Doctors in Unite offer solidarity to Dr Patrick Hart who has been imprisoned for a year and must pay thousands of pounds in costs for disabling petrol pumps at Esso Thurrock Services on the M25. As a consequence of the sentence Dr Hart will automatically be referred to the General Medical Council and may lose his licence to practice as a doctor.
The climate crisis is a health crisis. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of people are dying every year due to the effects of global warming. Some in high profile events such as the recent floods in Valencia and wild fires around the world. There is also a quieter attrition which is harder to quantify, of people who die from extremes of heat and cold, not to mention the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.
Dr Hart is taking a stand to protect his patients and the global population from the ravages of global warming. Despite clear evidence that man made climate change is gathering pace, fossil fuel companies are still amongst the most profitable in the world and global CO2 emissions continue to rise. If drastic action is not taken right now the world will be uninhabitable for future generations but those in power are literally fiddling while Rome burns.
We salute those who are prepared to demonstrate that something must be done, as those with the power to bring down CO2 emissions are not listening, many of whom have too many vested interests in the status quo.
As healthcare workers we have a duty and a responsibility not only to care for our patients, but also to speak out about what causes our patients and our communities to become ill, injured and to die. Dr Hart should not be punished for highlighting the truth.
Doctors in Unite 