In honour of Earth Day 2026, we’re sharing this essay by third-year medical student Josephine Lu Bing Liu. Earlier this year, while tackling her anesthesia rotation, she asked her senior a simple question — why sevoflurane over isoflurane or desflurane? The answer she received led her to dig deeper into anesthesia’s care impact on the environmental and discover the “…compelling and empowering intersection between anesthesia practice and planetary health.”

Ontario’s Anesthesiologists is working to make operating rooms and hospitals more environmentally friendly through the work of our Environmental Sustainability Working Group. Learn how we’re making a difference and how you can help!