The Green Digest
A Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care Initiative
|
|
|
RETScreen is a Clean Energy Management Software system for energy efficiency, renewable energy and co generation project feasibility analysis as well as ongoing energy performance analysis. Learn more
HERE
.
|
|
THANK YOU to all our front line health care workers and everyone who is working so hard to ensure Canada's health system remains ready to deliver the best care possible during these very challenging times.
|
|
Call for Awards and Recognition Sponsors
Extended till July 1, 2020
The Annual Canadian Health Care Sustainability Awards
are provided to health care organisations that participate in the Green Hospital Scorecard program, the only comprehensive health care benchmarking tool in Canada that enables health care organisations to compare their sustainability performance with their peers as well as track their own performance over time in ten areas of sustainability. Categories for this year’s awards include:
- Canadian Green Hospital of the Year
- Canadian Health Care Sustainability Leadership Award
- Canadian Energy Management Award
- Canadian Energy Behaviour Award
- Canadian Water Management and Conservation Award
- Canadian Waste Management Award
|
|
In the interests of public safety, please follow health agency guidelines to help keep us all healthy. For more information and prevention tips, visit the Government of Canada's COVID-19 site
HERE
.
|
|
UBC researchers develop biodegradable medical masks made from wood fibre
Researchers from the University of British Columbia say they have developed a biodegradable medical mask that could offer a solution to supply chain shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The university's
Bioproducts Institute
has put together a prototype mask made from B.C. wood fibres including pine, spruce, cedar and even recycled paper.
It's called the Can-Mask. Two versions of it are currently being tested to determine if they meet health industry standards — one using a commercial N95 filter, the other using a filter made from wood fibre. More
HERE
.
|
|
Can you disinfect your face mask with sunlight? No, says UV expert
A University of Waterloo professor answers your burning questions. A growing pandemic theory is that sunlight can kill the virus on face masks. This seems to stem from UV light’s sanitation properties: UV light technology has been used to disinfect everything
from buses
to
hospitals
and may be a promising tool to make
personal protective equipment (PPE) reusable
for doctors and nurses. More
HERE
.
|
|
DOCS THAT ROCK - The Video
Since 2008, Docs that Rock have performed as a way of connecting Emergency Physicians with music and raising much needed funds for the Emergency Medicine Advancement Fund. To enjoy a rousing musical celebration in person, click
HERE
.
|
|
Exit Sidewalk Labs, enter COVID-19: what impact on autonomous vehicles in Canada?
Economic instability and social distancing requirements have put self-driving pilots on pause, with some programs canceled or scaled back. But AV proponents say the outlook remains strong. More
HERE
.
|
|
Green buildings can re-ignite Canada’s economy
The
Canada Green Building Council
(CaGBC) has released “Ready, set, grow: How the green building industry can re-ignite Canada’s economy” to offer recommendations for Canada’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
As Canada prepares for an economic recovery, increased spending and investment by the federal government will impact construction and infrastructure projects and CaGBC has provided its industry perspective to key federal ministers.
The document presents guidance on how strategic investment in green building could play a significant role in re-igniting Canada’s economy while also helping to meet climate goals. More
HERE
.
|
|
Designers offer insights into the future of health care environments
While COVID-19 has affected virtually every sector of our lives, it’s transformed no part of the built environment more than health care. As existing spaces are being tested, architects and designers are hard at work (from home) looking at the best kinds of structures to transform into patient care facilities. More
HERE
.
|
|
Squamish General Hospital recognized for environmental initiatives
Vancouver Coastal Health's Squamish General Hospital was recognized by an American non-profit for its strides in environmentally friendly-practices. The 2020 Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards showed off healthcare facilities that are doing their part to help the planet. Squamish's hospital was among the dozens that received a Greenhealth Partner for Change Award. This award is given to those with "superior performance in environmental sustainability, covering a range of different sustainability programs and activities. Winners have also made substantive progress on mercury elimination," read more
HERE
.
|
|
What the F*** is biodiversity?
Hosted by Professor Ann Dale,
WHAT THE F*** IS BIODIVERSITY
explores the incredible world of biodiversity, how it provides for humans in our day-to-day lives, and what we can all do to protect it now. Check out the new podcasts from the National Environmental Treasure
HERE
.
|
|
Despite pandemic, BNEF predicts EVs will increase market share in 2020
Analysis in BloombergNEF's latest annual Long-Term Electric Vehicle Outlook foresees electric models accounting for 58 per cent of new passenger car sales globally by 2040. According to
research
unveiled recently by BloombergNEF, international sales of electric passenger vehicles are set to fall 18 per cent in 2020, marking the first year that will not see EV sales climb in a decade. More
HERE
.
|
|
Lithium-Air batteries could give 1,000 mile range
Range anxiety is the #1 consumer concern for electric vehicles, but a new breed of ultra-high energy density batteries may change everything. Join Dr. K.M. Abraham, an award-winning pioneer in lithium-ion battery research and the inventor of the lithium-air battery, who explains how a 40-year-old breakthrough in battery technology may lead to electric vehicles with a 1,000 mile range, smartphones that last for a week & drones that fly for hours. More
HERE.
|
|
COVID-19 incubates global adjustment 2021-22
Ontario’s commercial customers brace for higher energy costs
Electricity customers with average monthly demand of at least one megawatt (MW) have the opportunity to lock in a favourable factor for calculating their share of global adjustment (GA) costs for an entire year, but it depends on how adroitly they can reduce energy loads during the five hours of the year when the highest system-wide peak demand is recorded. More
HERE
.
|
|
RETScreen responds to COVID-19
As a result of COVID-19, RETScreen is pleased to offer professionals and students free access to self-study material on the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software via their eLearning channel on YouTube. The channel is set up for users to view videos top to bottom, left to right.
