleden in What’s New on our web page www.dea.org.au .
Membership Matters
The DEA Secretary and Committee have made a sustained effort to contact all “members” on our list who have not become financial members. As an Incorporated body we have to maintain accurate membership lists according to the constitution. Our initiative has been sustained and time consuming and has involved postal letters to those who joined by means of personal letters to us expressing their interest. There have been only a few responses. We recognise the time constraints on all doctors and we continue to urge you to join, for this will be your last newsletter prior to our moving onto a new membership list of members, defined by the Constitution. Your membership will express confidence in our progress to address some of the major issues that will affect your lives and those of your children.