The Death of Responsibility and the American Environment

By John Strong

These may be two wildly different topics to be writing about today, but I think they share a common thread. As Americans we seem to rely more and more on technology than ever — and far less on people. This, I fear is fueling a fairly common refrain we hear when we do actually speak with a live person when we need help: “That’s not my responsibility”, or “I’ll have to direct you to someone in a different department. We don’t take care of that.” Had any of these experiences lately? My favorite is calling my doctor’s office. The auto-answer reminds me that if this is an emergency dial 911. I’m old enough to remember when my small-town doctor saw emergencies in his office.

American hospitality, one of the most personal and people-dependent industries, is relying less on face time than ever, and I think it is hurting the quality of going out to eat — whether it is at a fast-food restaurant, or a nice sit-down restaurant who presents their menu to you on a tablet, or wants you to pay your tab at your table. Maybe it is my age, but I still expect a more personal experience than that. Ordering on a screen, and having it brought to me is no thrill.

Recently, I attended several business meetings in London. It was my first trip there, and what I found was about as far from what I imagined as the distance between The French Laundry and McDonald’s. The British take both their environmental responsibility and customer service to levels long-lost or never achieved in America. Here are just a few examples:

• The air quality — even in the heart of the city was amazingly good. Great, really. I’m sure one of the contributing factors is the complete (it appeared) electrification of their famed double-decker red buses. They are so quiet you need be careful, or they will quickly sneak up on you.
• There is almost a complete reliance on reusable (as in: you wash them) utensils and dishware. It doesn’t matter where you eat, or even at the airline club room, everything goes back to the kitchen and gets washed. Compare that to the daily sea of disposable waste we create here. Isn’t this worth reflecting on, and doing something about? It is probably one of the reasons you don’t see it littering their streets!
• This leads to my next observation. As a century’s old city, I was expecting grime, litter, wastepaper and graffiti everywhere. There is none of that. The streets are remarkably spotless, and with a couple of minor exceptions, no garbage waiting in sight to be picked up — anywhere. I account for part of this to be the lack of the use of disposable wares, as well as a culture of being willing to do something when people see something.
• I walked several days in Hyde Park, which turned out to be near my hotel. Not only were the grounds well-cared for with amazing and tidy gardens, it was spotless. This despite it being open to dogs, bicycles, pedestrians, and even folks who wanted to check out a rowboat on the lake. The massive trees lining the main paths were playing several roles, shading pedestrians and taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
• Finally, people were all genuinely nice, wanted to help an American visitor, and took the time to speak, chat, and tell you something about the city, the hotel, the park, or explain something as simple as a menu item. I don’t think there is an option to tell Uber drivers in London you don’t want to talk — because every one of them did! Sadly, personal interaction happens here in America a lot less than it used to.

How does all this relate to the environment? It is about people taking responsibility, stepping up, and saying “enough”. Yes, the taxes in London are high — but they are high here too. Somehow, leaders there are making investments and visible strides in cleaning up the planet — and creating a highly livable city. We still have a long way to go, based on visits to New York and Chicago recently. There were no homeless people living under bridges or overpasses like I witnessed in Portland, Oregon last week.

With healthcare about to consume 20 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) it would seem to be a good time for everyone in the business of “health” from providers and service providers to healthcare medical technology and pharmaceutical manufacturers to ask the question “What can I do?”, and make the leadership decisions and investments that the folks in London are doing to clean up their environment and create a healthier, more livable planet for us all.

If you are a healthcare provider committed to “community health”, it must be time to go the extra mile. Leadership demands evaluating the energy and water you are using, the types of products and services you purchase every day, and do something to make your community as nice as those individual neighborhoods in London. It may save you a few dollars and teach patients a few things along they way. Think about it.