Melissa Lem

Vancouver

Medical Columnist at CBC Radio-Canada

Contributor at The Tyee

Articles

Shouldn't life insurance companies be investing with our health in mind?

3 weeks ago | nationalobserver.com | Melissa Lem |Matt Price

As a family doctor and a sustainable finance professional based in Canada, we are increasingly seeing the impact of these investments on our loved ones and the broader community. From a medical perspective, these impacts are manifesting in increased emergency room visits during heat waves, worsening lung disease from wildfire smoke and fossil fuel air pollution, and rising mental distress. We are not alone in our concern. The Lancet Health Journal has tracked these trends for almost a decade.
Opinion: B.C.'s climate plan is badly off track

1 month ago | vancouversun.com | Stewart Phillip |Melissa Lem |Kai Nagata |Emiko Newman |Tracey Saxby |Kiki Wood

Advertisement 1B.C.'s latest Climate Change Accountability Report shows the province is badly off track to reach its legislated pollution targets. And it has no plan to get thereArticle contentIn December 2018, the B.C. government released its bold new plan to reduce climate pollution and build a low-carbon economy. The CleanBC plan promised a heightened level of ambition and a compelling vision for a future that prioritized green technologies, clean electricity, and decarbonization.
Comment: As trade wars rage, Canada must end thermal coal exports

2 months ago | timescolonist.com | Melissa Lem

A commentary by a Vancouver family physician and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. As Canada simultaneously navigates an escalating trade war with the United States and the escalating climate crisis, one clear target for action has emerged: the Port of Vancouver’s ongoing role as North America’s primary export hub for thermal coal.
Opinion: Why we must reject fossil fuel expansion at this pivotal time

2 months ago | theprovince.com | Melissa Lem |Jennie Milligan

Opinion: Sustainable jobs can be created in renewable energy production, building retrofits, public transportation infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration — all while reducing our carbon footprint • • You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
The Imaginary BC Climate Mandate Letter We Wish to See

Dec 20, 2024 | thetyee.ca | Melissa Lem

[Editor’s note: Mandate letters are issued to cabinet ministers by the premier following their swearing-in. The letters outline the premier’s priorities and objectives for each respective ministry.
The untold story of LNG's impacts on healthcare in B.C.

Aug 28, 2024 | corporateknights.com | Melissa Lem

Almost exactly a year ago, the worst wildfires in Canada’s recorded history were blazing across the country, causing the evacuation of 59,000 people in British Columbia, triggering a province-wide state of emergency and sending patients to emergency rooms with asthma exacerbations and heart attacks from wildfire smoke. This summer, however, the bigger story may be the emergency rooms themselves.
Dr. Melissa Lem: Vancouver’s gas ban reversal betrays our values and health

Jul 31, 2024 | vancouversun.com | Melissa Lem

Skip to ContentAdvertisement 1Opinion: As the first municipality in Canada to reverse a bylaw to build clean energy into new homes, Vancouver is no longer a climate leader — it’s a climate laggard • You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Article contentLast week, as Valemount was opening its homes to thousands of evacuees fleeing the Jasper wildfires, Vancouver was slamming the door on climate progress.
We need to end thermal coal exports to turn down the heat

Jul 18, 2024 | nationalobserver.com | Melissa Lem |Joe Vipond

As out-of-control, climate-fuelled wildfires burn in western Canada and elsewhere across the country, the Port of Vancouver steadfastly continues to serve as North America’s export hub for one of the most climate-damaging fossil fuels: coal. There is a dangerous mismatch between words and deeds when it comes to coal in Canada. Now is the right time for this government to ban thermal coal exports, for the benefit of people and the planet.
Green Exercise as an Opportunity to Promote Equity in Physical Activity Engagement Across Diverse Populations

Mar 26, 2024 | journals.humankinetics.com | Cynthia A Thomson |Melissa Lem

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a leading risk factor for mortality worldwide (World Health Organization).
Opinion: After a disastrous summer, make climate a priority

Dec 4, 2023 | squamishchief.com | Tracey Saxby |Stewart Phillip |Melissa Lem |John Stephens |Seth Klein

Last month, the B.C. Climate Emergency Campaign released its second annual Climate Action Progress Report. The key message? B.C. is not on track to meet its climate targets. This is not surprising, given that the province has never met its climate targets.