Climate change
Occupational therapists and other allied health professionals joined Doctors for XR in a sit-in at HM Treasury to demand an end to UK government policies that continue to privilege fossil fuels over greener alternatives , with an estimated £ 10 billion a year in financial incentives , giving oil companies approximately 10 times the tax advantage that those in Norway receive ( EU Commission , 2019 ). Editors of both the Lancet and the BMJ have spoken out to say that we have a moral imperative to protest against government inaction on climate ( Godlee 2022 ; Horton 2019 ).
Last month , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Tweeted : ‘ Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals . But the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels . Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness ’.
In her keynote to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists , Laliberte Rudman ( 2021 ) urged occupational therapists to speak out about societal injustices , adopting a stance of ‘ critical optimism ’ – the belief that things can improve , but only if we acknowledge socioeconomic conditions at the root of problems .
Climate change is an intergenerational justice issue , in which the choices we make now will have a direct impact on the next generation ’ s prospects for health and prosperity .
Rudman DL ( 2021 ) Mobilizing occupation for social transformation : radical resistance , disruption , and re-configuration . Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy , 88 ( 2 ): 96-107 . doi :
10.1177 / 00084174211020836 .
Watts N , Adger WN , Agnolucci P , Blackstock , J , Byass P , Cai W … Costello A ( 2015 ) ‘ Health and climate change : policy responses to protect public health .’ Lancet ( London , England ), 386 ( 10006 ), 1861 – 1914 . https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / S0140- 6736 ( 15 ) 60854-6 .
Xu Y and Ramanathan V ( 2017 ) Well below 2 ° C : Mitigation strategies for avoiding dangerous to catastrophic climate changes . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 114 , 10315- 10323 .
EU Commission ( 2019 ) Energy prices and costs in Europe . Available at : https :// energy . ec . europa . eu / data-and-analysis / energy-prices-and-costseurope _ en [ accessed 21 May 2022 ].
Godlee F ( 2022 ) ‘ Who cares about climate change ?’ BMJ 377 : o1150 doi : https :// doi . org / 10.1136bmj . o1150
Horton R ( 2019 ) ‘ The duty of a doctor ’ speech . Available at : https :// twitter . com / DoctorsXr / status / 1187377667928141824 ? t = iIlpvV21 MYpJgdstmCn2lg & s = 08
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( 2022 ) Working Group III Sixth Assessment
Words DR MARTY CLIMENHAGA is an occupational therapy student and former environmental engineering researcher . LOUISE WEISSEL has been an occupational therapist for six years , after previous work in architecture , and is now developing green lifestyle interventions in her practice . If you ’ re interested to get involved or find out more email mclimenhaga @ hotmail . com or louise @ weissel . net
June 2022 OTnews 43