Dr Carolyn Orr, Gethsemane, and Extinction Rebellion

Dr Carolyn Orr is neurologist at the Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia. She is also an activist for Extinction Rebellion Western Australia. She says, "I am a practising medical specialist. I run clinical trials for people with devastating brain diseases. I am the mother of two beloved primary school age children. I am a part of Extinction Rebellion because environmental scientists are telling us that we are destroying our planet via climate change. That we are in the sixth mass species extinction. That we are polluting our world faster than ever before in history. That we are in a planetary emergency. By the time my primary schoolers are in their 20s the devastating bushfire season of 2019-20 will be a normal year to them due to the continued heating of the planet. By the time they are my age (in their 40s) their world will be one of devastating heatwaves, floods, and droughts, leading to human suffering on a scale never seen before. Every major medical journal and many medical organisations, including the World Health Organisation, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian Medical Association, have declared a climate emergency. Our government is not only failing to heed that call, but continues investing our money in supporting coal, oil and gas industries when we need to be pivoting immediately and on a grand scale towards renewables and a zero carbon future. As a medical doctor I cannot stay silent in the face of this madness. As a mother I cannot stand by while my children’s future is stolen from them and their generation. It has been said that for evil to triumph, all that is necessary is that good people stay silent. That is why I am proud to be an active member of Extinction Rebellion." Follow Extinction Rebellion WA on Facebook. Follow Drew Hart on Instagram and Twitter @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on Instagram and Twitter @jarrodmckenna. Discover our global community on Twitter and Instagram @inversepodcast. Become a Patron of Inverse at https://www.patreon.com/InVerse Inverse is produced by Julie Kerr (@juliekkerr) with music provided by David Andrew (@davidjandrew)