Introduction

Before the Global Financial Crisis came along, Global Warming was the major issue that monopolized media attention. However, the issue has not entirely disappeared and it won’t be long before Climate Change returns to be the main focus for Governments and media alike.

The vast majority of the scientific community is resolute in their view that global average surface temperatures have increased due to the effect of higher levels of gasses such as carbon dioxide, being trapped in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the scientific consensus is that the excess levels of carbon dioxide have been caused by human activity and due to the long life of ‘greenhouse gasses’, further warming is inevitable.

Climate Change will impact on the Disability sector in a number of ways. Firstly, organizations involved in the Disability sector will be required to formulate adaptation strategies to minimize the impacts of further warming on their clients. In particular, disability organizations in Australia will find themselves having to deal with;

• Increases in heat related sickness and deaths from more frequent heat-waves

• Sickness and illness from deteriorating air and water quality

• The potential spread of tropical disease as temperatures rise

Secondly, the disability sector will be expected to adopt and embrace mitigation strategies in order to play their part in reducing emissions along with other business sectors. And thirdly, the call for further funding to fight global warming will create competition to disability organizations in attracting corporate funding.

Global Warming – Fact or Fiction?

According to Professor Ross Garnaut, the scientific community is now almost unanimous in its assertion that rising global average temperatures and related climate change issues are a direct result of human activity (The Garnaut Climate Change Review). In particular, the build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2) caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, has resulted in rising global temperatures, since the commencement of industrialization. Scientific records show that the increase in global average temperatures coincides with an increase in CO2 levels over the same period.

The increase in CO2 together with other dangerous emissions has resulted in a thickening of the earth’s atmosphere which in turn has prevented less heat radiation from escaping and subsequently created an increase in air temperatures, similar to the effect of a greenhouse or glasshouse. According to information contained in the Draft Garnaut Report (Garnaut 2008, p 112) global average temperatures have increased by 0.76 since 1850. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 20 per cent of “greenhouse gasses” remain in the atmosphere for over 100 years (IPCC 2007 p824). As a result, the IPCC predict that global average temperatures will continue to increase over the next century by a further two to five degrees. (IPCC 2007, p 12). Whether you agree with these dire predictions or not, the Global Warming issue is here to stay and will impact on the disability sector on a number of levels.

Implications for the Disability Sector

The expected increase in the aforementioned health related issues arising from the continued onslaught of climate change is likely to impact on public and privately funded organizations involved in the care of the disabled. The majority of disability organizations already have their resources stretched due to chronic staff shortages, long waiting lists and limited budgets. Increases in health related issues from heat stress, dehydration, tropical diseases, salmonella and respiratory ailments, to name a few, will put further pressure on disability organizations. As a result, Disability Organizations will need to include climate change adaptation strategies as part of their planning for the future. These adaptation strategies should include:

• Education – Disability organizations have a responsibility to raise awareness of the potential health impacts of climate change amongst their clients and families, in order to minimize the risk of injury or disease.

• Staff skills – Disability organizations also have a duty to advise and educate their staff, not only on the general impact of global warming but also in the specialist treatment of heat related illness and tropical diseases such as dengue fever which to date has been relatively rare, particularly in the southern states of Australia.

• Workforce planning – in future, Disability organizations will need to change the way they organize their workplace planning. Not only will the skills mix need to be able to deal with climate change related health issues but rosters and annual leave schedules will also have to be cognizant of additional activity during more frequent heat-waves in summer.

Mitigation Strategies for Disability Organizations

Although Disability organizations require adaptation strategies to help them prepare for the impacts of rising temperatures, more frequent heat waves etc they also have a duty as good corporate citizens to adopt mitigation strategies against climate change. Potential mitigation strategies include:

• Reduce Carbon Footprint – Many disability organizations are large operations and will be expected to minimize their environmental footprint. This includes reducing vehicle emissions, minimizing energy use, re-cycling, reducing paper etc. and look to embrace “green” initiatives such as renewable energy and carbon offsetting.

• Supply Chain review – Disability institutions can also take a leadership stance by encouraging all stages of their supply change (i.e. suppliers and clients) to embrace climate mitigation strategies wherever possible.

• Buildings – Disability organizations should take a leadership role when building new premises or when funding specialized community housing projects by ensuring that these structures meet high level environmental building codes.

In some cases, failure to adopt green practices may jeopardize corporate funding or the awarding of contracts to disability enterprises. On the other hand, by adopting environmental practices, disability organizations may improve their brand reputation, increase staff engagement and could lower operational costs if energy efficiency programs are employed.

Competition for Funds

Climate Change also poses a threat to the Disability Sector in the competition for raising funds from corporate sources. With climate change increasingly capturing the hearts and minds of the media and public, corporate fundraising activities are now more likely to be directed to environmental advocacy non-profit organizations. However, rather than sitting back and allowing the green movement to dominate the fundraising landscape, disability organizations should look for opportunities to play in the “green” space. This was the approach taken by Minda, a disability organization located in the Adelaide beach side suburb of Brighton.

Minda established Envirocare, a disability enterprise that is made up of 20 supported employees who remove rubbish on a daily basis from nearby beaches and help conserve the local environment. Envirocare are contracted by the City of Holdfast Bay and provide garden maintenance at Minda’s Brighton campus. Envirocare also secured a sponsorship deal with Savings & Loans, a large national credit union who openly admit that they were primarily drawn to the partnership due to the environmental involvement. This is a good example of a disability organization taking the opportunity to raise revenue and generate sponsorship funds whilst at the same time playing their part to help save the planet.

Conclusion

The impacts of man-made climate change are wide and varied. Due to the long lifespan of greenhouse gasses, additional warming is certain to occur and health impacts including dehydration in extreme heat, the spread of infectious diseases and injury from extreme weather events will increase. As a result, the climate change cause is here to stay. As a result, Disability organizations need to not only be prepared to deal with the potential health impacts of climate change on their clients but also need to show leadership by adopting “green” practices in order to minimize their own emissions. Disability organizations should also look for opportunities to generate funds by employing environmental initiatives.

Author: Tony Innes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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