US health agency will prod hospitals to cut carbon emissions

The Biden administration is launching a new health office that will prod hospitals to cut carbon emissions, aiming to provide greener, more environmentally friendly medical care

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration on Monday launched a new health office that will prod hospitals to cut carbon emissions, aiming to provide greener, more environmentally friendly medical care. Depending on how much money is at stake, that's likely to meet with industry resistance. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity will also work with localities to mitigate harmful effects of climate change, such as seniors succumbing to excessive summer heat because their apartments lack air conditioning. Minority communities that often bear a disproportionate impact from environmental problems will get special attention. “It's not just about the climate, it's not just about our environment,” Becerra said. “It's about our health.”