Green Buildings

The Growing Threat of Climate Change

September | October 2008

By Diane Laux, ABC

Is it warm in here, or is it just me?

Well, it’s all of us, actually.

Scientific consensus is that human activity is a driving force in climate change through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and through deforestation.

Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chloroflurocarbons, allow sunlight to reach the Earth and prevent some of the heat from radiating back into space. That part works just fine. But the atmosphere is growing thicker with greenhouse gases, causing the Earth to heat up at an accelerating rate. That’s a problem. And not just for us today, but for a future that our children will inherit.

In July 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a report detailing the harmful effects of climate change on human health.

Scientists say climate change will likely lead to stronger hurricanes, heavy precipitation, temperature spikes, droughts and flooding, which, in turn, impact human health and safety.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says global warming is tied to an increase in heat stroke, frostbite and hypothermia. Extreme weather events can trigger disease outbreaks. Increased temperatures lead to an increase in smog, which is ground-level ozone. Health-related impacts of air pollution include missed work and school days, higher incidence of respiratory and heat-related illnesses, increased hospital admissions, and premature deaths.

The World Health Organization estimates that changes in the Earth’s climate may have caused at least five million cases of illness and more than 150,000 deaths in 2000, and predict these impacts are likely to increase in the future.

Healthcare’s Hand in the Dirty Work

Healthcare facilities are one of the leading producers of greenhouse gas emissions, due, in part, to their 24/7 operations.

The majority of direct greenhouse gasses from hospital operations come from thermal energy sources. Whatever fossil fuel the facility uses for heating, whether natural gas or diesel oil, is typically used in a boiler, is combustible, and creates carbon dioxide.

Most of the electrical generation for hospitals nationwide is made by combusting coal, also carbonbased, or natural gas. A lesser amount of hospital electricity is generated by nuclear or hydroelectric power plants, both of which have a smaller carbon footprint.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced over the life cycle of a product or service.

Research from the U.S. Department of Energy suggests that the demand for energy resources in the United States will rise dramatically over the next 25 years. Demand for all types of energy is expected to increase by more than 30 percent and electricity demand will increase by at least 40 percent.

According to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, expansion of the U.S. economy and population, above-average growth in buildings and appliances, and increased coal-fired power generation will cause U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to rise 35 percent by 2030.

So hospitals are energy hogs, they’re significant producers of greenhouse gases, and hospitals also consume huge amounts of a long list of petroleum byproducts, including antibiotics, surgical gloves, syringes, tubing, and oxygen masks, many of which are produced for one-time, non-recyclable use.

It’s time to shape up.

“Organizations need to understand the greenhouse gas implications of every dollar spent, both direct emissions from energy and fuel expenditures, and the indirect carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from other purchases for an organization’s supply chain,” said Daniel T. McGrath, PhD, Executive Director, Berkeley Institute of the Environment.

Everything has a carbon footprint, and for a hospital it’s everything from cleaning supplies to surgical equipment to the meals served to the patients. The important thing is to have an understanding of the greenhouse gas implications of all your purchases and then make procurement choices that might have a lower carbon footprint.

“Understanding greenhouse gas footprints of the nation’s industrial infrastructure is a responsibility that will not escape upper management in any industry, hospitals included,” McGrath said.

By most measures, buildings account for at least 40 percent of our energy use and associated emissions. However, when growth calls for renovating existing structures or building new facilities, an opportunity unfolds for your master plan to have a positive environmental impact.

“Good design follows natural principles—eliminate the concept of waste, rely on renewable energy flows, and honor diversity,” said Kira Gould, Associate AIA, LEED AP, Director of Communications, William McDonough + Partners, and past chair, AIA Committee on the Environment.

Gould believes we can design new buildings and communities—and redesign existing ones—to use our abundant and diverse supply of renewable energy.

“Too often we think only about the energy the building’s occupants will require to operate it,” said Gould, “but there are also energy and carbon implications inherent in the materials and their transport, the water and energy intersection, and also how energy and emissions relate to choices made for human health, comfort, aesthetics,” said Gould.

“Only a loved building will be cared for over time— that may be the true measure of sustainability.”

Local Acts

Local governments are engaging businesses and organizations in climate protection initiatives to benefit local economies and quality of life, now and in the future. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change estimates cities and counties have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 23 million tons annually (which is equivalent to the emissions produced by 8.1 million households or 2.1 billion gallons of gasoline). Benefits also include decreased air pollution and annual energy and fuel cost savings of $535 million.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley made a commitment to enhance the environment and make Chicago the most environmentally friendly city in the nation. He believes that government can’t address climate change alone. Together cities, business, government and people must address it.

“Global warming is not a question,” said Mayor Daley. “How we deal with it is.”

Among its numerous environmental projects, Chicago is installing rooftop gardens on its buildings to collect rain water, lower temperatures and reduce the energy needed to cool buildings and encourages private building owners to do the same. More than 300 gardens and green roofs are in place or under construction, covering more than 4 million square feet on public and private buildings.

“Green building is a cornerstone for creating strong, sustainable communities,” said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. “Cities that make the commitment and investment in green development now will have a significant advantage in the long run.”

In 2005, Mayor Nickels drafted the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which was modeled on the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement among developing countries to address climate disruption. To date, of the 37 industrialized countries and the European Union required by the agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, only the United States has yet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The Mayors Climate Protection Agreement targets a 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, relative to 1990 levels, (the amount suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol), by 2012. More than 700 U.S. mayors have signed the agreement to meet or beat Kyoto limits, while lobbying state and federal governments to take similar measures.

“Mayor Nickels is at the vanguard of greening our transportation options,” said Dennis Gawlik, who works in Sourcing Management at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center. “Transportation issues are directly connected with greenhouse gas emissions. As an urban hospital, we can capitalize on commuting programs for our employees.”

The hospital has a shuttle bus system, and it subsidizes the cost for employees to take mass transit to work. Even Seattle Children’s CEO travels in a Metro VanPool whenever he can.

The hospital also offers incentives, including bicycles, to those who agree to forgo riding to work in single-occupancy vehicles. It’s an environmental spin on a fleet vehicle program.

Through dedicated alternative commuter programs, more than 60 percent of Seattle Children’s Hospital employees’ trips are no longer made in singleoccupancy vehicles.

Jeff Hughes rides his bike to work. He started doing it not long after he joined the hospital. And, that was about 26 years ago.

Hughes is Manager of Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship for Seattle Children’s. Part of his role is to coalesce all of the hospital’s environmental efforts, tracking the costs and benefits to all stakeholders.

“Individuals throughout the hospital have done excellent work on sustainability issues,” said Hughes. “We want to recognize this and make it part of our best practices to benefit the entire organization.”

For example, Seattle Children’s ensures replacement flooring and wall coverings incorporate PVC-free and non-toxic materials with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to improve indoor air quality.

The hospital has initiatives to reduce DEHP. It selects alternative cleaning products to ensure cleanliness and hygiene but to also have less impact on humans and the environment. That holds true for pesticide choices as well.

Seattle Children’s practices classic recycling, including a significant electronics recycling program and follows green purchasing guidelines. Food and Nutrition has many environmental programs underway, as do many other departments in the hospital. The list of projects is substantial.

“Through their hard work and grassroots efforts, our employees have created a virtuous circle, linking their initiatives under the Clean, Green Initiative banner and keeping the momentum going,” said Gawlik.

Hughes added, “There has always been a feeling at Children’s that we want to create a better future for healthcare. If our practices benefit our patients, as well as our communities and our environment, we’re doing just that.”