The Greening of Health Care: Environmental Policy and Advocacy in the Health Care Industry

Abstract

The health care industry has been creating a number of health risks through many of its policies, practices, and processes. Many of the risks are preventable. This article focuses on the environmental health risks posed by the health care industry and the solutions that have been forged by both individuals and organizations through policy work at the local, state, federal, and international levels. A brief description is presented of two of the key environmental health threats: mercury pollution and dioxins, an unintentional by-product created by the manufacture and incineration of polyvinyl chloride plastics. This is the science underpinning the policy work. A chronology of the past decade’s activities, policies, and partnerships to reduce environmental health threats in the health care industry is discussed. Nurses have taken a critical leadership role in much of this work.