BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 17, 2021
Public health works on the premise that it’s best to prevent diseases that you cannot cure. Clean water, clean air and vaccinations are examples of wildly successful public health measures. We know that pollution from fossil fuel use is a public health calamity which will cost our country $167 billion in direct health care costs from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases alone over the next 35 years. And that doesn’t begin to count the cost to health of climate disruption. So, what’s the most logical next public health intervention to prevent disease and excess mortality? Infrastructure. ~ Janis Petzel of Islesboro, a doctor, is on the board of Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter