DAUK’s sustainability lead Dr Matt Lee blogs about the impact of fossil fuel on health as the UK’s last coal-fired power station closes down
Today marks one of the most pivotal moments in modern public health; the closure of the last coal-fired power station in the UK.
Coal was instrumental in giving the UK an economic headstart with the industrial revolution and for over 140 years has contributed to powering our homes and public services.
It has contributed to the living standards we expect today, but this has come with a heavy price of climate catastrophe through the release of greenhouse gas emissions.
The heatwaves, floods, crop failures and spread of disease from climate change have come about because of the warming effect caused by the greenhouse gases released from coal, oil and gas.
The effects on health have been seen across the globe, though the UK continues to be somewhat sheltered from catastrophes on the scale of the floods in mainland Europe or the wildfires in Canada.
Nevertheless, we are becoming more exposed to the wrath of the environment. While this year has made itself known for being one of the wettest on record, it is a record that will inevitably become the norm.
People often say ‘China, Russia and the US are all much higher carbon emitters, anything the UK does is negligible’.
However, carbon emissions are cumulative. Some of the gases we released 140 years ago will still be in our atmosphere today.
For the first 50 years of the industrial revolution, the UK was responsible for approximately 100 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly because of coal.
Morally, the UK has a duty to lead the way to a decarbonised future running on cleaner energy. The current Government has announced plans to phase out gas from our energy grid by 2030.
This must be an absolute deadline and we encourage the Government to increase their ambition and meet the target comfortably before the next election – all our lives depend on it.
We all have the power to bring this change sooner. Moving your money away from banks that invest in fossil fuels and switching your energy supplier to a renewable one will accelerate change.
If you are a GP partner, make this change on a much bigger scale and move your whole practice away from fossil fuels. Crucially, tell your current supplier and bank the reasons why you are leaving.
And what better day to do so, than the day that coal is phased out of our power grid and confined to the history books, exactly where a fossil fuel should remain.
Visit ourhealthourplanet.co.uk to find out more about decarbonising your home and workplace and about how climate change is affecting our health in the UK.
