We are plotting a path towards more sustainable practice in our specialty. The environmental impact associated with the production, distribution and ultimate disposal of the journals we receive is not so trivial that it may be ignored. Please consider the following: an average person in industrialised country uses up to 300kg of paper per year; to manufacture a kilogram of paper requires two to three kilograms of wood and about 15 litres of water and finally, the majority of global paper production is not from recycled sources.

The British Journal of Anaesthesia and associated educational supplements some of us receive in paper form are all available electronically through the online portal of the college. We urge you to begin to make your practice more sustainable by requesting removal from the postal mailing list. All you have to do is to e-mail finance@coa.ie requesting removal from the mailing list giving your name and the relevant address. For logistical reasons there may be a month or two between sending the e-mail and the cessation of delivery of the journals.

We strongly encourage all fellows to take this proactive step towards reducing their environmental footprint by utilising the online access features of any journals to which they subscribe and declining the associated paper version.

On behalf of the sustainability committee,

Dr. Dónall Ó’Cróinín

Chair, Sustainability Committee CAI