Nurse Colleen Groll, the manager of sustainability programs at Seattle Children’s Hospital, is engaging hospital nurses in waste and energy reduction through the Nurses Climate Challenge.

“You can’t leave this for the next generation. You would never leave your children or your grandchildren a mess in your house. You would try to do everything for their success.

“In my work with seniors, I’ve had to explain to them why they shouldn’t go outside and exercise. Because of rising temperatures and air pollution, the onset of asthma among our seniors has grown exponentially. It affects what they can do and negatively impacts their quality of life.”

“As nurses we deal with patients who are feeling the impacts of climate change, so there’s an opportunity to make the connection for those patients. What they are experiencing in their health is connected to their environment and what they are exposed to.”

"Environmental changes are only going to increase and become more pronounced – affecting more areas, more people overall. We must change our behaviors in our daily life and opt for choices that are more environmentally friendly."