Dr Clifford Kendall is a UK trained doctor who has worked largely in South Africa since 2010. On 14 July 2019, he started a hunger strike outside the UK Parliament to push for more aggressive action on the climate and ecological emergency. He writes:
“The world is a complicated place, I’ve preferred to keep my distance from politics. I’d rather stick to health care hoping that at least there, I should achieve something positive.
Like over a thousand other doctors that have chosen to endorse Extinction Rebellion, I’m fearful that our achievements could fall insignificant if there is not a shift in human behaviour.
Subsequently I started a hunger strike.
Everyone’s busy, no-one has time, so this is just my short-hand way of saying that I think these issues matter.
I have emailed Michael Gove/DEFRA and subsequently the department for BEIS with the details of the hunger strike, hoping to encourage the UK government to a more ambitious target to reach carbon-neutral and urgent action to mitigate climate change and the ecological crisis.”
~ Dr Clifford Kendall – on why he is on hunger strike
→ BMJ Opinion – 24 July 2019:
Alex Armitage: Hunger strike for climate justice
“Cliff Kendall worked on the frontline of the 2010 HIV epidemic and has seen how many lives can be lost to government inaction, which is why he is now going on hunger strike for climate action”
→ Doctors for XR – 23 July 2019:
Hunger Strike Statement
“Writing this stuff in scientific journals hasn’t worked. We have to be more direct. My colleague Dr Cliff Kendall is doing just that. He’s on a hunger strike outside @parliament to raise attention. This is by far the most serious thing in all of our lives right now.”
~ Dr Chris Newman