Hi Everyone
Just a few updates on the Green OT project and some items of interest I hope! And a picture of a beautiful spider web in my urban garden!
COT update
Julia Scott, CEO of the COT, has responded to our letter. Over the next few weeks I’ll be following the proposals up with her, and hopefully, this will lead to some concrete plans of action. If anyone would be interested in attending a meeting with Julia, please let me know. If you want to see a copy of her reply or the original letter from me and colleagues at Greener Healthcare to COT, let me know and I’ll email you a copy.
Hoorah! I had a second piece published in OT News (October issue, p14) entitled ‘Growing support for the ‘Green OT’ initiative. Unfortunately, in error, the editors omitted to name me as author, but at least they published it; and this time it even got a very nice picture added too. Hopefully, it will encourage more OTs to get involved in this initiative and realise that the issues of sustainable development and climate change are closely linked to OT.
Book Launch Event for The Health Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Change, edited by Jenny Griffiths, Mala Rao, Fiona Adshead and Allison Thorpe, Earthscan 2009.
In London, 7th October, I attended the above book launch with OT colleague, Ben Whittaker. It was a positive and inspiring event! Having bought the book 'hot off the press' in September, I was really excited about attending the launch.
Has anyone seen the book yet? Would anyone care to do a review from an OT perspective? I’ve read most of it, and have been disappointed not to find a single reference to OT. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that the issues being discussed in the health sector need to be approached in a much more multidisciplinary way!
For a full review by Frances Mortimer visit:
http://www.greenerhealthcare.org/blog/2009/10/importance-book
Did anyone attend? The IRIS - RESEARCH SEMINAR, ‘Health, wellbeing and sustainability in education in the South Wales Valleys and cultural aspects of sustainability’, at University of Gloucestershire, 27th October 2008. I’d be interested in any feedback.
Staff Travel Claims
Some other members and activists involved at Greener Healthcare are looking for information about NHS travel reimbursements for cyclists and how these compare to those given to drivers of cars. It seems that some NHS Trusts are actually paying staff that have larger cars – MORE - per mile than others. Of course this is completely unsustainable and disastrous from a CO2 perspective......!
COIN, (an Oxford based climate change charity) see www.coinet.org.uk, have produced a carbon calculator which might be useful for working out travel claims. It’s not quite ready yet but CGH will be putting it on the website as soon as it is. It forms part of a book entitled Carbon Detox, written by George Marshall, a director of COIN.
Additionally, Spokes have done some work which might be useful (see http://www.spokes.nhs.uk/bicycle_mileage_rate_survey.php)
DECC or DEFRA should have the official Government conversion figures for travel too.
A Good Read...
Article: reference: Hudson MJ, Aoyama M (2008) Occupational therapy and the
current ecological crisis. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(12),
545-548.
Book: Ikiugu M (2008) Occupational science in the service of gaia: an essay
describing a possible contribution of occupational scientists to the solution of prevailing global problems. Baltimore: PublishAmerica.
The Wave! 05/12/09
A carnival-style street procession beginning at 1pm from the Embankment in London, is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition and will be the biggest climate change demonstration the UK has ever seen.
http://www.the-wave.org.uk/
Let me know if you’re planning to come - how about having an OT, health sector section there?
Onwards and upwards!
Tamara
Email me: tamara.rayment@greenerhealthcare.org
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