Sustainability of the Environment
The BSTP is committed to sustainability in toxicological pathology and with the inclusion of the following paragraph in the constitution of the BSTP:
To acknowledge a duty of care, which extends to encompass the environment in which all humans and animals have a right to live and thrive. The BSTP is fully committed to sustainability of the environment and aims include the reduction of energy demands, the use of renewable resources and the use of recycled products wherever possible.
BSTP Sustainability (149.7 KiB, 135 hits)
The BSTP has representation on the British Society of Veterinary Pathology's 'BSVP Green Team' to focus on the challenges that lay ahead, and the Royal College of Pathologists who released a Strategy For a Sustainable Future in May 2020 stating:
While no single organisation can alter the severity or pace of climate change, acknowledging its detrimental effects on both patients and society more widely is an important step towards improving the College’s impact on the environment.
<< CLICK HERE >> for more information or contact the BSTP Secretariat - bstpsecretariat@gmail.com
NEWS UPDATE - 21st SEPTEMBER 2022
Formaldehyde fixation may be the gold standard for preserving cells and tissues but alcohol-based fixation can deliver improved results in biomolecular techniques - with the benefit of safer, greener chemistry. Advances in tissue interrogation methods and the sustainability of manufacturing are setting the stage for a non-toxic fixative future. For more information visit - https://www.labconscious.com/green-lab-tips/2022/7/25/alcohol-based-tissue-fixation
NEWS UPDATE:
The BSVP are aiming to host a webinar later in 2022 and hosted by Dr. Una Fitzgerald.
Dr. Fitzgerald is leading a Green Lab initiative in the National University of Ireland, Galway. Here is a video of hers if you would like to have a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNUARgwhJSc
The BSVP are hoping to organise more than one webinar with different speakers, looking at different angles of sustainability - possibly on environmental sustainability accreditations for laboratories and vet practices.
They also hope to organise a survey for BSVP members regarding attitudes to sustainability and climate change. It is envisaged that other path organisations may do something similar - watch this space for something from the BSTP!
NEWS UPDATE:
Life cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Gastrointestinal Biopsies in a Surgical Pathology Laboratory - 2021 article from Am J Clin Path
AJCP_-_LC_GHGs_in_GI_Biopsies_for_Surgical_Pathology_Lab.pdf (523.2 KiB, 202 hits)
NEWS UPDATE:
About ZeroSmart
ZeroSmart is an environmental social enterprise based in Lincolnshire, UK.
Our aim is to prevent climate change by:
-
planting and protecting 1 billion native trees by 2030;
-
funding scientific climate projects which reduce and remove CO2 from the atmosphere;
-
help UK businesses reach their Net Zero goals.
.
We only work with the best organisations, such as the UN, and our climate solutions are verified by the world's most trustworthy environmental certifiers.
.
By joining the ZeroSmart community the BSTP is on track to remove 13.4 TONNES of CO2 from the atmosphere each year! That's the equivalent of planting 6,780 TREES A YEAR.
NEWS UPDATE:
Sustainability and the BSTP's 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting - 
BSTP_Sustainability_-_2022_ASM.pptx (946.3 KiB, 215 hits)
NEWS UPDATE:
Labconscious is an open resource and blog for the life science community to reduce laboratory waste, use green chemistry, conserve water and save energy.
<< CLICK HERE >> to read more
NEWS UPDATE:
Reducing the environmental impact of pathology laboratories while maintaining high standards is a balancing act that requires further exploration. In this article, we hear from the newly established BSVP Green Team and their work to improve sustainability in veterinary laboratories.
<< CLICK HERE >> to read more
NEWS UPDATE:
Here below are the links on the sustainability topic:
https://www.pioneerresearch.co.uk/spill-kits/
References:
- Sinigaglia C. et al. A safer, urea-based in situ hybridization method improves detection of gene expression in diverse animal species (2017) Developmental Biology.
- Golczyk H. A simple non-toxic ethylene carbonate fluorescence in situ hybridization (EC-FISH) for simultaneous detection of repetitive DNA sequences and fluorescent bands in plants.(2019) Protoplasma.
- Kalinka A.et al. Comparison of ethylene carbonate and formamide as components of the hybridization mixture in FISH (2021) Genetics and Plant Breeding
Vet Sustain & Animal Care | Register FREE to watch: "Becoming Carbon Neutral – a guide to Why, How and When" - The Webinar Vet
VetSustain blog post now live!
Vet Sustain supports veterinary professionals to drive change towards a more sustainable future.
The world is facing a multitude of complex and pressing challenges. Climate change, biodiversity depletion and public health pandemics are presenting existential threats to human civilisation and the natural world. Together we can make a difference.
NEWS UPDATE:
The current BVA president will use this year to champion sustainability in the vet profession -
https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/how-to-be-a-sustainability-champion/
NEWS UPDATE:
There is also now accreditation for "Investors in the Environment”. Many of the bigger practices have become accredited - you can call in a consultant from the Institute for Environmental Sustainability and Management (IEMS) to advise and see you through the process - maybe labs (CRO’s, etc) could be encouraged to do this. It does seem also to be very effective in saving money - thus a big incentive.
IEMS also run training courses and have information on saving energy, buildings, transport, travel etc., they also focus on veterinary practice, including the use of reagents, dealing with waste, water usage, sourcing sustainable suppliers etc.
For more information on IEMS visit - https://www.iemsme.com
