President Obama's newly minted Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, wants to have a talk with the country about climate change. From a White House email sent out last night:
Hi, everyone --During an interview with CNN yesterday, President Obama made the connection between public health and climate change (what he should have said was pollution, there's a big difference).
I'm the Surgeon General of the United States -- which means it's my job to keep America healthy by providing you with the best scientific information available about your health.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with President Obama, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and health care professionals to discuss climate change. We talked about the impact of climate change on public health and the importance of prevention.
Clearly, we all have a stake in our national and global health. Every single one of us stands to benefit from a public health system that is focused on wellness and prevention -- not one that simply focuses on treating sickness and disease.
So as part of National Public Health Week, I'm taking your questions. If you're on Twitter, and you've got a question about the impact of climate change on health -- or any other public health topic -- shoot it my way using the hashtag #AskTheSurgeonGeneral.
I'll be answering your questions via video throughout the afternoon tomorrow from my Twitter account, @Surgeon_General.
Every one of us wants to do what we can to protect the health of our families, including the health of our grandchildren and future generations. That starts with being informed about how we can keep ourselves, and one another, healthy -- particularly in the face of a changing climate.
I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
Stay healthy, America.
VM
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
@Surgeon_General
"There are a whole host of public health impacts that are going to hit home, so we've got to do better in protecting vulnerable Americans," Obama said "Ultimately, though, all of our families are going to be vulnerable. You can't cordon yourself off from air or climate."
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was pressed by a reporter during the daily briefing about whether the administration believes vegetarian and vegan diets are helpful to combating climate change. Earnest said he knew little about those types of diets, but said climate change is a top concern of the president.
