U.S. Medical Groups Warn Candidates: Climate Change Is a 'Health Emergency'

'I’ve seen a lot, but this scares me,' one doctor said.  Ahead of the first debates, 70-plus health groups call for moving away from fossil fuels.

The nation's leading medical organizations are urging political candidates "to recognize climate change as a health emergency."  As the campaign season enters full gear, they issued a call on Monday for urgent action on "one of the greatest threats to health America has ever faced."

More than 70 health organizations signed a statement that, among other things, calls for a move away from fossil fuels.  The groups cite storm and flood emergencies, chronic air pollution, the spread of diseases carried by insects, and especially heat-related illnesses.

Europe is anticipating an intense heat wave starting this week, and parts of the U.S., where extreme heat has been the leading cause of weather-related deaths, have already experienced record-breaking heat this year.

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