From Vegan Doctor to Jailed Climate Activist: Sarah Benn's Bold Path
And what we can learn from her.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I recently saw a name strikingly familiar among my new blog subscribers — a name I recognized from news articles that have deeply moved and inspired me.
When she commented on one of my articles that same day, I couldn’t resist responding: “If you are the Sarah Benn I know from Guardian articles, you are a HUGE inspiration — but even if not, I’m honored to have you on board.”
“Yes, I have been in The Guardian recently to do with climate activism,” she responded. It was indeed her! Just three months into my blogging journey, I was incredibly grateful to have someone of her stature join my newsletter.
For those who might not be familiar, Dr Sarah Benn is a woman who has repeatedly put her freedom on the line for the planet. She’s shown tremendous courage, driven by deep convictions, and has become the first doctor to face disciplinary action after being convicted and jailed for her climate activism.
What’s in this article?
This article will not only delve into Sarah’s impactful climate activism but also explore a lesser-known yet significant aspect of her journey: her path to veganism. Enriched with direct input and previously unpublished insights from Sarah herself, this piece highlights how her commitment to veganism has become a crucial, though often overlooked, facet of her activism.
I hope Sarah’s wisdom, compassion, and unwavering determination in fighting for what’s right will inspire you as much as she has inspired me. Here is her story. Enjoy the read!
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The realization that changed her life
Dr Sarah Benn is a former general practitioner with over three decades of professional experience. For as long as she can remember, Sarah has been troubled by humanity’s treatment of the natural world. As a child, she didn’t have the concepts of sustainability or planetary boundaries; her concerns initially manifested as distress over waste, litter, and animal cruelty. She devoted time to raising money for animal charities, focusing on horses, donkeys, and wildlife.
In the early 2000s, Sarah’s concerns evolved into a deep anxiety about environmental destruction and climate breakdown. She came to understand that climate change is an immediate, severe threat rather than a distant possibility.
An even more pivotal moment of realization came when she recognized that her work as a physician and the fight against climate change were profoundly interconnected. She understood that climate change is not merely an environmental issue but a serious threat to human health, manifesting in increased heatwaves, respiratory problems, and the spread of diseases.
As she put it, “The climate emergency is a health emergency; not a potential future one, but here and now. If I know all this and choose to stay quiet, I am failing in my obligations. I am breaching the guidance in good medical practice to make my patients’ health my first concern.”
Faced with the gravity of the situation, Sarah knew she had to act. She began to channel her concern into activism, engaging in various forms of awareness raising and peaceful protest.
How she ended up in jail
Sarah made history as the first doctor to face a tribunal over climate activism. She was arrested and sentenced to prison after taking part in peaceful demonstrations at an oil terminal in Warwickshire, UK. In stark contrast to the oil industry, Sarah didn’t destroy anything. All she did to get arrested was breaking a private injunction holding a sign. Sarah spent eight days on remand in custody — and after breaching the injunction again, she was jailed for 32 days. In response to these news, the UK’s Medical Practitioners Tribunal suspended Sarah’s medical registration for five months, arguing that her actions jeopardized public trust in the medical profession.
Public outrage
The tribunal’s decision to punish Sarah drew media attention, leading to widespread outrage and protest. Many health professionals, organizations, and climate advocates voiced their strong dismay over the ruling, viewing it as a dangerous precedent that discourages others from participating in the critical fight against the climate crisis.
Numerous prominent figures in the medical field have spoken out in support of Sarah, arguing that her actions were not only justified but necessary. They emphasize that her activism is in line with a doctor’s mission to promote health and save lives.
As many of Sarah’s supporters have pointed out, the true scandal lies not in her crossing legal boundaries for peaceful protest, but in the fact that so many others, with the capacity to act, choose not to.
“This principled and courageous doctor has already put her own liberty on the line to raise the alarm on what is recognized as the greatest threat to our health and survival. If she and others in the future lose their right to practice, who wins? Certainly not patients.”
