Anesthesiology Plant-a-Tree

World Anesthesia Day is coming up on October 16. It is a day to commemorate the birth of our specialty and to honour not only those who have come before us, but also those who currently are, and those who are yet to come. With growing knowledge in and around patient care, we have also come to realize that our anesthetics are not purely beneficial and that there is a price we pay for their use. In the case of our inhalational anesthetics, it is their very strong greenhouse gas potential and thus their contribution to climate change. 

This past summer a new section for environmentally sustainable practice was created within the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society which is devoted to defining, understanding, educating and ultimately reducing the environmental footprint of our specialty. As a first action, we are launching an awareness campaign for World Anesthesia Day in Edmonton. Our plan is to purchase reforestation in Fort McMurray, Alberta, which will serve as both a carbon offset of our greenhouse gas contribution, as well as contribute to the restoration of the area so devastatingly hit by forest fire.

Thousands of native seedlings will be planted in areas such as Beacon Hill, Wood Buffalo, Saprae Creek, Abasand, and Thickwood to restore tree canopy burned by a devastating 2016 fire that spanned 1,500,000 acres. New trees will be planted in both publicly-owned natural forests, and neighbourhoods that lost residential and street trees.  Planting trees for wildfire restoration will not offset our practice, but as a specialty we can make a public statement. We are healthcare providers and we care. 

Thank all of you in advance,

Dr. Timur Ozelsel

Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

University of Alberta Hospital

Note: An e-certificate of planting will be sent to the e-mail address provided at checkout.