27th July 2024: HXR members lead climate and health ‘inquest’ in Truro

On 27th July, five days after the world’s hottest day ever, HXR led a large group of local health professionals, XR members and other climate campaigners to run a climate stall and hold a powerful ‘climate inquest’ at Lemon Quay, central Truro, Cornwall. Their aim was to highlight the terrible deaths and suffering caused by the climate emergency in the UK and across the world and how fossil fuel companies, banks and political decisions are driving this. HXR have held similar ‘inquests’ in London, Newcastle and Plymouth.

Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and psychologists took part, along with the Plymouth climate choir who were joined by singers from Cornwall. Health professionals tended to a group of “fallen”, shrouded patients and laid flowers, while others gave testimony to a ‘coroner’ at a mock inquest, explaining the cause of each death and how the climate and ecological emergency had contributed to these, both in the UK and across the world.

They then laid headstones showing how many people have died from each cause. They highlighted the immense suffering and millions of deaths across the world from floods, heat, droughts, famine and mosquito-borne diseases – and how this affects the vulnerable most, including the elderly, children, people with disabilities and refugees.

They also underlined the impact of the climate on the the UK public: the thousands of deaths from air pollution and heat, serious infections caused by sewage discharges into our seas and rivers and rising levels of malnutrition as crops fail and food prices increase due to extreme weather. Health workers held banners and ‘cigarette-style’ health warnings, drawing a direct parallel between the deaths caused by fossil fuel companies and by the tobacco industry.

The final speaker, a scientist, reminded the audience of the science underpinning the climate emergency and how we have just seen 12 consecutive months of record global temperatures. Despite clear and explicit warnings from the International Energy Agencyand a recent hard hitting address from the UN Secretary General, the fossil fuel industry, banks such as Barclays, HSBC and JPM Chase, insurance companies and the government all enable this through subsidies, licences and finance. This is despite them knowing for decades the harm caused by burning oil, gas and coal.

The perfomance ended with a reminder that we have a small window of opportunity to take action, with a speaker envisaging a more positive future where urgent investment in renewable energy, insulation and restoring nature enabled us to “save our beautiful world and the people and creatures who live on it“. The audience was reminded that the time for change is NOW. 

Press and social media.

CornwallLive: Live Updates as doctors join campaigners for climate protest in Truro

ITV West Country News (South West) Headlines, 27th July (90 seconds in)

Healthforxr on Instagram Health for XR (@DoctorsXR) on X