Hello Ontario Nurses for the Environment,
Here is what is in this email:
- Fall Newsletter
- Rescind Bill 212 Healthcare workers Open Letter (Ripping out bike lanes and building highways on protected wetlands for developer profits)
- Nov 28th - Radon Risk in the Perinatal Period: An Online Learning Module and Assessment Tool (Partnered with CANE)
- December 3rd - Greening nursing school Community of Practice
- December 19th Quarterly
- How to get more involved!
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Fall Newsletter
Check out our Fall Newsletter! There is tons of content from all over the province. Thanks to our amazing editor NP Cailin Doyle for putting it together and all the nurses who contributed articles! Check it out here.
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Sign the Rescind Bill 212 Open Letter
This week the Ford Government passed Bill 212 despite a lot of vocal opposition. The bill mandates the removal of certain high-traffic bike lanes in Toronto and challenges the creation of more throughout the province. It fast-tracks building the controversial Highway 413 without an environmental impact assessment, of which land developers who are PC party donors stand to make large profits.
This bill as it represents a direct threat to the health of Ontarians. The evidence is clear that bike lanes save lives and prevent morbidity. Removing bike lanes will lead to increased injury, death, and health care utilization of our already overworked system. Moreover, both the removal of bike lanes and the construction of Highway 413 will worsen the impacts of climate change, the number one threat to human health in the 21st century. Finally, bike lanes promote active transportation which helps improve population fitness and prevent chronic disease. The evidence shows that removing bike lanes and highway construction will not improve congestion, but will clearly worsen human health. Doug Ford is aware of this lose-lose situation, and remains willing to risk Ontarians’ lives and health in pursuit of his misguided priorities.
Please sign the open letter here.
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Event: Radon Risk in the Perinatal Period: An Online Learning Module and Assessment Tool
Date & Time: Nov 28, 2024 01:00 PM
ONE-IIOE partner, the Canadian Nurses for the Environment are hosting this event about an Assessment Tool that they created.
Radon, an invisible and odourless gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water due to the decomposition of uranium, poses significant health risks. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, primarily when individuals are exposed to high concentrations of radon indoors over a prolonged period. Research has highlighted the need to train healthcare providers to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing information about radon, specifically within equity-seeking populations who face multiple barriers to accessing radon risk reduction resources. To address this need, we first created an online screening tool, which we will present.
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Greening Nursing School Community of Practice
Save the date! Come to our Greening Nursing Schools Community of Practice meeting on December 3rd, 2024 at 3pm! This gives you a chance to get ideas on projects that can be implemented at your nursing school, how to reduce the environmental footprint of nursing schools, and how to add planetary health competencies into your curriculum.
This meeting will have 4th year Algonquin College students present at the beginning of the meeting on their Greening the Lab project.
We've had nursing educators from many areas of Ontario, other provinces, and even some American colleagues attend! So, get excited to network and share ideas; it is an interactive event! Mark it in your calendars and join us using the link below; we hope to see you there!
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ONE-IIOE Quarterly - Sustainable Holidays (but hopefully not a Green Christmas)
Save the date! Our quarterly meeting is approaching December 19th at 7 PM! At this meeting, we'll discuss how you can stay sustainable and environmentally aware this holiday season through gift ideas, recipe sharing, and more! We'll also discuss what our team has been up to and our plans for the future! Please register using the link below and we hope to see you there!
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How to get more involved?
Everyone is busy and we understand that. Our executive is always looking for passionate people who are interested in joining us. We can find or modify a role to fit your interests and time availability. Come to as many meetings as you can, share your input on our internal email chain or even start a new environmental nursing initiative that you are passionate about. We will mentor you so that you don't feel lost in the new role.
We need:
Co-chair - keeps everyone organized and moving forward. Ensures that things like emails go out, events get set-up and attends in-person RNAO meetings in Toronto (travel and accommodations are covered).
Policy & Political Action - Climate justice and social justice is the life blood of ONE and RNAO. This important role keeps an eye out for relevant public policy initiatives we should pursue and works collaborates with others on the team to respond to them. There is the option of going to Queen's Park Day at the end of February.
Membership - comes up with ideas to boost membership and engagement with the interest group. Initiatives like scholarships, student of the year and more are all possibilities. Option to go to the RNAO Fall Assembly in November 2025.
Member-at-large - are you not sure exactly how to get involved but would like to get your feet wet and see if this is right for you? This is the perfect role for you. Come to the exec team meeting, have your say and maybe another role will grow on you! Our members at large have been supported by RNAO staff in writing op-eds, mentor students and keep track of some partner campaigns that we support. It's kind of an invent-your-own role position.
Students - do you want to attend Queen's Park Day in February and learn how nursing political action is done? Do you want to go to the RNAO AGM in June? Let us know! There are lots of ways to get involved.
Email us at oneigrnao@gmail.com