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Towards a Greener Future: Promoting Sustainability in Laboratory Practices
Clinical and life science research laboratories are responsible for a massive environmental footprint due to, among other factors, wasteful practices, use of hazardous chemicals, and reliance on energy-intensive equipment. In the United States, health-care buildings account for 9% of total primary energy consumption for all commercial structures. A typical life science laboratory uses more than three times as much electricity per square foot as an office building, mostly because of ultra-low temperature freezers, incubators, fume hoods, computers, and other equipment necessary to support laboratory research. By using large amounts of energy, common laboratory practices exacerbate pollution, thus contributing to climate change. Not surprisingly, efforts are underway to increase scientists’ awareness…