New report evaluates environmental impact of NHS
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
The NHS's "ecological footprint"—an indication in land area of an organisation's consumption of natural resources—is about five million hectares, about a fifth of the acreage of the United Kingdom, says a new report.
The report gives details of a study that was begun in 2001 to assess the environmental impact of NHS activities and was launched in London last week.
The study also found that about 2.4 million tonnes of resources, excluding water and oxygen, was consumed in the NHS, with about 15% being discarded as waste and 1% remaining as stock.
The NHS also generated 3.2 million tonnes of emissions, mostly carbon dioxide.
In terms of water consumption, 49.8 million litres of water was supplied to the NHS, with 14% leaking away. An assessment of energy consumption found that the NHS consumes about 1% of all energy consumed in the whole of England and Wales.
Fifty three thousand tonnes of food was consumed in the period under question, with dairy products accounting for 24% of this.
Commenting on the project, Nicola Jenkins, editor of the report and one of its authors, said: "The aim of this project was not to assess whether the NHS is doing well or badly . . . was to develop a snapshot understanding of the current activities of the NHS, in particular consumption of direct energy, products, food, water, distance travelled, and built land . . . This gave us an indication of the environmental impact for these activities in 2001."
The study was commissioned by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and was funded by NHS Estates, which used a grant it received from Biffa Waste Services.(BMJ Chibuzo Odigwe)
The report gives details of a study that was begun in 2001 to assess the environmental impact of NHS activities and was launched in London last week.
The study also found that about 2.4 million tonnes of resources, excluding water and oxygen, was consumed in the NHS, with about 15% being discarded as waste and 1% remaining as stock.
The NHS also generated 3.2 million tonnes of emissions, mostly carbon dioxide.
In terms of water consumption, 49.8 million litres of water was supplied to the NHS, with 14% leaking away. An assessment of energy consumption found that the NHS consumes about 1% of all energy consumed in the whole of England and Wales.
Fifty three thousand tonnes of food was consumed in the period under question, with dairy products accounting for 24% of this.
Commenting on the project, Nicola Jenkins, editor of the report and one of its authors, said: "The aim of this project was not to assess whether the NHS is doing well or badly . . . was to develop a snapshot understanding of the current activities of the NHS, in particular consumption of direct energy, products, food, water, distance travelled, and built land . . . This gave us an indication of the environmental impact for these activities in 2001."
The study was commissioned by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and was funded by NHS Estates, which used a grant it received from Biffa Waste Services.(BMJ Chibuzo Odigwe)