sustainability in health Flashcards
what is the significance of the decade from 2010 and the years 2016 and 2019 in particular?
the 2010 decade is the warmest decade since before 1850 and 2016 and then 2019 were the two warmest years since 1850
what are predictions of warming based on?
pre industrial averages - on average global temperatures are 4.1 degrees warmer than pre industrial ages
what are the main oceanic and coastal climate issue?
harmful algal blooms
coral bleaching
plastic pollution
sea ice reduction
what is the hazard associated with algal blooms?
they are not all harmful however those that are can kill wildlife and pose a threat to human life - normal but can be increased by human activity
what is coral bleaching?
as the sea temperature rises by 1/2 degrees there is mass events to the deep and superficial coral - they die by starvation
what is the issue with plastic pollution?
harmful to ecosystems - there is 50 trillion pieces in sea - expected to outweigh fish by 2050
how is sea ice reduction measured?
by a satellite in september for averages as this is when it is smallest as is the line between arctic summer and winter
what aspects of climate changes affect human health?
air quality flooding mental health vector borne climate migration heatwaves
how does air quality affect human health?
burning fossil fuels - CVD, respiratory and cognitive decline as well as health inequality
how can floods affect human health?
direct aspects as well as contamination, hygiene diseases that are worse in LEDCs
how can heatwaves affect human health?
dehydration - effect on CVD and heat stroke
how are vector borne diseases changing with climate?
as the globe rises in temperature these will spread such as malaria and viral haemorrhagic fever
what is climate migration?
large influxes of people due to changes in climate
how can mental health be affected by climate change?
eco grief
how does the NHS affect climate change?
1.6m employed by the NHS which is 5% of the total work force
this accounts for 40% of total public sector admissions, 590000 tonnes of waste in 2016/17, 9.5bn miles of NHS related travel - plus particulates, mortality and societal costs due to air pollution, 2.23bn m3 of water and 6.3% of englands carbon footprint
what is an anchor institution?
the NHS. it is a large institution that sits within a local community that is unlikely to migrate out - it is dependent on the community for sustainability - they are usually public services and have a massive impact on the wellbeing of the community
the NHS being an anchor institution provides opportunity - how so?
opportunity for improvement - encouraged to take action through locally produced goods, recruitment and reducing environmental impact
what are the three parts to the NHS environmental responsibility plan?
direct - cut down carbon emissions
leadership - air quality improvement action
influence - individual actions of employees
what is used to measure the NHS impact and sustainability?
the WWF environmental footprint calculator - carbon footprint and water footprint are being reduced, waste is diverted from landfill, recycling is increased and incineration is for energy production
what are the aims of the NHS sustainability ?
to engage with sustainability actions, NHS forest and sustainability in quality improvement
