The costs of climate activism for medical professionals: a case study of the USA, the UK, and Germany
August Lindemer
Abstract
Following calls by medical journals and organisations to assume professional responsibility for climate change, members of the medical profession have engaged in climate activism and advocacy efforts directed at policy makers, medical institutions, colleagues, and patients. The calls for, and discussions of, their engagement have focused on the efficacy of the medical profession to raise awareness and concern regarding the issue of climate change, particularly in light of the social trust placed in doctors. The potential professional and personal costs faced by doctors involved in such efforts, including in their relationships with colleagues and the trust of their patients, have been largely ignored in these discussions. To facilitate and sustain the engagement with climate change by the medical profession, an open and transparent discussion needs to be had regarding the potential consequences of participating in such efforts. Drawing on interviews with medical professionals involved in climate activism across the USA, the UK, and Germany, this Personal View explores the experiences with and concerns regarding these costs and provides suggestions for how to mitigate them.