Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Feature Climate change and health

Unhealthier by degrees

BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d6893 (Published 26 October 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d6893

Rapid Response:

Act now

In reference to 'solutions' to the current slide towards an all too
avoidable ecological precipice, Henry Nichols allows himself to talk to
his audience as a politician would. 'Perhaps in years to come, it will no
longer be possible to fly with the freedom we now have'.

Surely the imperative is to act now not 'in years to come'. The
single biggest cut we can all make to our carbon footprint is not to fly
and that means sacrificing something i.e. a piece of our discretionary
spending.

If we do not act as though we are all responsible, as the article
states, it will be our children who pay the price. We will have sold their
tomorrows by our profligacy today.

Dr Stuart Galey

Competing interests: No competing interests

01 November 2011
Stuart Galey
doctor
Winchcombe, Cheltenham