Frontline Updates - Guess Who's Back?

Meeeeee! And our epic Type IIR, CE-marked Eco Medics x Revolution Zero reusable facemasks! Head on over to the website to get yours and please spread the word to your colleagues. They’re a real conversation starter and a great segue into the problems we all want to tackle at work.

With the red list being whittled down to a mere 7 countries, there is no doubt air travel will boom once again. I had some friends over for dinner last night and the table was abuzz with ideas for trips, planning marathons all over Europe - real ‘weekend away’ air travel. That is until I challenged the ethics of it all. Listen, we all need to get on with our lives and do things that keep us sane and happy, but it’s no secret that aviation is bad for the environment. Please read this article calculating the true climate impact. What I’m trying to say is just think twice before booking that flight. Is it a want or a need (apply your own definition here)? Is there not a train alternative?

For a generally optimistic person, I’m prone to all too frequent grumblings about how terrible we are as a species, but reading Humankind (see below) has been really refreshing and a good reminder that we are actually, for the most part, kind and good. We just need some direction. Please continue to join us on the journey.

On another note, congratulations to GASP Anaesthesia for their recent win at the BMJ Awards in the environmental sustainability and climate category. We need groups across all specialties working towards this common goal. The RCGP has committed to the climate emergency and the BJGP recently published the articles below.

What does your bathroom look like? I’m not talking about the tiles or colour scheme, but rather the number of hygiene and cosmetic products standing around in plastic bottles. I must admit, this is a tough one to change, especially if you have specific product needs, for whatever reason. However, there are some pretty good products out there so why not mix things up and give them a try? Follow the links below to see ranges and recommendations.

Read this post from @climategp. A valuable reminder that only through listening and sharing can we bridge the top down and bottom up approaches. A powerful post from someone who is incredibly passionate about greening general practice.

‘Because what seem unreasonable, unrealistic and impossible today can turn out to be inevitable tomorrow. It’s time for a new realism. It’s time for a new view of humankind.’ - Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman.

Revisionist History is a bloomin’ brilliant podcast from Malcolm Gladwell. Nice to hear such a respected and intelligent man being positive about it all. Listen to the episode titled Climate Change Despondency is Solvable.

I’m very lucky to have Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common as my standard running routes. I love this video featuring Sir David imploring with us all to tread lightly, which I think is a great motto for many aspects of life.

New subscriber or haven’t used the calculator yet? Take our 5 minute quiz to find out!

After taking the test, make a few pledges to reduce your carbon footprint, and then have the opportunity to carbon offset the rest in Gold Standard approved projects. After all, carbon offsetting is pretty much the only way to achieve carbon net zero with today’s technology. Not convinced? Read more here.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or questions, feel free to reach out on Instagram, or just hit reply to send us a direct email! In the mean time, we’d love you even more if you fancy buying us a coffee to help us pay the bills so we can keep Eco Medics running.

Keep believing,

Dave