As Catholic health care providers, climate change is a moral concern and our faith demands prudent action to reduce our carbon footprint, care for "the least of these" (Mt. 25) and raise our voice on behalf of Creation and the poor. Our belief that all life is sacred and that our special concern for the poor and our commitment to the common good and stewardship call us to examine this issue and to act to lessen and treat the effects of climate change. Specifically, the escalating problem of climate change is an issue for Catholic health care because:

• We are people of faith and believe "the earth is the Lord’s and all it holds." (Ps. 24:1)

• We understand there is substantial body of scientific knowledge showing "warming of the climate is unequivocal." (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007)

• As health providers, we are concerned that "many diseases will surge as the atmosphere heats up." (Scientific American, August 2000), and that burden of caring for people will be born, in part, by the Catholic health ministry.

CHA, funded through a grant by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, and in collaboration with Health Care Without Harm, offers this article, Climate Change and Health: Is There a Role for the Health Care Sector?,as a tool for continuing discussions and informationsharing about climate change.Authored by Laura Anderko, RN, Ph.D., Stephanie M. Chalupka, Ed.D., RN, PHCNS-BC, FAAOHN, and Brenda Afzal, MS, RN, it is intended to help Catholic health care organizations provide staff education on the issue and decrease their carbon footprints.