— Dr. Fiona Godlee, former editor of the BMJ“Given the evidence on climate change and its health impacts, we strongly believe that peaceful protest should not be viewed as condemnable professional misconduct – but as commendable public health advocacy.”
— Andy Mann, spokesperson for the Doctors’ Association UK“Expecting doctors to protect patient safety, except for when patient safety is threatened by the climate and ecological crisis, is perverse and shameful.”
— Health for Extinction Rebellion
UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, Michel Forst, criticized the UK’s crackdown on environmental protests and condemned the professional tribunals of medical doctors. He stressed that “professional sanctions can definitely be considered as a form of penalization, persecution, or harassment.”
If you too wish to show your support, please consider signing this petition.
No regrets
Sarah has made it abundantly clear that she harbors no regrets about her actions and remains unwavering in her commitment to climate activism. “I am blowing a whistle, and I won’t stop,” she declared, emphasizing that neither her suspension from the medical register nor any other consequence will deter her from continuing her protest. “My position remains unchanged. I see a compelling duty to raise the alarm and force action over the biggest threat to human life and health ever faced.”
“I’m not holding my breath for an apology, and I really don’t want sympathy. I just want our medical institutions to show some leadership and moral courage, and act a bit more effectively than introducing low energy lightbulbs and reusable coffee cups. There will be no net zero targets, no GMC, no tribunal service, and no medicine on a dead planet.”
— Dr Sarah Benn
Science is on Sarah’s side
Sarah isn’t pushing a fringe agenda but is responding to the urgent demands outlined by scientists to safeguard public health and the environment. The Lancet, a leading medical journal, has issued a call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, stating: “The science is unequivocal; a global increase of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse.”
New oil and gas licenses, like those granted by the UK government, are inconsistent with keeping warming under 1.5˚C. Despite the growing body of evidence and dire warnings, action remains alarmingly insufficient. Sarah and her supporters argue that the failure of political and legal institutions to address this crisis has created a moral vacuum, compelling health professionals to step up where others have fallen short.
Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, has urged health professionals to engage in non-violent protest, calling the climate emergency “the most existential crisis facing our communities in the world today”. This aligns with the United Nations recognizing climate change as the “single biggest health threat facing humanity.”
“The world is facing an unprecedented crisis... All the science is absolutely shocking — the planet is on a path to 2°C warming, if not more. We need to do something really radical and urgent to protect our coral reefs and Arctic sea ice and to stop deadly heat waves, but that’s not happening. The inaction is just shocking.”
— Dr Sarah Benn
Historical evidence shows that medical activism and non-violent disruptive protest can drive significant social and political change, affirming that Sarah’s approach is both justified and necessary.
“Sorry, pressed Enter prematurely ...”
After Sarah had shared the story of her climate activism with me, I saw another chat message popping up: “Sorry, pressed Enter prematurely ... not finished yet!”
Even though everything she had written up to that point was already fascinating, I’m grateful she continued. Her subsequent messages provided insights into one of the most under-explored yet crucial aspects of her life and activism: her stance on the animal industry and her journey to veganism.
Despite her long-standing concerns about environmental destruction and her compassion for animals, Sarah consumed animal products for most of her life. She was influenced by what she now recognizes as the “high welfare meat fantasy”.
Her perspective began to shift in 2010, driven primarily by growing concerns about the environmental impacts of animal agriculture. This was when she transitioned to a vegetarian diet. Over time, Sarah noticed health improvements and felt increasingly aligned with her values. It wasn’t until 2019, when she declared herself “vegan for the planet,” that she fully embraced a plant-based lifestyle, eliminating cheese and other animal products from her diet.
Sarah’s journey to veganism mirrors the experiences of many who, like her, discover that the most profound realizations about the cruelty and environmental harm of the animal industry come only after fully committing to a vegan lifestyle. She spent several challenging months learning about the disturbing realities of the egg and dairy industries, reflecting on how she had previously overlooked these issues during her “smug vegetarian years.”
