Climate Neutral's CEO Austin Whitman Discusses Industry Efforts to Go Green (September 30th)
www.thehealthcarepolicypodcast.com
Listen Now Collectively termed subnationals, numerous academic institutions, states, cities and other local governments, companies, NGOS and other entities across the country have independently pledged to go green or become climate neutral. Ironically, the industry most lagging in this effort is health care despite the fact that, after the food industry, health care is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide equivalents at over 650 million metric tons annually, or approximately 10% of total US greenhouse gas emissions. Also too, despite the fact, per research published in PLOS One in 2016 by Mt. Sinai researchers, the health harm caused by the health care industry's carbon emissions causes upwards of 98,000 deaths per year – just in the US. (The US health care industry also substantially lags behind other prominent US industries in publicly reporting its carbon emissions.) Two weeks ago, however, Kaiser Permanente, the US's largest integrated, non-profit healthcare provider, became the first provider to achieve carbon neutral status. In its September 14th press released announcing the achievement, Kaiser stated it had erased its annual 800,000 ton carbon footprint. "As physicians, the press release stated further, "climate change is absolutely in our lane.” (Listeners will recall I interviewed Kaiser's Kathy Gerwig about her organizations climate neutral efforts in May of 2019. This is my 14th climate crisis-related interview.)
Climate Neutral's CEO Austin Whitman Discusses Industry Efforts to Go Green (September 30th)
Climate Neutral's CEO Austin Whitman…
Climate Neutral's CEO Austin Whitman Discusses Industry Efforts to Go Green (September 30th)
Listen Now Collectively termed subnationals, numerous academic institutions, states, cities and other local governments, companies, NGOS and other entities across the country have independently pledged to go green or become climate neutral. Ironically, the industry most lagging in this effort is health care despite the fact that, after the food industry, health care is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide equivalents at over 650 million metric tons annually, or approximately 10% of total US greenhouse gas emissions. Also too, despite the fact, per research published in PLOS One in 2016 by Mt. Sinai researchers, the health harm caused by the health care industry's carbon emissions causes upwards of 98,000 deaths per year – just in the US. (The US health care industry also substantially lags behind other prominent US industries in publicly reporting its carbon emissions.) Two weeks ago, however, Kaiser Permanente, the US's largest integrated, non-profit healthcare provider, became the first provider to achieve carbon neutral status. In its September 14th press released announcing the achievement, Kaiser stated it had erased its annual 800,000 ton carbon footprint. "As physicians, the press release stated further, "climate change is absolutely in our lane.” (Listeners will recall I interviewed Kaiser's Kathy Gerwig about her organizations climate neutral efforts in May of 2019. This is my 14th climate crisis-related interview.)