Turning despair into action 

In January, climate action advocate and Dundalk GP Dr Seán Owens was seriously injured while cycling home from work. Dr Lisa McNamee of Irish Doctors for the Environment encourages us all to multiply his extraordinary efforts until he is well enough to rejoin us   

There are periods in your life where the bad news appears to come in waves. Where negative events that would be life-altering on their own unexpectedly coalesce together. Each one crashing over your head before you have been able to come up for breath from the last one. When this happened to me recently, I felt like I was dragging myself through tasks that I would normally skip through. Even as a bona fide optimist, it was hard to find any bright side in the devastation before me. This is without looking beyond the personal and considering the general state and trajectory of the world, which at best can be euphemistically termed ‘suboptimal’. I know many friends and colleagues who have had a similarly rocky start to 2025.

As a doer, I eventually came to the conclusion that the only method of dealing with these simultaneous and unsolvable crises was through parallel action. You cannot treat a friend’s catastrophic injury yourself, you must leave that in the capable hands of their surgical and rehabilitative teams. But you can continue your friend’s good work. You can align yourself further with their values. You can summon your inner courage and advocate as they would in difficult rooms. You can listen with an open mind even when it is not your first instinct. You can adopt their tolerance for contrary positions even when it tests your patience. You can honour their contributions by building on their research and spreading their message. You can take action.

Dr Seán Owens has inspired many doctors to incorporate climate action into their clinical practice through his promotion of plant-based diets, active travel, deprescribing, and reconnecting with nature. Following his significant accident, many of his colleagues came together to list with awe the incredible number of climate initiatives he has started, promoted, and furthered. He has unknowingly inspired an entire community to become involved. Right now, he cannot continue the extraordinary work he has tirelessly undertaken throughout his career. It is up to all of us now to multiply his contributions. We must ensure that we take on his mantle until he is well enough to rejoin us. We all lead busy, complex lives, but we must make time for this important work.

Dr Seán Owens has inspired many doctors to incorporate climate action into their clinical practice…

I contacted my pension provider to inquire if they were investing in fossil fuels, and if so, how I could move to an equally well-performing non fossil fuel investment – a surprisingly quick and easy process. I’ve cancelled flights that previously seemed essential and unalterable. I’ve left the car at home on rainy days. I’m continuing to conduct interviews with climate change champions on the Irish Doctors for the Environment podcast, even though sometimes my voice breaks when Seán does not introduce himself with me. These are tiny actions, but not without effort.

It is easy to feel helpless when faced with catastrophic events. It is easy to become paralysed by the waves of crises hitting us before we have recovered from the last. It is important to notice those feelings of helplessness and paralysis. To acknowledge they are there and put them to one side. It is only with action that paralysis can end and we must act now even when we least feel able to do so. We must build on the good work that has already been done and rise as a community to effect real change.

Further information on Irish Doctors for the Environment can be found here: https://ide.ie