The Climate and Health Council
Board members

All are members of the board in a personal capacity.

Prof Mike Gill : Fellow Faculty of public health (co–chair and member of executive)
Dr Robin Stott : vice chair Medact (co-chair and member of the executive)
Dr Fiona Godlee : Editor of BMJ (-vice chair and member of the executive)
Charlotte May : Sustainable transport advisor, London Borough of Waltham Forest (Treasurer and member of the executive)
Prof Hugh Montgomery : Director of human health and performance University College hospital (member of executive)
Prof Ian Roberts : Prof of epidemiology and public health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (member of executive)
Prof Sue Atkinson CBE : previously Regional Director of Public Health for London (member of executive)
Dr David Pencheon : Director NHS sustainable development unit (member of executive)

Mustapha Abbas : Medical student, Medsin
Dr Tim Ballard : GP, and Sustainability lead Royal College of General Practitioners
Tim Campbell-Smith : Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
Anna Coote : Director of public policy at the new economics foundation
Prof Michael Depledge : Chair of Environment and Human Health, Peninsula Medical School
Prof Ian Gilmore : President Royal College of Physicians
Sir Muir Gray : Director, Campaign for Greener Healthcare
Jenny Griffiths : joint coordinator of Health and Sustainable Development Network
Dr Mayer Hillman : Senior fellow emeritus - Public Studies Institute
Dr Richard Horton : Editor Lancet
Prof Alan Maryon Davis : President Faculty of Public Health
Prof Vivienne Nathanson : Head of science and ethics at the BMA
Dr Jo Nurse : Consultant in public health
Tim Pryce : Carbon Trust
Prof Mala Rao : Institute of Public Health Hyderabad
Hilde Rapp : Director Centre for International Peacebuilding
Dr Mark Thompson : General Practitioner, Rhayader, Powys, Wales
Dr Tony Waterston : Fellow of Royal college of Paediatrics and Child health
Dr Michael Wilks : President standing cttee of European Doctors

In attendance:
Dr Marie Claire Lobo : Consultant in public health

 

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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