SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES FOR ZOOLOGICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE

Habitat loss, degradation of air and water resources, and global climate change all threaten the ecosystems we depend on and the health that we seek to protect. In veterinary medicine and in ecosystem health, the priority rule has long been to first do no harm. As environmental impacts grow in severity, it has become imperative that veterinary medicine apply this principle to reduce our own impact on how we build and operate veterinary facilities and how we offer leadership and education in our communities. Veterinarians have a strong appreciation for the link between environment and health; many of the diseases and problems we work on are rooted in the environment of our patients. In the zoo setting, environmental awareness is further heightened through a commitment to conservation. The zoo community is increasingly calling for the need to preserve ecosystem health and seek sustainable solutions that protect wildlife and wild places, but is also looking for ways to adopt green practices within their own institutions. This was recently demonstrated by the launch of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) climate initiative3 and the formation of the AZA Green Scientific Advisory Group. The zoo can strengthen its mission to educate the public toward conservation and protection of biodiversity by adopting sustainable practices in their own operations and serving as a model in their own communities. Medical practice, human and veterinary, has a significant environmental impact through its buildings and grounds, use of disposable products and hazardous chemicals (including drugs), and energy-intensive technologies. Fortunately, opportunities exist for reducing a veterinary hospital clinic’s environmental footprint, ranging from greening an existing facility to starting from the ground up. Targeted improvements can be made by the following: • Making structural changes to an existing hospital building that maximize energy and water efficiency and provide a healthier environment for patients and staff • Realigning waste contracts to make sure that hospital waste is minimized and is being handled responsibly • Installing systems or buying power from renewable energy providers • Taking care to purchase environmentally responsible products whenever possible • Changing the culture of the staff to be more conscious of their daily choices and practices • Building or renovating facilities to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–certified buildings. This chapter will introduce some basic approaches for reducing the environmental footprint of a zoo hospital, from everyday routines to operations management to green buildings. At the end of the chapter, two green zoo hospitals are noted as examples of what can be done.