Whitby GP to cycle from Sheffield to London for four-day peaceful demonstration The Big One

People are due to gather throughout Westminster and at the Houses of Parliament to hold our leaders to account on the climate and ecological crisis.

Subtitled Unite to Survive and potentially the largest climate protest ever held in the UK, more than 70 organisations are collaborating for this peaceful, family-friendly event.

Margaret, who will be cycling with health professionals from primary care sustainability network Greener Practice, said: “The streets will be transformed with People’s Pickets outside government departments and a diverse programme of speakers, performers and workshops, awash with colour and culture.

"There will be art and music, talks from experts, places to listen and engage, and activities for children.

“The climate and nature emergency is a health emergency.

"In 2022 there were over 3,000 excess deaths in England and Wales attributable to the extreme heat (Office for National Statistics).

"Many people experienced worsening of their health problems, such as asthma and heart disease as well as mental health impacts.

"Flooding causes a range of health impacts from exposure to infectious disease to the mental health effects of not being able to be in your own home for months.

"The way infectious diseases behave is changing, for example, malaria coming north; an increase in Tick-borne diseases such as Lyme Disease.

"These are just a few examples of the impacts we are likely to see as a result of changing weather patterns.

"Increasingly I, and a number of health professional colleagues, see addressing the climate crisis as the most important health challenge.

"Not nearly enough is being done by our government to prevent catastrophic changes in global temperatures, to halt the loss of biodiversity, to address damage to our oceans, or to address air pollution.

"Failure to act now will have profoundly damaging implications for our children, grandchildren and all future generations.”

She said the good news is that measures taken to tackle the climate and ecological crisis will also improve human health, but huge investment was needed in green technologies to support a rapid transition from fossil fuels.

“We need health and social policies which support the public to engage in active travel – cycling and walking - and to consume diets that support both our own and the planet’s health.

"We need policies that transform farming and industrial practices to improve the health of our ecosystems, promoting biodiversity and improving the health of our rivers and oceans.

"We need equitable access to natural spaces to promote the physical and mental health of the population, and to encourage engagement with, and protection of, the natural world.“As individuals we can make small but important differences.

"But there is only so much that individuals can do. It is the job of our elected representatives to do their job to protect the well-being and health of the population now, and in the future.

"I believe that we can bring about change.

"We can turn the tide.”