CEPPA Talk (in person) – Cristina Richie (Edinburgh)

Location: Edgecliffe G03

Title: Green Bioethics: Environmental Sustainability and Health Care

Commentator: Joseph Millum (St Andrews)

Abstract: Health care is ubiquitous in the industrialized world. Yet, every medical development, technique, and procedure impacts the environment. By 2017, the National Health Service’s Health, and Social Care sectors had a carbon output (CO2) of 27.1 million tons. Carbon dioxide emissions contribute to climate change, climate-change related health hazards, and perpetuate environmental racism. In response, the NHS has implemented a Carbon Reduction Strategy, but this is a largely superficial approach to reducing the carbon emissions of the medical industry, because it focuses on health care structures like buildings and transportation. The doctor-patient relationship and health care delivery are indeed the most carbon intensive part of the medical industry, and indeed the scope of biomedical ethics. Thus, Green Bioethics synthesizes environmental ethics and biomedical ethics to move towards sustainable, just health care delivery in practice and policy.