TÜSAD launches "Carbonless Congress" initiative: aiming for a Respiratory Forest

Turkey's Respiratory Research Association (TÜSAD) is launching an important initiative to raise public awareness on climate change and deforestation. TÜSAD aims to offset carbon emissions generated by the 41st International National Respiratory Congress (SOLUNUM 2019), which will take place on 26-29 October. TÜSAD will plant seedlings to compensate for the flights taken by congress participants, with the goal of establishing a "Respiratory Forest".

TÜSAD President Prof. Dr. Arzu Mirici: "During our preparations for this year's congress, the successive forest fires we experienced deeply saddened us like everyone else. Over 500 forest fires occurred across Turkey in a single month. Turkey's lungs literally burned.

With each fire, our forests—the greatest legacy we leave to our children—along with the countless living organisms within them, are destroyed, our soil dries out, and our air becomes polluted. The most effective way to combat climate change is to plant seedlings and protect forested areas. The world is warming, climates are changing, glaciers are melting. Each of us, through our actions at home, in our cars, and at our workplaces, inadvertently accelerate global warming. In response, we, as Turkey's specialist association on respiratory health, decided to take action and made the first step with a Carbon-Neutral Congress. Mirici continued: "SOLUNUM 2019 is a major congress bringing together nearly 2,000 experts. Through this project, we will replant our burned trees and restore our lost forests, and by offsetting the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere due to flights for the congress, we will contribute to our environment. The Carbon-Neutral Congress will be a beginning for us, and our cooperation with the Aegean Forest Foundation will continue. Going forward, we will offset our carbon footprint in all our congresses and events. As a major institution celebrating its 50th anniversary, we will create new ecosystems through the seedlings we plant on every occasion going forward, and repay our debt to nature." he said. At the Carbon-Neutral Congress, where AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Boehringer Ingelheim and Pharmactive, among the participants, provided unconditional support, all aspects of respiratory health will be addressed. The 41st International National Respiratory Congress (SOLUNUM 2019) will take place in Bodrum between 26-29 October. The congress, held under the theme "Every breath we take is a celebration," will feature scientists from Turkey and many countries around the world. The program will begin with postgraduate training courses and continue over three days with scientific sessions.