At the launch of this website highlighting the links between health and environment, renowned anti-nuclear campaigner Dr Helen Caldicott encouraged future doctors to become environmental leaders in their profession.

Environment, Health and Sustainability ACT (eSHACT) is an organization started by medical students at the ANU with the dual aims of promoting awareness of the effects of the health industry on the environment as well as the effects of the environment on our health.

Its new website at www.eshact.net provides a forum for members of the ACT health industry, the ANU and ACT public to share views, information and research on the interaction between environment and health.

Dr Caldicott’s presentation outlined the many adverse effects that the health industry has on the environment. She stated that the health sector is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the built environment after commercial office buildings.

The contentious issue of nuclear power came up as an example of how the environment can severely impact on our health. Dr Caldicott went through the lifecycle of nuclear power from the mining of uranium to the outflow of coolant from reactors. Every stage of the process was shown to produce dangerous radiation. Dr Caldicott explained to the audience made of up primarily of interested public, medical students and medical practitioners exactly how each radioactive isotope damages human tissues and DNA.

This medical science perspective has been missing from the general media debate on nuclear power and is an example of the informed debate that eSHACT is trying to foster. The website is far from one-sided though. On the website launched last night there is already an article written by ANU medical student Hung Tran opposing Dr Caldicott’s point of view.

Other speakers included Dr David Carpenter from ANU Green and Mr Duncan Smith from the Wiradjuri Echos.

Dr Carpenter gave many examples of how the ANU is the leading university in Australia if not the world when it comes to sustainability.

The Wiradjuri Echos entertained the audience with indigenous dancing and the uniquely Australia perspective of the effects of the changing environment on indigenous Australia.