Today, veganism has become one of Sarah’s core concerns. She advocates passionately for a plant-based diet as a straightforward yet powerful response to the climate emergency. “I feel most effective and happy now when advocating for a move to a vegan diet over all other strategies to address the climate emergency,” she says. “It's such a no-brainer, and something anyone and everyone could and can do, any time they choose, and to a degree that they are currently able, and at a pace they can cope with.”
Sarah’s shift to veganism also underscores the broader health and environmental impacts of the animal industry. Issues such as antibiotic use in animal farming, health consequences from consuming animal products, and the human costs related to air pollution and climate change all intersect with her advocacy.
Her dogs were raised for meat
In 2022, Sarah and her partner adopted two dogs rescued from a meat farm in Korea. “One of them was very traumatized, and it has been a lengthy battle to gain his trust, but he is now enjoying life — a completely different dog to the cowering wreck who used to lose control of his bladder and bowels when we tried to get a harness on him to take him outside the house,” Sarah tells me. “I hate to imagine what he has endured, and likely to have seen, heard, and smelled happening to his fellow dogs being raised for meat.”
People regularly stop and admire the dogs and ask what breed they are. When Sarah tells their story, it invariably leads to expressions of horror and anger. “And yet I know,” Sarah says, “that the vast majority of these good-hearted folk will go home to a plate of dead farm animal that has led a miserable life with a terrifying end. The intense cognitive dissonance at work, and the naked speciesism shocks me still, knowing that I spent years doing the exact same.”
While Sarah originally went vegan in an effort to shrink her personal climate impact as much as possible, she now asserts with conviction: “I 100% remain vegan for the animals and would remain so even if there were no emissions benefit whatsoever.”
Lessons from Sarah’s journey
Sarah’s story highlights the critical link between climate action and veganism — and is a powerful reminder of the profound impact one individual’s activism can have on our collective consciousness.
Key Takeaways:
Understand the urgency of the climate emergency and act on it.
Sarah’s activism vividly illustrates the urgent need to recognize and address the climate crisis. Immediate and impactful actions are essential to mitigate the severe consequences of global warming. Her determination and sense of urgency, grounded in scientific consensus, should inspire us all to act now.Embrace veganism.
Sarah’s transition to veganism reflects the importance of aligning our daily choices with our values. Besides causing needless suffering for trillions of sentient beings, the livestock industry heavily contributes to our greatest global crises — from climate change, world hunger, environmental pollution, and deforestation to species extinction, dying oceans, antibiotic resistance, and the mutation of infectuous diseases. Research confirms that going vegan is the “single biggest way” to reduce your impact on Earth.Step out of your comfort zone.
Confronting climate change and animal exploitation requires more than symbolic gestures. Sarah’s journey demonstrates that real progress involves stepping out of our comfort zone, facing discomfort and resistance, and taking bold action. Her courage in doing so serves as an inspiring example for us all.Stay true to your moral compass.
History shows that every social justice movement faces resistance and obstacles. Standing up for what is right, despite potential backlash, is crucial. In a society where the majority still actively perpetuates practices that contribute to environmental degradation and animal suffering, we must remain steadfast in our well-founded convictions, even when they go against prevailing norms.
"I have really enjoyed your writing so far and would like to see it getting out to a wide audience.”
— Dr Sarah Benn
*****
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Thank you Pala for such a kind portrait. I had a lot of media interest around the time of my imprisonment, and again when I was suspended, including from the medical press. There seems to be a fascination with a doctor doing activist stuff that lands them in jail, but I wish the conversation could be more about the climate emergency, and particularly what caring people can do as individuals when they often feel helpless and without agency. I always mention that I'm vegan and how changing one's diet is something open to EVERYONE which has such a powerful effect. It doesn't get much media attention, but I'll keep plugging on. It's often said that if people go vegan for reasons other than the animals, that they often go back; but I've come across a good number of people who have changed their diet for planetary or individual health and then once they have broken their dependence on consuming animal products, have explored the facts around animal agriculture without needing to look away and blanket themselves in cognitive dissonance, been horrified, and then gone completely vegan if they weren't quite there, and/or realised they could never go back. Folk in the environmental space should be low hanging fruit for encouraging into veganism... not always the case, but becoming more the norm.