Dr. Roger Rosenblatt
The greatest threat to the health of rural and urban people is environmental degradation and global climate change. Rural family doctors are often critical opinion leaders within their communities but tend to be overwhelmed with the day-to-day clinical demands of their patients. Yet they can make a real difference on the local scale. The largest environmental issues on the global scale stem from three interrelated problems: human population growth, social inequity, and destruction of the natural environment. As a consequence of these forces, we can expect global warming, increasing air and water pollution, more virulent and widespread infectious disease, and violence and social discord. These issues will affect the long-term health of our rural communities more profoundly than more traditional health concerns such as chronic disease and accidents. Rural family doctors, busy as they are with their clinical duties, can act locally to improve the environment and in so doing become role models for their larger societies.
The enormity of the impending global environmental catastrophe can overwhelm the will and spirit of the dedicated professional. By acting forcefully at the local level, the rural family doctor can combat personal cynicism and despair and help galvanize the efforts of the local community.