The Age of Stupid Trailer Feb 2009 HD (Bleeped) from Age of Stupid on Vimeo.

As an employee of the NHS in the UK or as an NHS-funded organisation, you are strongly encouraged to show the film, The Age of Stupid, in your postgrad centre, practice, lecture theatre, etc. (See below to book a screening of the film)

Panel webcast 7/7/2009

On July the 7th 2009 a panel chaired by Fiona Godlee (Editor of the BMJ) took part in a live webcast discussing the impact of The Age of Stupid and how much the NHS has to gain from recognising the importance of climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Taking part in the webcast from left to right were: Fiona Godlee (BMJ); Franny Armstrong (Director of The Age of Stupid); Professor Hugh Montgomery (Director of the Institute for Human Health and Performance at the University College London); David Colin-Thomé (National Director for Primary Care, Department of Health); Dr Angela E Raffle (Consultant in Public Health, NHS Bristol) and Chris Tuppen (Chief Sustainability Officer, BT Group). View the webcast.

The webcast launched the opportunity for staff to get a copy of the movie to show at work.

To book a screening of the film

  1. Go to www.indiescreenings.net/choose_film/
  2. Under the NHS Licence you will need to use your NHS email address and a VOUCHER CODE (top right of indiescreenings website). The voucher code depends on your email address as follows:
    • if your email address ends .nhs.net use NHS12484
    • if you email address ends .nhs.uk use NHS21182
  3. There is no licence fee to pay for the screening but you will have to pay a £6.00 administration fee to receive the DVD. Having booked a screening a DVD will be sent to you four days before the screening is due to take place. The postal address you enter for the DVD must be for an NHS funded premises. After screening the film you are then required to return the DVD to Indie Screenings.

The Licence covers screenings to NHS staff and students in the UK. Screenings to other groups should be booked through the www.indiescreenings.net site in the normal way without the use of the Voucher Codes.

Please also encourage colleagues to sign the Climate and Health Council Pledge at: www.climateandhealth.org/pledge.

 

Ten practical actions*

  1. Inform ourselves about the basic science of climate change, the health benefits of taking action, and the urgency of doing so.
  2. Advise our patients. Better diet and more walking and cycling will improve their health and reduce their carbon emissions.
  3. Use less energy ourselves (and reduce costs) by more insulation in the roof, walls, and floors; turning off appliances and lights; and, where possible, reducing use of goods and services.
  4. Drive the car less; fly less; walk or cycle more; use public transport; drive an efficient car; share cars; hold meetings by teleconference, videoconference, or webcasting; attend fewer international conferences.
  5. Influence food menus wherever we go — ask for local food, less meat, and less processed food; a low carbon diet is a healthy diet. Drink tap water.
  6. Advocate locally, especially in primary care, to maximise home insulation and uptake of relevant grants.
  7. Advocate for personal carbon entitlements within an equitable, fair shares global framework, such as Contraction and Convergence.
  8. Advocate to stabilise population — by promoting literacy and promoting women's access to birth control, through the International Planned Parenthood Federation or Marie Stopes International.
  9. Be a champion: put climate change on the agenda of all meetings — clinical teams, committees, professional networks. Doctors can tip opinion with chairs and chief executives.
  10. Gear up your own influence and that of all health professionals by joining the Climate and Health Council or the Health and Sustainability Network, or both.

*Taken from 'Ten Practical actions for doctors to combat climate change' J Griffiths J, A Hill, J Spiby, M Gill, R Stott BMJ 2008;336:1507. Read more.

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