Reflections from outgoing HP coordinators 2014-2016...

Al 

Even amongst the small and highly-biased sample of the world's 7bn+ population likely to read the average Healthy Planet blog, I'd guess that few see themselves as the next HP coordinator. I say this because few of the past HP coordinators I've known saw themselves in that role until, for one reason or another, they ended up occupying it. I certainly couldn't envision it. I've never had the silver tongue or inspiring manner of a feted leader, not even the logistical nous of a good organiser; but, as it turns out, that doesn't really matter. All that really counts for being a great HP coordinator is a passion for fighting for a healthier, fairer future for the environment and humans whose lives depend upon it.

In large part, that's because you'll never be alone or unsupported. HP works with an amazing circle of academic and activist collaborators like Medsin, the IFMSA, Medact, and People and Planet; and through our work with the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Climate and Health Council and Sustainable Healthcare Education Network we have access to an impressive network of more experienced academics and clinicians with a wealth of knowledge (and plenty of letters after their names when you need to impress some people in suits). Not to mention our greatest resource - the Healthy Planet network itself.

As a coordinator, you'll be able to work with the networks to decide priorities for education, advocacy and action on climate and health, and work out how best to utilise the voices and abilities of young people to fight for environmental and climate justice. For me, in the year or so running up to the high-profile UN climate negotations at COP21 in Paris, that meant: ramping up our fossil fuel divestment campaigning to ensure the world heard that the business practices of the fossil fuel industry were incompatible with a healthy climate; acting locally on homegrown environmental justice crises like air pollution and fracking; and continuing our work on climate and health in medical education in partnership with Medsin and the Sustainable Healthcare Education Network. Healthcare students can provide a unique perspective on the issues that will define the practice of tomorrow's health workers, and people will call upon HP coordinators to give voice to that perspective - it's taken us to global health and medical education conferences from Glasgow to Barcelona, seen us published in general media like the Guardian and specialist journals like the BMJ, even taken some of us (though alas not me personally, finals getting in the way as they do) to the COP21 talks in Paris.


There are, of course, some tough bits to the role. Activist burnout is always going to be an issue for anyone trying to confront such an all-encompassing structural injustice as climate change, and self-care will play a central role in handover to our successors. Managing a geographically-distributed network with international partnerships can be tricky (if only for trying to timetable group calls across multiple timezones); here the face-to-face contact opportunities provided by our training weekend and conferences run by our Medsin and Medact allies are invaluable in bringing the network together. And, as with most things in the UK, organising can sometimes seem a bit London-centric - but Ele and I have managed from our bases in Sheffield and Edinburgh respectively, and HP at least focuses well beyond the capital, hosting events from Norwich to Aberdeen.

We hope that our successors will be able to make HP a stronger, more unified and tight-knit group, even better able to educate, advocate and act for a fairer, healthier planet. We know you're up to the job - even if you don't yet.

Eleanor 

I first started getting involved with climate activism around 2 and a half years ago, after becoming increasingly aware of the crisis we are heading into, and have already began to experience. Since then, things have gotten even worse. As predicted. However, I think the movement that has risen to confront it has got stronger, and being a part of this as Healthy Planet co-ordinator has helped me out of a pretty hard period of depression, and given me hope to keep fighting for a more just world.

From leading fossil free health workshops in Barcelona, to occupying a university building for ten days over their fossil fuel investments, the last 2 years have been pretty incredible. Being part of Healthy Planet has given me so many opportunities to meet other healthcare students interested in this, teach others about climate+health impacts and attend global climate conferences to either take part in the policy making, or protest the policies! It's also helped me when I struggle to find the meaning in memorizing hundreds of drug names and anatomy, as I'm motivated by the importance healthcare professionals have in tackling climate change and social injustice. 

We are heading into a crisis, and often I've heard people say, 'It's too late, why bother trying to make a difference?'. I can definitely relate to feeling like that at times, and then I remember all the awesome, life-changing, empowering and invaluable reasons as to why I'm still part of this movement and would encourage others to get involved....

• Solidarity

We need to learn from history. We need to listen to those at the front lines of colonial fossil fuel extraction projects. We need to speak out for people's right to clean water, clean air and land to grow food. I still find myself listening to people speaking about climate change as if it's this distant event that hasn't affected us yet, therefore it's not our problem. When everyday, fossil fuel companies are carrying out increasingly violent extraction projects; evicting indigenous peoples off their land, poisoning water supplies and grazing land, oil spills polluting whole generations of marine life. This is what is fueling the climate crisis, and this is what we can do something about now.

Amplifying people's stories and supporting their struggles is so vital. I'm still learning so much about how to be a genuine ally, but the process so far has been profoundly meaningful.  

• Friendships

Being stuck in a room with 20-50 other people for 10 days as part of an occupation for fossil fuel divestment was intense, but it also built some beautiful friendships that have created an essential support network for continuing our climate and social justice activism. So has being part of the Healthy Planet network - I've met some of the most inspiring people in my life through this network of healthcare professionals and students from around the UK and globally who are just as passionate about climate + health issues. Being an activist can be exhausting, the world is pretty f**ed up when you start to dig deep into the causes of injustice, and having people who get it, to share frustrations, take much needed breaks and laugh when everything gets too much is invaluable.

• Intersectionality

Our ecosystem is in a state, but there are many other social injustices that are contributing to its further deterioration, and by challenging them I think the future doesn't look as bleak. Climate change is impacting those most vulnerable - that is those that are already being oppressed by our neoliberal capitalist system. In order to make climate change less devastating, our communities need to be embedded in social justice - that is challenging the oppressions of racism, sexism, fascism, classism, homophobia etc, that is further exacerbating inequalities and fuelling conflict, violence and suffering. Working on climate change intersectionally - through exposing the racism and classism of environmental pollution, the gender inequalities of those most impacted by climate change, has built a stronger movement that aims to leave no-one behind.

I look forward to supporting the new Healthy Planet national committee, and am excited about what we can achieve over the next year! 

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