Resource Library
Sustainability—General
Health Care Organizations
- Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems, medical professionals, community groups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions, environmental and environmental health organizations and religious groups working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease.
- Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) is a coalition of major health systems and organizations committed to improving sustainability and safety across the health care sector. HHI is partnering with Health Care Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth, and The Center for Health Design to provide expertise and technical assistance and to develop and implement training and other programs to help hospitals carry out the HHI agenda recommendations.
- Practice Greenhealth is an international membership and networking organization for institutions in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Members include hospitals, health care systems, businesses and other stakeholders engaged in the greening of health care to improve the health of patients, staff and the environment.
Books
Gingrich, Newt. A Contract with the Earth (2007). Argues that the issues of energy independence and clean air and water are too important to let them be political; offers potential solutions.
McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle ( 2002). Because materials matter, we need to re-think the toxic and mountains of materials we use, the things we buy, how be build – putting waste materials back into useful products)
Schendler, Auden. Getting Green Done ( 2009). Perspectives on how hard it is to actually move from PowerPoints to getting something real done and why it’s important, from a former insulation installer and facilities engineer).
Climate Change
- The Climate Registry: Voluntary registry to help complete and report greenhouse gas emissions inventories.
- EPA Information on climate change.
- EPA’s Endangerment Finding: the EPA has ruled that it can regulate GHG emissions through the Clean Air Act.
- Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative: provides a suite of calculation tools and guidance tailored specifically for service sector (including hospitals) and office-based organizations that have mainly indirect emissions arising from business operations, and are not necessarily directly produced on-site.
- HCWH’s Addressing Climate Change in the Health Care Setting: Opportunities for Action (pdf)
Outlines seven steps health care systems can take to reduce their climate footprint while improving public health, and presents examples from around the world.
- Western Climate Initiative: a collaboration between several western states and several Canadian provinces; has set GHG reporting thresholds.