Doctor Doctor

The British Medical Journal, Lancet, Royal Colleges of Physicians and Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, NHS Sustainable Development Unit, Campaign for Greener Healthcare and the Climate and Health Council have all clubbed together to purchase a universal screening license for Stupid so that the entire staff of the National Health Service can see the film.

The NHS is one of the world's largest employers with over 1.5 million employees, and NHS operations account for around 3% of Britain's total carbon output, so this is absolutely massive news - both for Stupid and for mass engagement with climate change in the UK.

Health professionals are of course one of the most scientifically literate demographics within the British population. They are also more accustomed than most to thinking through issues around human welfare, so it's no surprise they're more switched on to the threats and challenges posed by climate change than the ordinary bloke on the street.

Recent months have seen a ratcheting up of political engagement with CC by doctors and medical institutions. The Climate and Health Council was set up in 2008, "To help guide the position of UK, European, and other Governments
in post-Kyoto framework discussions (COP 15) in Copenhagen Nov/Dec 2009.", and their website hosts a pledge for health workers to sign up to "To protect health through active engagement to limit the causes of human-caused climate change".

And in May, the Lancet and UCL published a landmark report on Managing the health effects of climate change which revolves around the observation that climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. 

So the long and short of it is that Doctors and Nurses are Not Stupid. But then we knew that anyway. Massive kudos to the NHS for taking the lead in this way - let's hope other big public bodies follow suit.

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