De Soto Public Library to host August 9 presentation on climate solutions Climate 911 to present “Dozens of Good Solutions”

Doctors and medical students from the group Climate 911 are touring the Mississippi River valley in August with a puppet show about climate solutions. They will do a free show at the Community Center in De Soto, WI Tuesday, August 9 at 6 p.m.  The physicians and their puppets will perform in 14 river towns between Minneapolis, MN and St. Louis, MO. In order to practice what they preach, the doctors are traveling by bicycle.

The show’s title is “D.O.G.S.”, which stands for “Dozens of Good Solutions”. The main characters are two dogs who train their humans to cut climate pollution in half in “a dog’s life” (14 years). This aligns with scientific consensus on what must be done to keep global warming below 2º C.

“We want people to know that not all good medicine tastes bad,” says Dr. Wendy Ring, the family physician who created D.O.G.S. “The clean air, walkable communities and healthier diets which are spin-offs of climate action will save hundreds of thousands of lives by reducing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and asthma.”

Dr. Robert Byron, an internist/puppeteer from Montana, adds: “Good medicine isn’t always expensive. The health savings from climate solutions are many times greater than their cost.”
Climate action has broad support from American medical organizations including the American Medical Association, National Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Practitioners, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, American College of Physicians, American College of Preventative Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Thoracic Society, the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Climate 911 is a national network of health professionals and students who educate and advocate for policies which decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health. For more information about the group, the health benefits of climate solutions, or their Healthy Climate Solutions Tour, visit online at www.climate911.org.

Trained at Yale and Columbia Universities, Dr. Ring was the Medical Director of a rural community health center for over 20 years. She has been recognized by the U.S. Congress, the California legislature, and the American Medical Association for her work in improving access to care for the underserved and was once named one of America’s Best Healers by Reader’s Digest.