Margaret McGregor is a family physician, health researcher, clinical associate professor with the UBC Department of Family Practice and member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment’s BC Committee.
Calls for rapid scaling of fossil fuel projects not only ignore the impacts of these industries on atmospheric warming but fail to consider their direct effects on human health.
The journey of embedding of environmental justice principles in health research has only just begun. But it is more important now than ever for researchers to undertake this work.
With two more natural gas facilities scheduled to come on line in the next two years in B.C., it's time we consider the harms that fracking poses to public health.
Biomedical research policy needs to begin addressing environmental racism and justice and expand funded research for climate change, environmental and planetary health.