Undark: The U.S. health care industry is one of the world’s worst polluters, causing many of the very deaths it seeks to prevent, write David Introcaso and Eric Reinhart for Undark.
In a nutshell:
The United States' healthcare system, the world's largest, is not only cost-inefficient but also remarkably energy-inefficient, emitting a substantial amount of greenhouse gases. U.S. hospitals exhibit higher energy intensity than European counterparts, with minimal energy-efficient certifications. In 2018, the healthcare industry contributed 8.5% of U.S. GHG emissions and about 25% globally. This environmental neglect is a pressing issue, particularly for vulnerable populations relying on Medicare and Medicaid, as air pollution disproportionately affects their health. To mitigate this crisis, healthcare institutions should prioritize energy efficiency and advocate for broader environmental policy changes to safeguard public health.
Key quote:
"Today, it is cheaper to save the climate than continue to destroy it. But federal policymakers and health care leaders continue to allow the industry to contribute to the climate crisis, which in turn is harming or killing those who are the most vulnerable."
The big picture:
Excessive energy consumption within the U.S. health care system contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the climate crisis and worsening air quality. This, in turn, poses a direct threat to public health, particularly for vulnerable populations like Medicare beneficiaries and children who suffer from respiratory issues and are at higher risk of climate-related diseases. Addressing this energy inefficiency is crucial to mitigate the interconnected challenges of environmental degradation and public health crises.
Read the article at Undark.
Want to know more? Be sure to read Kristina Marusic's piece for EHN, noting that "health damages from the U.S. healthcare sector’s pollution – including greenhouse gasses, carcinogenic emissions and other toxic air pollutants – from 2003-2013 are estimated to have cost Americans more than 400,000 years of full health, defined as years lived free of disease or disability."
