One of the issues we health professionals make very little of is this simple fact:  even if climate change were NOT happening (and remember the evidence that it is happening, both quickly, dangerously, and by humankind, is stronger than the evidence for a lot of our clinical interventions) we would want to make the health service more sustainable ANYWAY.  Not just fro environmental reasons, but because it will be better for health NOW  (more prevention, better food, better ways of moving, care closer to home, more involvement, control, and empowerment  from patients).  We often refer to these win-wins as co-benefits.  Benefit now AND benefit later for human health.

However, co-benefits happen at multiple levels:  firstly at the level of individual and population health as above (including more social cohesion, less traffic trauma, less air pollution, less COPD, diabetes, heart disease, obesity….).  Secondly, it happens at the level of health system, both health care system:  more cost effective, patient centric, closer to home, more efficient use of information and IT), and the wider public health system. Lastly (and I am sure you can think of even more examples) it happens at a global level:  climate change is one of the two great crimes we do unto others elsewhere and in the future, and increasingly ourselves, the other being obscene levels of avoidable poverty.   These are the two extraordinary things that a visiting Martian would be amazed about: and we know very well what is possible with both – technical knowhow is not in any shortage.  What IS lacking is political courage and collaboration at an international level to reap the benefits from approaches such as Contraction and Convergence, and from global technical investments such as Desertec (Google them).  The future is bright - but it won’t happen by accident – it needs the vocal encouragement of influential people like health care professionals.  We have no right to do nothing.  That’s all it takes for bad things to happen.  We have a duty of care to let out paid political servants know that if the current political leaders, supported by people like health professionals, then who? …and if not now, when?