Ophthalmologists can make professional, personal changes to help environment
One existential threat we all face is global warming and the associated changes in weather, so-called climate change.
It is clear to me that global warming is real. In Minnesota as a child, I used to skate on frozen ponds and lakes with my cousins every Thanksgiving to get ready for hockey season, and now we fish in open water. Minnesota spring boating season used to begin in mid-May, and now it begins in mid-April. At my second home in California, warmer temperatures and the impact of a long-term drought are readily apparent, and many reservoirs that used to support recreation and provide much needed water have gone dry.
The average global temperature has reportedly increased 2°F over the past 200 years. This global warming is accelerating, and if nothing is done, the average global temperature will increase another 2°F by 2050. A third 2°F increase in temperature will occur by 2100 at the current rate and, according to some experts, result in extinction of 50% of the current living species on Earth. We humans will survive, but our quality of life will be significantly affected.
Global warming is caused by increased greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The primary constituents of greenhouse gas are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Each of these contributors to greenhouse gas are virtuous in the proper concentration. The average temperature on Earth would be 0°F rather than 59°F without greenhouse gases. In that environment, humans would not exist, and Earth would be covered 100% with ice. Unfortunately, too much greenhouse gas serves like an insulator and preserves radiant energy on the Earth’s surface, resulting in a slow, continuous elevation of temperature.
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by an individual, company or entity, and today the growth of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is primarily caused by elevated levels of carbon dioxide. Methane produced by livestock is another cause. The biggest cause of the increase in greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuel. Also of importance is the fact that plastics, manufactured primarily from petroleum, are used more every year and are minimally biodegradable. The ever-increasing use of nonbiodegradable plastics in the world has led to another modern society challenge, pollution of our environment. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch of plastic pollution, which is now about twice the size of Texas, is one disturbing example. Very simply, the burning of fossil fuels and increasing use of plastic in our personal and practice lifestyles are bad for our environment.
On the other side of the equation, trees and vegetation are good, and they consume carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing our carbon footprint. Products made from trees and vegetation, including paper, also contribute to pollution but are preferred as they are biodegradable. For the environmentally conscious individual or entity, reducing the use of fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, petroleum and plastic, and favoring energy produced by hydroelectric, solar or nuclear power are preferred. It is also virtuous to preserve and plant trees and everything green as they consume some of the damaging carbon dioxide we humans create. Unfortunately, it takes 100 trees to consume just one ton of carbon dioxide, and every year we have less green and more concrete and asphalt in our modern cities.
A few personal thoughts. I am a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Governing Board and voted for and fully support the EyeSustain project. I am delighted the American Academy of Ophthalmology and European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons have joined with ASCRS, and fortunately, the industry leaders I have spoken with are also supportive.
I was interested in evaluating my own personal carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same. Awareness and education are the first steps in any attempt to make meaningful change. For those interested, there is the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator, available on the internet to determine one’s personal carbon footprint. As a baseline, the average person in the world generates about 5 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year. The average American generates 10 tons of CO2e, about twice the global average. I calculated my personal CO2e using the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator at 25 tons per year. I then added another 10 tons of CO2e for my practice contribution for a total carbon footprint as an individual of 35 tons of CO2e per year. That number clearly labeled me as a “carbon footprint villain.” I suspect nearly all my colleagues in ophthalmology will fall in the same category unless you are a vegetarian who never travels by air, does not own an automobile, walks or bicycles to work and all recreational activities, never prescribes or utilizes any product packaged in plastic, utilizes only reusable and not disposable products in the operating room, and powers one’s home and office with only clean energy.
On reflection, it is a bit daunting to know how high a carbon footprint I personally create. Knowing this fact has caused me to harbor some guilt and motivated me to make some modifications in my personal and professional habits. According to the ClimateHero Carbon Calculator, the cost of mitigating the impact of one ton of CO2e is only a $15 contribution. Making that level of financial contribution was easy. A relatively small financial contribution can apparently help reduce the negative impact of one’s personal carbon footprint.
I have also made some incremental personal choices. I now carry my Yeti filled with water to my tennis drills and games rather than a disposable plastic bottle of water. At the grocery store, our family uses reusable paper and never disposable plastic bags. I still fly a lot of miles each year, but I drive less, choosing restaurants and recreational destinations closer to home. I am recycling more, and my small independent village now has a food waste compost instituted by my wife, the mayor of our city. The grounds of my two homes are covered with trees, grass and gardens, which, besides being carbon footprint positive and aesthetically pleasing, have been beneficial for two endangered species, bees and butterflies. Finally, I intend to fully support EyeSustain and anticipate that together we ophthalmologists can over time make a meaningful difference.
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