KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

As part of a generation that creates an extraordinary amount of damage through pollution and non-renewable energy, we address that we can no longer ignore this further. We must identify ways to reverse this through the development of technology that is able to sustain life without the creation of even more damage. Sustainability is often mistaken as a simple task. Planting more trees or recycling once a week will certainly aide in our search for sustainability, but it is not enough. We must learn to incorporate it within specific fields that often overlook the idea of sustainability.
 
As scientists and engineers, our group of nine took on this challenge by observing ways to improve sustainability within the healthcare scene. First and foremost, we tacked the concept of paper. Each patient’s chart consists of a significant quantity of paper lab reports and notes, which increases the amount of waste that can be produced. We considered a more environmentally-friendly approach to this by suggesting that paper is removed and replaced with an online database that collects and organizes this information. If each patient’s file was simplified into a single folder that was accessible online, a considerable amount of deforestation would be decreased and efficiency would be increased by allowing patients to access their files at home. Another consideration that we took into account was the amount of energy used for lights. Staying open at all hours of the day, the hospital expends an incredible amount of energy that can be reduced by having sensor lights that would only turn on in the presence of people. Lastly, while collaborating on ideas on how to make medical tools more sustainable, we were able to brainstorm some ideas that stemmed from our own experiences within laboratory settings. Focusing on the tools that made the most amount of waste within our labs, we first considered biodegradable gloves. Gloves are replaced regularly for sterility reasons, and we believed that if we constructed them from non-latex, non-plastic, eco-friendly material, it would considerably reduce our waste. Additionally, our discussion about medical procedure tools such as scalpels and suction tubes led us to consider the idea of reuse through UV radiation to kill off unwanted bacteria and viruses.
 
Another key part of healthcare is the medication that patients consume. Having been in chemical biology labs ourselves, we had a good understanding that many of these labs are not bio-efficient. Not only do laboratories struggle with the same problems of sustainability seen in the hospital such as lack of biodegradable gloves and too much waste, but these labs use synthetic material that is not sustainable. A recently popular stream of medicine that was of interest to us was naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic doctors focus on what is already found in this Earth by producing natural remedies from plants. The problem with medication nowadays is that the production of medication has become a capitalizing industry. Instead of producing medicine that has low risk and is sustainable, the industry wants to produce as much medication with as little cost as possible. By doing so, they ignore the aspect of being environmentally conscious, which was once important to us as a society. Within our discussion, we deemed it important to look further into this and find a way for medicine to incorporate more naturopathic methods, to revert back to maintaining sustainability.
As important as healthcare is to provide care and treat diseases, a large portion of healthcare is also preventative. To incorporate preventative healthcare with sustainability, we decided to observe what we can do to improve nutrition, which is a key aspect for sustaining proper health within society. Portrayed in the famed documentary, Food Inc., we discussed about how the food that we eat is often processed. The idea of capitalism has consumed a large part of the food industry by no longer caring about the quality, but more so about the quantity and how much profit that can be made. Farmers are using pesticides and other harvesting methods that are environmentally destructive, and are feeding their animals with cheap, plastic-like foods that is entirely unsustainable. Through our discussion, we communicated how important it is for us to support farmers that promote unprocessed, organic, and free-range food products. Although as students, we are unable to change the mind of the whole food and agriculture industry, we can demonstrate our opinions by changing our decisions to support the more sustainable ways of living.
 
In the midst of our discussion, we had the opportunity to reflect on past experiences. As the Association of Korean Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE), representing the University of Ottawa, this past September, we had the opportunity to go to Carleton University to see a project that had been designed and constructed by past AKCSE members. This project was essentially a zero-waste project, in which a mobile home was made to be as sustainable as possible. Using renewable energy already available such as solar energy, this home showed that if made a conscious effort to maintain sustainability, it is possible. Using this past experience to further our discussion about sustainability in healthcare, we reflected on what a zero-waste hospital or sustainable lab would look like. If all of the waste that comes from these two environments were able to be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way, it would have a huge impact on the environment. As a collective, we believed that if it was possible for a fully furnished home to be zero-waste, as long as the effort is there, sustainable hospitals and labs are possible. There are so many upcoming and bright scientists and engineers, and we believe that they are the voice and action of this change.
 
Although our hopes and goals for sustainability are grand, we know that what is truly achievable is a change in thought. Many of the hospitals and labs produce waste without thinking. Many of us are unaware about sustainability in these environments and do not know how this can be achieved. Perhaps, hospitals and laboratories can benefit from having online educative modules to educate their staff. Another suggestion is that we can use technology to our benefit and create a better PR strategy of promoting sustainability. If we can start social media campaigns, it would make more members of our society aware. This is the beginning of our change.
 
This year’s Kosen Day discussion succeeded in stimulating the minds of both science and engineering students. In an effort to collaborate both perspectives, we were able to generate innovation through our ideas of sustainability.