On the road to COP26

Day 2 - Monday: People Power

75 miles felt quite long, but we were blessed with clear skies again, enjoying sun rise and sun set from the saddle.  Bumpy canal paths into Stratford, big views, steep hills, oak trees and then an impressive, safe, cycle highway guiding us through Birmingham to our beds. 

You can join us virtually by signing up to our Strava group as we aim to hit 1 million km by the end of the month - hoping we can hit this seemingly impossible target, if we inspire enough people.

My cycle group of eight today included an OT, a parent counsellor, a diabetes nurse, a social worker, a neonatal intensive care consultant, a Welsh paediatrics trainee, a community paediatrician from France, and a child psychiatrist.

Different hospitals, different countries, different professions, same motivation: pushing for change because of the impacts on the children, young people and families we feel a duty of care towards.

The change that is possible when people come together like this, asking the question 'where do I fit in all this?', seems to take on a life of its own. 

For four perspectives on the issue see  this article in BMJ Opinion. 

Catriona's cycling group on day 2

Not a great start (getting lost in central Birmingham’s traffic system and road works, 2 punctures and a slippy canal track not designed for bike tyres), and not a great end (multiple hills saved up for between miles 65-75, in the dark, and rush hour traffic) to day 3.

The middle section had some higher points, another aunt and uncle pair provided cakes and tea for the whole ride, and good company. But this was definitely a part of the ride that was more challenging and perhaps when I’m less tired can offer some metaphor for the bigger challenge of working in the eco crisis context.

One issue that’s been coming up in conversation is about trying to engage other people in the issue, particularly overworked health care professionals. And something that keeps coming up in response is that starting small is enough: asking a question at an academic meeting, supporting a trainee to use their special interest time, emailing the trust you work for to ask about their Green Plan, can make a difference: it signals to other people, it starts conversation, these small ripples lead to other things. 

Whichever area we work in there will be a group to reach out to for other information and links to supportive networks.

In Psychiatry there are some ideas on our EcoCAMHS resource page and  on the Sustainability and Planetary Health Committee pages.

The group feel great after making it to Harrogate

Day 5 - Thursday: Intent

Now that the day-to-day logistics, prep, planning and ride/rest/eat balance is more familiar I have had the time and bandwidth to reflect on why I wanted to do this ride. It is partly to bring the mental health perspective to the message we are carrying and partly as a signal to children and young people that there are many adults who understand the urgency and severity of our climate and nature situation, and who care.

I remember witnessing the first school climate strikes and seeing the distress that children and young people are feeling and I am moved by the unfairness of it. 

Day 8 - Sunday: End of the ride, start of the action!

“If working apart we are a force powerful enough to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it… We are the greatest problem solvers on earth. We know how to deal with this problem” David Attenborough, at COP26. 

We had all relaxed by the end of day 7 as the final day into Glasgow on Sunday was so ‘short’, at 37 miles.

However, the REALLY wet weather, hilly terrain and another puncture had us worried we wouldn’t reach the final event in time. Luckily, the skies cleared, the 'Heron Farm Shop and Kitchen' appeared as if by magic for an injection of energy and the latter half of the ride was mainly downhill.  

So we all made it! Welcomed by a samba band and inspiring speeches from, amongst others, the Young Person rider, Toby Hancock, Fiona Godlee  and Robin Stott. My family were there too – I am so grateful to them and others, especially Alan and Nick, for the support they have given me to be able to do the ride.  

We have delivered the message to World Leaders on behalf of the 45 million healthcare professionals whose organisations signed the #HealthyClimatePrescription letter, and they know we are watching them closely. There is a continuing strong health care presence for the next two weeks, including input from RCPsych.  

I’m writing this from home as the rest of Sunday ran away with me. As I look ahead I ponder something else David Attenborough said to those in the audience younger than his 95 years.

So what to do? Some suggestions: 

• Carry on doing what we do: show we care, speak up when we feel something is wrong, share difficult times and new learning, look after ourselves, each other and the natural world around us. I think remembering what we need for our own and our communities’ emotional resilience will be increasingly important.  
  
• Find out where what matters most to you intersects with the climate and nature crisis. Then make a conscious commitment to live and work by weaving this climate and nature perspective into what you do. ‘People noticed when doctors stopped smoking. They will notice when we take climate change seriously’. This can be in many ways – one little step at a time. Supporting sustainable choices at home and in the workplace is important, but much easier to do as part of a group. Also, perhaps even more importantly, challenging systemic structures and signalling to the world’s most powerful that we want things to change for the better - for example by how we vote, what we buy, by switching to a renewable energy provider, or switching to an ethical bank. 

• Put pressure on whichever organisations we work with to, for example: raise the awareness of these issues across the workforce, to ensure any investment they make is ethical, to produce climate risk assessments and mitigation protocols.  

• Seek out training and join groups of other climate aware practitioners to increase knowledge and confidence. This helps in those moments when we feel the need to step back from pushing for change because we think we don’t know enough, aren’t green enough ourselves, or are too busy. 

• There is a specific role for those of us who work with children and in mental health. The intergenerational injustice and the emotional toll of living at these times calls on us particularly.  

All these ideas are meant to be helpful but I know the sheer choice can also be overwhelming.  Probably the best place to start is by finding a group of people to talk to. 

Please reach out to us in EcoCAMHS and/or RCPsych Sustainability and Planetary Health Committee . We would love to hear from you, without any pressure to commit. 

As I said goodnight to the kids last night I imagined other parents saying goodnight to their children too.  The world that the eyes of these children see each day when they wake up in 5, 10, 15 years time will be determined by what is done in the next handful of years. And whether we see it as a blessing or a curse, we are some of the people with the power and influence to shape what they see.  

The triumphant but tired team are given a warm welcome

The group with the Healthy Climate Prescription Letter for world leaders