GPMLS/BMC fyrirlestur - Green actions in the lab: there really is no time to waste!

Fimmtudaginn 18. janúar kl. 12:30-13:10 í Öskju, stofu N-132

Katrín Möller, Postdoc at Biomedical Center, University of Iceland

Many people try to be mindful of the environmental footprint in their daily lives, but sustainability is rarely considered in the laboratory environment. It is estimated that scientific laboratories consume 10x more energy and use 5x more water than regular office buildings, making them the second most energy-intensive industry per m2 in the world. Labs already generate millions of tons of plastic waste every year, and scientific output is considered to double every 9 years. Additionally, lab consumables are steadily increasing in price due to the climate crisis' downstream effects, making this both an environmental and an economic problem. There is a clear need for change in how we behave at work. Thankfully, even minor adaptations to laboratory habits can have an impact - without compromising quality! This seminar will touch upon some hard facts regarding our impact and suggest improvements that should be easy to implement for most scientists.