Rose Pignataro presented at the APTA's NEXT conference in 2018 on where Physical Therapy can effect climate change... we didn't understand how, so instead of reading about it, we just went and made her explain it to us. She brought some friends to help too.

When it was over it made sense to us.

From her presentation @ NEXT:

"It can be argued that climate change is currently the biggest threat to global health. As physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, it is important for us to recognize the repercussions of global warming on the incidence and severity of disease and disability as a component of health promotion, wellness, and rehabilitative outcomes. Although it is not currently common practice, PTs and PTAs have numerous opportunities to play a crucial role in environmental sustainability. This session will explore the value of our professional knowledge and skill in health assessment and advocacy; plans of care relative to environmental exposure; and the influence of our physical surroundings on health behavior choices such as physical activity, proper nutrition, and stress management. Factors to consider include the impact of anthropogenic causes of climate change, ultimately affecting air and water quality; availability of healthy food, exposure to extreme weather hazards; and the influence of temperature on bacteria, fungi, and other infectious agents. The speakers will discuss an environmental framework that stresses the interdependence between personal and ecological well-being. This is consistent with the expectation that PTs and PTAs pursue interventions that treat communities as well as individuals, investing in population-level changes that advance public health."