Green Podiatry: Learning module

This is the learning module. The teaching module is available separately
 

Health and climate change are relevant to everyone, and healthcare professionals of every discipline, are in prime position to act in the best interests of both human and planet health.

The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow has been working to address climate change and sustainability, and established a ‘Sustainability Steering Group’ (November, 2022).

Human health and wellbeing are fundamentally dependent on the health of our planet and the natural world.

Current and future students of healthcare and medicine will be affected by climate change as clinicians, and as citizens.

Whilst climate change does pose serious threats to our health, and the natural systems upon which our health depends, climate action is our greatest opportunity for better health and wellbeing.

Resilient and sustainable health services are our best medicine to slow and protect us all from climate change.

If this curriculum content is to achieve one thing of value, it will be that all students and graduates who engage with it, will forever live with respect for the interconnectedness of all life. Biodiversity, rather than anthropocentricity, sustains us all.

Ultimately, public health can be improved if podiatrists, as primary care clinicians, work with the 3 green podiatry pillars:

• encourage people to exercise at levels sufficient for age, health; encouraging the twin benefits of active - low carbon travel for health of both people and planet
• adopt best available evidence, and stop using low-value healthcare
• adapt clinical practice, and our lives, to be as low carbon as possible.