Life & Times
Viewpoint
streets of Hackney dressed as bees. Extinction Rebellion: We arrived nervously at Marble Arch radical or rational? on the first day of the Rebellion, not really knowing what to expect and how long we The UK government has declared a climate would stay. I was taken aback by the calm, 1 change emergency. Respected fellow GPs welcoming atmosphere and the respectful have been arrested on actions with Extinction behaviour towards the police and vice Rebellion. Initially I was perplexed by this versa. There was a palpable feeling that we and wondered how they came to take this did have agency to make decisions about course of action. Although I have friends who our future and we could act to create the have tried to fly less and become vegan for type of world we all want to live in. environmental purposes, I had never really We kept coming back to the road given serious thought to climate change blockades. We played football on the four- and its consequences, let alone participate lane roundabout of Marble Arch and we in any climate activism. I’m not really sure turned Waterloo Bridge into a playground. I have rebelled in many things in my life at As we cycled blissfully through the clean, “There was a palpable all. Over the Easter holidays, though, I found quiet streets of a car-free Central London, myself repeatedly at Extinction Rebellion’s the impossible suddenly seemed possible. feeling that we did have blockades in Central London with my young The youth climate marches led by Greta agency to make decisions son and husband (a paediatric trainee). Thunberg have been an inspiration. For Now I find myself spending time helping to decades, well-intentioned, well-resourced about our future and we organise a group of doctors and healthcare people and organisations have worked could act to create the professionals in support of Extinction hard to try to change our society’s attitudes Rebellion. In the space of a few weeks, I have and actions towards the environment. This type of world we all want gone from being a respected professional hasn’t worked. Although I have no desire to live in.” to taking on the role of what some people to be arrested, I now fully support mass would describe as a radical activist. participation in non-violent civil disobedience A Master’s degree in Public Health and on this issue when faced with government Development at the London School of inaction. The individual decisions that Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has stretched led to over 1000 arrests in April at the my horizons about the different dimensions Extinction Rebellion blockades now seem of health. I hadn’t previously considered that understandable, logical, and rational. climate change had major ramifications for Extinction Rebellion has three demands public health and was startled by the evidence of our government: presented on my course about the influence of transnational corporations fuelling doubt 1. Tell the Truth. Government must on this issue and permitting the inaction we continue to tell the truth after declaring see today. It is frightening to realise how bleak a climate and ecological emergency, the future will be for my son’s generation. working with other institutions to Like many GPs, I feel passionate communicate the urgency for change. about striving to improve the quality of life for my patients and the community. 2. Act Now. Government must act now to halt However, I have come to realise that the biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse significant developments we are making gas emissions to net zero by 2025. in thinking around multimorbidity, and 3. Go Beyond Politics. Government must improving equity to health and prevention, create and be led by the decisions of are completely overshadowed by the a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and unrecognised elephant in the room: climate ecological justice. and ecological breakdown. In March, a doctor colleague posted a Let us use our voices to ensure this is acted video on social media and invited viewers upon to protect the health of our communities. to join her, with her husband, two primary- school-age children, and grandparents, to Deepa Shah, REFERENCE the International Rebellion at Parliament Locum GP, Hackney, London; Medicolegal Reports 1. UK parliament declares climate change Square in April. I saw an advert for a local Doctor, Freedom from Torture, London. emergency. BBC News 2019; 1 May: https:// talk about Extinction Rebellion and within a Email: [email protected] www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48126677 (accessed 10 Jun 2019). few days my family and I had participated in our first action — a bike ride through the DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X704357
British Journal of General Practice, July 2019 345