Storz Maximilian Andreas
Radiologist at Tuebingen University Hospital in Germany.
Perm J. 2018;22:17-145. doi: 10.7812/TPP/17-145.
With Earth Overshoot Day having recently passed, there is no space for complacency regarding taking care of our planet. On August 2, 2017, humanity used nature's resource budget for the entire year. For decades, we have lived far beyond our means by overexploiting natural resources and spewing pollution, such as microplastics and industrial chemicals, into our environment. On the other hand, public awareness of human-induced climate change has also increased since the 1980s. The frequent media coverage about extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, such as Hurricane Irma in 2017, serves as an important reminder that anthropogenic climate change is happening now.Adverse health conditions associated with climate change include an increased prevalence of diseases and disorders. Although we all contribute to this development, as physicians we also have the privileged duty to protect global human health. Therefore, we should make every effort to cut down our own carbon footprint and adapt a more sustainable lifestyle.The aim of this commentary is to provide feasible tips and strategies to effectively reduce one's individual carbon footprint, with a special focus on daily clinical and hospital work. Not only are these strategies easy to implement in daily clinical routine, but most of them are associated with important health benefits.
随着地球生态超载日最近刚刚过去，在爱护我们的星球方面，我们没有自满的余地。2017年8月2日，人类用光了一整年的自然资源预算。几十年来，我们过度开发自然资源，向环境中排放微塑料和工业化学品等污染物，一直过着入不敷出的生活。另一方面，自20世纪80年代以来，公众对人为引起的气候变化的认识也有所提高。媒体对极端天气状况和自然灾害（如2017年的飓风艾尔玛）的频繁报道，有力地提醒人们，人为气候变化正在发生。与气候变化相关的不良健康状况包括疾病和失调的患病率增加。虽然我们都在促成这种发展，但作为医生，我们也有保护全球人类健康的特殊责任。因此，我们应该尽一切努力减少自己的碳足迹，采用更可持续的生活方式。本评论的目的是提供可行的提示和策略，以有效减少个人的碳足迹，特别关注日常临床和医院工作。这些策略不仅易于在日常临床工作中实施，而且其中大多数都能带来重要的健康益处。
