INTERVIEW: Dr Sian Ashby – Doctor With A View On Climate Change
By Brooke Sharkey, Lewis Douglas and Nicole Richmond.
On the 11th of November 2021, Lesmahagow High School journalists interviewed Dr Sian Ashby. She is a GP from Glasgow who raises awareness for climate change to be recognised as a public health issue. When we first started researching Sian Ashby, we didn’t really think of the climate crisis as a health crisis, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. Climate change impacts more than just the earth, but the people that live on it.
CNC – Carbon Neutral Cambridge – June 2, 2021 by Anne Miller
Due to Sian Ashby being so involved with the action of COP26, we thought it was appropriate to ask her: “How do you think, personally, climate change impacts the health of humans?”
- “In simple terms, as humans, we rely on the planet for food, for water and things like that. Climate change affects all of that. Extreme weather patterns and changes means we can’t adapt in time and people end up dying. 19% of the global land mass is affected by drought. 72% of the world is now exposed to wildfires. Changing weather and climates allow mosquitoes to travel and the number of people exposed to things such as malaria has increased. Climate change affects more than we think as we rely on the planet for almost everything.”
Sian Ashby is very vocal on her Twitter page and expresses her views dealing with the climate emergency in relation to public health, so we asked her: “How realistic is it for any agreement to be made at COP26 in regards to public health?”
- “There have been some pledges made at COP. 50 countries have pledged to get their healthcare services to be net zero. In the NHS, in Scotland at least, we aim to be net zero by 2040. I have mixed opinions on some of the pledges coming out of COP, but I think they all relate to health. But pledges are being set for the future for 10, 20 and 30 years in future, but we need to act now and action needs to be taken quicker.”
She also does talks, demonstrations and attend protests in order to get her voice heard, as well as the voices of everyone else heard too, so we asked her: “Do you think world leaders such as Boris Johnson and Joe Biden care about climate change in regards to public health?”
- “I believe that they do to an extent, but there are trying to balance many different political agendas all at once. Politicians needs to back up their actions. They treat climate change as a minor issue, when in reality it is probably one of the biggest issues that we are facing at the current point.”
Being from Glasgow herself, she has saw many changes over the years, so we asked her: “What effects of climate change do you see in public health in Glasgow?”
- “Air pollution is our biggest problem in Glasgow, and … is the most polluted street in Scotland. Air pollution can increase chances of people having strokes, asthma and heart attacks.”
We asked Sian: “What can people our age do to raise awareness?”
- “This type of work is what we need. To educate the younger generations but also the older generations. The louder you can shout the better, as you will need to live with the effects of this. Don’t be afraid to speak up.”
Many people do agree with the fact that the climate crisis is a health crisis. Through emitted gases, peoples lungs are being exposed to things such as carbon each and every day, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s lungs weren’t able to fight against the virus and people were dying. If we cut emissions (harmful gasses being released into the air), people will have a better chance of fighting off viruses such as COVID. We can all help the quality of public health, as well as improving our own quality of life.
