Ballymena GP calls for climate justice for developing countries

Dr Mark Dick used his voice to urge action on climate change and support for low-income countries as world leaders prepared to complete their negotiations at the United Nations’ climate conference, COP26.

Mark, whose medical practice is at Ballymena Health and Care Centre, is also a Christian Aid climate volunteer, a member of First Ballymena Presbyterian Church and has for 40 years been a Scout Leader with Third Ballymena Scout Troop.

Recently, Mark and his Scout Troop made origami paper boats on which they wrote their hopes and prayers for the climate summit. The paper boats symbolise that while we are in the same storm, we aren’t in the same boat when it comes to dealing with the impact of climate change.

Richer, polluting countries which have contributed most to the problem of climate change, are well-placed to cope with its effects while people in developing countries are already experiencing intense heatwaves, prolonged drought, dangerous cyclones, calamitous flooding and devastating locust swarms. In the countries where Christian Aid works, climate change has for many years been destroying crops, homes and livelihoods.

Thousands of ‘little boats’ like the ones made in Ballymena formed a ‘flotilla’ which was displayed in a Glasgow cathedral to coincide with the crucial summit, representing growing public demands for urgent action to avert runaway climate change.

Mark is among thousands of Christian Aid supporters urging political leaders to:

Take action to reduce carbon emissions in order to limit the rise in average global temperatures to 1.5C.

Increase financial support to the world’s poorest countries to confront the climate crisis.

Stop the expansion of fossil fuel energy and invest in clean energy.

Christian Aid Ireland Chief Executive Rosamond Bennett thanked the members of Third Ballymena Scout Troop for sending a message to political leaders meeting at the Glasgow summit. She said: “The voices of concerned citizens, climate activists and faith communities are growing louder as we demand real, immediate and lasting action to avert a climate catastrophe. The seas might be rising but so are we.”