The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN’s leading body for assessing climate science, drawing on peer-reviewed studies to produce comprehensive reports for policymakers. Its most recent publication, released between 2021 and 2023, delivers an unambiguous message: human activity is unequivocally driving climate change, and the impacts (extreme weather, biodiversity loss, food and water insecurity) are escalating. The report outlines that to limit warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, global CO2 emissions must fall by roughly 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Without drastic and immediate cuts across energy, transportation, and land use sectors, the consequences could be irreversible. The report emphasizes that while time is short, it’s not too late. The tools and knowledge to prevent catastrophic warming exist, but only if governments, institutions, and societies act now, with speed and scale. of civilization do we aspire to build? And that conversation belongs not only in public discourse, but at the very heart of our faculties and universities.” Dr. Bedos has become increasingly vocal about what he sees as a failure of higher education to prepare professionals for ecological realities. “We train students to perform well in a system that is essentially unsustainable. We need to be training people to transform that system for the better,” he says. He expresses concern about peers and institutions that acknowledge climate change but treat it as someone else’s responsibility. “There is a tendency among academics to reassure themselves with the idea that technological solutions will emerge,” he says. “But that is, in many cases, wishful thinking. What we truly need is political resolve, cultural transformation, and a shared sense of responsibility.” And yet, Dr. Bedos is also realistic. “I’m not perfect. I still take flights to travel to events. But we have to start somewhere. We need people in leadership, especially in health and education, to take this seriously. And if not from the top, then from the ground up,” he says. Rewriting the Future Dr. Toreihi is equally passionate, but she brings a different tone: energetic, determined, and hopeful. She’s aware that change can be slow. That many people, especially in resource-rich countries like Canada, don’t yet have a sense of urgency. “There’s a prevailing mindset that because we have forests and snowfall, we’re somehow insulated from environmental harm,” Dr. Toreihi explains. “But national borders are ultimately artificial. We share one planet, and environmental impacts in one region inevitably reverberate across the globe.” Her optimism is grounded in community—in the students and clinicians who engage with workshops, in the expanding global dialogue around sustainable dentistry, and in a guiding belief that professional practice can reflect ethical conviction. “It is possible,” she says, “to align the principles we hold with the way we work.” Her vision is both personal and planetary. “I want to have children someday,” she says. “I want them to have a livable planet.” As Drs. Bedos and Toreihi advance their efforts— quantifying emissions, facilitating community dialogue, developing educational frameworks, and questioning established practices—they are building something far more expansive than an environmentally conscious clinic. They are helping to nudge the profession toward a more sustainable and reflective future. And in doing so, they offer a radical, necessary reminder: that caring for oral health must include caring for the living systems that sustain us all. 27 Issue 5 | 2025 | Issues and People
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