A pediatrician and child psychiatrist testified in Federal Court that medical advocacy can be viewed as promoting children’s health.
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Dr. Elizabeth Pinsky, a Boston-based pediatrician and child psychiatrist, defended the idea of “climate advocacy” during testimony in Canada’s first youth-led climate trial, responding to suggestions that she had framed advocacy as part of her career.
Pinsky said some work that others might describe as advocacy can “just be considered good sense and caring for children” in a different political climate. She made the comments while being cross-examined by lawyers for the Canadian government.
The lawsuit argues that federal legislation violates the constitutional rights of 15 young plaintiffs by continuing Canada’s trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. Pinsky agreed she had not directly treated any of the plaintiffs.
During her testimony on Thursday, Pinsky described risks to children tied to climate change, including susceptibility to extreme heat and impacts on mental health such as anxiety and depression.
The trial has heard evidence from Pinsky for the fourth time in the last three years in youth-led climate change cases, including lawsuits against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Under cross-examination, Pinsky said, “I guess I would just say, yes, advocacy is a piece of the work that I do. I do think the context matters some.”
Pinsky also told the court that as climate change worsens, health impacts will worsen as well, saying, “There’s just no question left in the medical literature about whether that’s true.”
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