Ten Practical Actions for Doctors – Estimates of Potential Tonnes of Carbon Equivalents Saved per Year
Introduction
The Climate and Health Council and the Health and Sustainability Network have prepared a short paper proposing Ten Practical Actions for Doctors to Combat Climate Change, which was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2008;336: 1507) and therefore cannot be reproduced here. The Ten Practical Actions reflect the Climate and Health Council framework: Inform, Affirm, Advocate, Innovate and Disseminate. The primary focus is on action by doctors as health professionals, as well as citizens. The estimates below therefore concern mainly action in the workplace (hospital or general practice). We have deliberately suggested actions that require little or no money.
The actions are summarised in the table below, together with a first attempt at calculating the potential tonnes of carbon that might be saved from the ‘affirmative’ group of actions. The figures suggested (e.g. advice to three patients per GP per week), are intended to be sensible and achievable.
The next step will be to quantify the health benefits for the last column – contributions would be very welcome.
A conclusion from the work so far is that doctors have a significant contribution to make to carbon reduction as health professionals. Each GP, for example, could save the equivalent annual carbon emissions of three people through advocacy with patients and in the community (and probably a lot more if they really exercised their influence.) But the potential contribution of the medical profession is modest (current total estimate 2.3 million tonnes per year) compared with, for example, the output of Drax power station in Yorkshire at 22.6 million tonnes per year. There needs to be a radical, structural approach to tackling carbon emissions.
Estimates of tonnes per person are taken from Sustaining a Healthy Future: Taking Action on Climate Change (Faculty of Public Health, January 2008). Overall 10 tonnes per person.
| No. | Action | Who | Calculations and comments | Tonnes saved – per doctor | Tonnes saved – whole profession | Health benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inform ourselves | All doctors | ||||
| 2 | Advise our patients
|
GPs = 50,000 Realistic to expect action on both food & exercise? Hospital doctors should make some contribution |
Advice to 3 patients/week x 40/weeks/year = 120 patients
|
15.00 (GPs) 7.00 (GPs) |
750,000 360,000 |
|
| 3 | Use less energy at work | All doctors = 150,000 | 20% improvement assumed (reducing heating by 1 degree saves 8% on energy use; changing all light bulbs and switching off can save up to 20%). Public services infrastructure 1.2 tonnes per person. Assume 25% of this NHS = 0.3 tonnes. 20% x 0.3 = 0.06 tonnes. | 0.06 |
9,000 |
|
| 4 | Drive less, fly less | All doctors = 150,000 | Car travel 1.2 tonnes/person/year Air travel 1 tonne/person/year Car mileage: Halve car travel from 10,000 to 5,000 miles per year (Socolow wedge). Reduce emissions from 1.2 to 0.6 tonnes. Fuel consumption: Drive cars with 60 mpg rather than 30 mpg (Socolow wedge). Assume remaining 0.6 tonnes halved to 0.3 tonnes. Fly less: Halve to 0.5 tonnes |
0.6 0.3 0.5 |
90,000 45,000 75,000 |
|
| 5 | Influence food menus related to work | All doctors = 150,000 | Assume 5% reduction in emissions of 2.5 tonnes per doctor for food (e.g. halving of meat consumption = 0.125 tonnes) | 0.125 |
18,750 |
|
| 6 | Improving home insulation via community advocacy | GPs = 50,000 | Assume 10% improvement in 10 houses due to action by each doctor. Energy at home = 4.0 tonnes per household. 10% = 0.4 tonnes x 10 houses = 4.0 tonnes per GP | 4.0 |
200,000 |
|
| 7 | Advocate for personal carbon entitlements within global framework | |||||
| 8 | Advocate to stabilise global population | |||||
| 9 | Being a champion | All doctors = 150,000 | Assume each doctor influences 10 colleagues to reduce their carbon by 5% = 5 tonnes | 5.0 |
750,000 |
|
| 10 | Join the Climate and Health Council |
1NICE rapid review of effectiveness of brief interventions in primary care to promote physical activity in adults (2006) suggests that 5% probably a reasonable figure to use. However, follow-up sessions to the initial consultation are needed for long-term effect.
Please track all suggested changes, if possible with references to explanatory notes, to be included below.
CONCLUSIONS: TONNES OF CARBON SAVED PER ANNUM
| PER DOCTOR | MEDICAL PROFESSION AS A WHOLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and transport - all doctors | ||
| Use less energy at work | 0.06 | 9,000 |
| Drive 5,000 miles (not 10,000) in a 60 mpg car | 0.9 | 135,000 |
| 1.46 tonnes or approx 15% of total per doctor | 219,000 | |
| GPs | ||
| Improved diet in patients | 15.0 | 750,000 |
| Reduced car usage by patients | 7.0 | 360,000 |
| Home insulation in the community | 4.0 | 200,000 |
| 26.0 tonnes | 1,310,000 | |
| All doctors | ||
| Influencing work-related food menus | 0.125 | 18,750 |
| Influencing colleagues | 5.0 | 750,000 |
| 5.125 tonnes | 768,750 | |
| TOTALS | 32.5 tonnes per GP 6.5 tonnes per hospital doctor |
2.3 million tonnes |