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Inhalers drive carbon emissions equivalent to 530,000 cars each year, study shows (phys.org)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/publichealth@mander.xyz
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Inhalers are the frontline treatment for asthma and COPD, but they come with a steep environmental cost, according to a new UCLA Health study—the largest to date quantifying inhaler-related emissions in the United States.

Researchers found that inhalers have generated over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually over the past decade, equivalent to the emissions of roughly 530,000 gas-powered cars on the road each year.

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[–] 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is way up there with "smokers have a smaller impact on the environment than non smokers".

Fuck right off. Decommission one oil tanker, problem solved.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (1 child)

    Tbf if we weren’t shipping that stuff with one big ship it would be like 2000 planes.

    I’m not saying there aren’t ways to improve cargo ships, like trying to build ones that are “greener”, or simply trying to reduce how much stuff we ship overseas.

    But that’s the difficult thing in trying to point out “one thing to kill to have the biggest impact”. It’s complicated.

    One bus pollutes a lot more than one car, but 100 fewer cars are on the road because of that bus, the bus is “greener” overall.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    There was that bit about the oil tanker, but you're not wrong in general, sea shipping is one of the most efficient means of transport we got.

    How about this: more efficient cars on the road, more WFH, increased use of public transport etc. lead to less demand for oil, which puts that tanker out of business. Win-win?

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