Potpourri: Ideas for You on Microplastics, French Fashion Fix, Shipping Emissions, A Meeting for Healthcare Execs on Climate-Smart Healthcare, and Texas Wind Power
Microplastics are everywhere. Here are some ideas for limiting your exposure to them, at least a bit.
Shipping emissions, which account for about 3% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, is tough nut to crack since cargo ships are too massive for solar and batteries with current technology. A recent report by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations suggests that a “carbon levy” could result in half the CO2 output from shipping with no impact on trade. It would also raise as much as $60 billion per year.
From the Guardian article:
“Joe Biden could face stiff resistance to any plans from a Republican-controlled Congress. Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, signalled a cautious welcome to the proposal at the Paris conference, and John Kerry said he was personally open to such ideas but this was not the official position of the administration.
“Eamon Ryan, the environment minister of Ireland, who acts as the EU’s lead negotiator on loss and damage, said the IMO discussions were finely balanced. ‘It’s 50:50, it’s not certain that it will be agreed,’ he said.”
A small step: France will help pay to repair clothes! From the Guardian article:
“An estimated 700,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown away in France every year, two-thirds ending up in landfill.
“From October, people will be able to claim back between €6 and €25 of the cost of mending clothes and shoes in workshops or at cobblers that have joined the scheme.
“Bérangère Couillard, the secretary of state for ecology, announced the financial incentives during a visit to a responsible fashion hub in Paris. The repair bonus will be paid from a €154m fund the government has set aside for the next five years, she said.
“The repair bonus scheme is part of a wider push by the French government, starting at the end of last year, to reform the textile industry, one of the most polluting on the planet, and to combat what is termed fast fashion.”
The Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) is partnering with the American College of Healthcare Executives on a 2-day in-person workshop this August in NYC entitled: Leadership for Cost-Saving, Climate-Smart and Quality Healthcare:
“Health care in the US is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously, decarbonization strategies can reduce and stabilize health care costs as well as improve resilience to extreme weather and power outages that have grown more common. Transformative solutions to deliver high quality care, without damaging the environment or the health of communities, are under rapid development and result in significant economic and positive social impact.
This foundational workshop will provide an overview of the field of resilient and sustainable healthcare delivery from the micro, meso and macro levels and equip participants with tangible opportunities to deploy cost saving and quality improving solutions in their healthcare systems now.”
Whether you are a fan of all things Texas or not, they have really expanded wind power! It is so obviously the thing to do.