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Are Medical Meetings Environmentally Unfriendly?
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However, another doctor countered in the same issue of the journal that giving up all medical conferences will have little effect on global warming, since the majority of international travel is recreational in nature.
James Owen Drife, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology from Leeds General Infirmary in England, wrote that conferences are essential for stimulating global initiatives in the medical community. Cutting back on conferences that duplicate each other is a reasonable option, he acknowledged.
However, "hiding behind our computer screens and pretending that this is helping the planet" isn't the answer, Drife added.
Adding to that point was yet another American expert. "I absolutely agree that we all should do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint, but does somebody really think if physicians stopped traveling to international conferences that all planes would be grounded?" said Dr. Kirby Donnelly, department head of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.
"There are a lot of things we can do other than stop flying," he added. "We could do a lot more with conferences and video conferences. But, still, the face-to-face contact is extremely important and the opportunity to make connections."
More information
Calculate your own carbon footprint at carbonfootprint.com.
SOURCES: Malcolm Green, professor emeritus, respiratory medicine, Imperial College, London; Len Horovitz, M.D., pulmonary specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Kirby Donnelly, Ph.D., department head, environmental and occupational health, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, College Station; June 28, 2008,British Medical Journal
