Final Blog

I have really enjoyed this environmental health course. It has taught me A LOT about environmental health that I did not know before this semester. I liked the mix of readings, lectures (both guest lectures and Dr. Sattler's lectures), and videos used for teaching. 

I thought blogging was worthwhile and really helped me stay on top of the course material each week. I especially liked that many of the blog posts prompted me to do research into my own life like looking into the safety of my personal care products and cleaning products or looking into where my water comes from and the quality of my tap water. Additionally, now I have different databases I can continue to use and refer to like the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database which will definitely be useful in the future. My only complaint about blogging was the number of technical issues my group had with blogger. A few times in the semester the commenting was not working properly which took so much time to resolve and caused a lot of frustration.

Climate Change

1. What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?

Climate change is and will continue to negatively affect all life on earth as CO2 emissions increase. Air pollution, extreme weather events, food insecurity, and rising sea levels, among other effects of climate change are all extremely troubling and frightening. Climate change is an extremely complex issue that will require commitments and efforts from all countries and governments across the globe. Actions need to be taken swiftly. What I truly find most troubling is this quick orchestration of countries and governments. Our own current Administration is clearly not interested or committed to tackling climate change given the rollbacks of Obama-era climate policies and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. If this will take a worldwide effort, how do we get everyone on the same page? That is a daunting task. 

2. As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?

I think tackling climate change will require both proactive and reactive efforts. Some attention should be paid towards mitigating the effects of climate change. This might include building levies, dams, and using other technologies to protect coastal areas from rising sea levels or better preparing for extreme weather like hurricanes and flooding by educating the public about emergency preparedness and planning or setting up emergency shelter and cooling centers for extreme heat. Just as much or maybe more attention needs to be paid towards reducing CO2 emissions. This will include pushing for better policies and legislation, abandoning fossil fuels and adopting clean energy at greater rates, supporting local, organic farming rather than conventional farming, among other things. 

3. If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?

I would explain that human activities, especially burning fossil fuels for energy, are resulting in greenhouse gas emissions that are creating a "blanket" around the earth. As the sun warms the earth, heat is trapped in by the "blanket" of greenhouse gases. Thus the planet is warming up and causing a host of problems which include melting ice and rising sea levels, an increase in extreme weather events with droughts and flooding, warmer summers with an increase in days of extreme heat, among other things. This will impact human health both directly and indirectly. Direct effects will include air pollution and/or heat-related disease and the exacerbation of chronic illnesses. Indirect effects will include food and water insecurity. 

A Zero Waste Life

After watching Lauren Singer's "Why I live a zero waste life" Ted Talk, I am truly amazed. Though she is just one person committing to such lifestyle she is making a difference considering how much waste one person produces each year. I, alone, produce a lot of waste from food packaging to canned and bottled drinks to food waste to personal care product packaging. I was intrigued how Lauren could actually live a zero waste life because nearly everything we purchase or consume is packaged some way or another. I do not think at this point in my life I could commit to a ZERO waste life. I could probably be more conscious of the waste I produce and decrease the amount of waste I create. I could purchase and eat a diet that consists of more fresh fruits and vegetables rather than processed foods that are canned and packaged. I could also commit to exclusively using my reusable water bottle rather than purchasing water bottles when it is more convenient. I could also learn to compost. I could look into the personal care products that I use and eliminate one's that are unnecessary for personal hygiene. There are many things I can do to reduce the amount of waste I produce. I think after watching the Ted Talk and the other videos as well as reading the article on plastic waste in our oceans, I feel more inclined to put more effort and consciousness into what I purchase and how I dispose of things.