Click
HERE
to access the channel's 65+ videos and that cover all aspects of RETScreen Expert, including the benchmark, feasibility, performance and portfolio analysis modules. The videos will not only help you develop skills in using RETScreen but also broaden and deepen your knowledge of energy management and clean energy. All videos are available in French, with some also available in Spanish and Chinese. In these unprecedented times, RETScreen Customer Support remains fully available through
LinkedIn
or by
e-mail
. Visit also
www.greenhealthcare.ca/RETScreen
|
|
Canadian Healthcare Facilities
You don't need to be a member of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES) to take advantage of all
Canadian Healthcare Facilities
has to offer. Check it out for engaging stories by subject matter experts on topics th
at matter to health care facility managers and operators. Each quarterly journal is filled with stories from CHES members
about what their teams and facilities have done and continue to do to provide safe and welcoming care sites across Canada. For the latest in health care facility management articles, click
HERE
. To learn more about becoming a member of CHES, please visit
www.ches.org
|
|
Water savings from unexpected places
Water is precious. Not only because it is a gift from Mother Nature, but also because it takes quite some resources and energy to treat the water and deliver it to you. According to the US EPA, letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. No wonder the price of water goes up at a much faster pace than inflation! Actually, among all the utility costs in the Greater Toronto Area, the price of water is rising faster than natural gas and electricity. If you see a sudden increase on your water bills, it might mean you have a leak somewhere. More
HERE
.
|
|
Climate Change Resources
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has the resources you need to help your facility take action on climate change. Learn more
HERE
.
|
|
GHS Deadline Extension...
The spread of COVID-19 has accelerated to the level of a national emergency and we know you as health care workers are doing your best to battle against the virus for the sake of us all. THANK YOU for everything you are doing!
In an effort to try and relieve some of the pressure on your time, we are
extending the deadline
for the current Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS) program survey
until July 1, 2020.
Have you started your submission yet?
Click here
to access this year's survey, which collects information for 2018 (January – December). If your organisation has multiple sites, a separate survey is required for each site. Please coordinate with your in-house team to ensure only one survey per hospital site is submitted.
After opening and saving the survey, you will be emailed a unique link that will allow you to resume and edit your survey. Hospitals with multiple sites should open a new blank survey for every site by
re-clicking HERE
.
Educational Webinar
The Coalition hosted an educational webinar to review the GHS survey and answered questions on how to submit your data. This webinar reviewing various sections and GHS updates can be viewed
HERE
.
Deadline
Submission deadline -
EXTENDED:
July 1, 2020
.
Participation in the Green Hospital Scorecard is FREE. To help cover program delivery costs we encourage all participants to become members of the Coalition. For membership details, contact Dan at
dan@greenhealthcare.ca
.
The Coalition looks forward to sharing results from this year's GHS survey and we hope you are staying safe and supported during these times.
|
|
A BIG
thank you to
www.SaveOnEnergy.ca
for their continued financial support for the Ontario Green Health Care Award and the Ontario Energy Behaviour Award
|
|
CHES 2020 National Conference
CANCELLED
Enriching Patient Experiences by Optimizing the Environment
September 20-22, 2020
Halifax Convention Centre - Halifax, NS
|
|
CHES 2020 Webinar Series
Wednesday June 17, 2020
- Optimizing Design with Virtual and Mixed Reality (AR/VR)
Speaker: Daniel Doherty, BTech, C.E.T., CM BIM
Wednesday October 21, 2020
- CSA Z317.13-17 Role of the Multi-Disciplinary Team - Pros and Cons
Speaker: Wayne Stokes, CET arch, FMA, RPA
Wednesday November 18, 2020 -
Awareness / Update on Med Gas Qualified Operators
Speaker: Roger Holliss
|
|
Organ Donation - The Ultimate Recycling
Have you registered as an organ donor?
Contact your local organ donation agency and speak to your family about your wishes. You have the power to save and transform lives. Or visit the
Government of Canada
website to register and donate.
|
|
Click
HERE
to learn how RETScreen Expert software can help your organisation quickly analyze cost savings, feasibility and emissions reductions.
|
|
If you have inspirational greening stories or photos to share with Green Digest readers, please send them to Kent at
kent@greenhealthcare.ca
|
|
|
|
The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is Canada’s premier green health care resource network, leading the evolution of green in Canada’s health sector as a national voice and catalyst for environmental change.
www.greenhealthcare.ca
|
|
Some articles referred to in the Digest make reference to services and/or product offerings from specific suppliers. The CCGHC recommends that readers research the service and product offerings available through a wider range of suppliers for comparison purposes and in keeping with public sector purchasing guidelines. These articles should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any product or service.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
