Doctors protest

Dear Editor

We, the undersigned, are all family doctors of Herefordshire, and we are united by our distress at the lack of response to looming environmental disaster.

On Friday, September 20th and Friday, September 27th, millions of people across the world, including many in Herefordshire, did and will walk out of their workplaces and homes to join young climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels and climate justice for all.

As health care workers we are not taking an active part in the climate strikes but we stand in solidarity with those who are taking this action, and encourage all those who are able to join this action themselves.

As caring professionals we oppose current policies that push the world’s most vulnerable towards environmental catastrophe. We are particularly alarmed by the risk of damage to physical and mental health on an unprecedented scale.

Present policies and responses are woefully inadequate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that we have only 11 years to halve global emissions to meet their 1.5C target, yet last year our global emissions rose yet again. It will be a massive task to avoid catastrophic warming and we need radical action now. Our unchecked consumption, dependence on fossil fuels and decimation of ecosystems continue. The diagnosis is clear and the treatment urgent. Yet politicians prevaricate and global emissions still rise.

Our governments are failing to take proper responsibility and currently are pursuing grossly inadequate policies that risk environmental collapse. Non-violent direct action then becomes the reasonable choice for responsible individuals.

We urge government and media to respond immediately and proportionately.

Dr Amy Larkins, Dr Andrew Leeman, Dr Andy Watts, Dr Ben Barclay, Dr Cath Laird, Dr Caroline Pickles, Dr Clare Jones, Dr David Milsom, Dr Debra Corbett, Dr Diana Majeed, Dr Dominic Horne, Dr Edwina Gallagher, Dr Erica Sibley, Dr Esther Scotland, Dr Geoff Corbett, Dr George Hobbs, Dr Jade Medlicott, Dr Jeremy Gifford, Dr Jeremy Gray, Dr Jessica Powell, Dr Jill Goodfellow, Dr John Stevenson, Dr Laura Handscombe, Dr Lisa Price, Dr Mark Turnbull, Dr Mark Waters, Dr Paul Harris, Dr Philip Clayton, Dr Sarah Newey, Dr Sarah Schofield, Dr Simon Lennane, Dr Sue Clegg, Dr Val Goodger, Dr Verity Wilkins, Dr Louise Le Ray