Climate Leadership InitiativeOregon Coalition of Local Health Officials2010-09-222010-09-222010-05https://hdl.handle.net/1794/1074049 p. "A Climate Masters Guide for the Public Health Sector."Climate change poses a significant and emerging threat to public health.1 Drought, heat waves, flooding, and disease are all exacerbated by climate change. Across the globe, hundreds of thousands of deaths annually have been directly linked to a changing climate, while also indirectly affecting the health of a comparable number of people each year. In 1995, for example, a six-day heat wave in Chicago resulted in 525 heat-related fatalities, 208 deaths from health problems further complicated by heat exposure, and thousands of hospitalizations from heat-related symptoms.2 Public health agencies and organizations can play a vital role in helping to prepare the public for these kinds of impacts, as well as reducing emissions that lead to further changes in our global climate. They are particularly well equipped to serve the most vulnerable populations in our communities such as low-income families who face disproportionate impacts of climate change, while having fewer resources to respond to these changes. In addition to the physical changes that will result from a changing climate, climate change and rising energy prices also have the potential to exacerbate social and health inequities. This manual is a response to those concerns. It provides guidance on how to prioritize and implement the operational changes that allow public agencies to shrink their climate impact, and it also provides guidance about how to demonstrate a commitment to a healthy future.en-USGreenhouse gas mitigationClimate changeClimatic changesArticle