Skip to main content

M12.9 Climate Change

Personally, the most troubling thing about climate change is that very little precaution has taken place. As occupants of this planet we are all vulnerable to the risks and the future of humanity as a whole. There are plenty of health professionals and environmentalists concerned and taking action about climate change. However, those who are in power to make an immediate change, policymakers and corporations, are not acknowledging this big problem fast enough.

Honestly, with the devastating fires in California and hurricanes in the last few years, as a public health professional, what needs the greatest attention is extreme weather and other events related to climate change that will impact health. Natural disasters are leaving people homeless increasing our vulnerability to getting sick.

The way I have explained climate change to those unaware of the issue is by using the current weather as an example. In California we have experienced droughts, fires, and floods, this is all related to climate change. We impact these changes with overproduction of trash and pollution. We are using up resources and not replenishing them in an environmentally safe way and that creates a disruption in our ecosystem. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

M6.7 Blog: Obesogens

Living in California, I have many opportunities to access healthy seasonal food. There is a wide variety of vegetables and fruits available in the Fall. With so much variety and relatively short food miles in California, seasonal hospital menus can be a beneficial solution to support local farms, provide healthy options, and continue patient education on the importance of healthy nutrition with local seasonal fruits and vegetables. In the future, I would like to live in Washington state. Washington state also produces a lot of food and I decided to look up their Harvest calendar. This would be a shift if I decided to move there and eat local seasonal food. I would have to learn new and be okay in not eating as much citrus fruit. The article Obesogens, An Environmental Link to Obesity introduced a new explanation that chemicals can also impact our metabolism. There is overwhelming evidence that the cause of obesity is poor nutrition and limited physical activity that it is astonis...
Post a Comment
Read more

Final Blog!

This has been an enlightening course. I have learned so much about chemicals, toxic exposures, climate change, and the public health implications of it all. On a personal level I was reminded of my impact on the ecosystem in producing trash and creating waste. I learned about the risks of chemical exposures in my food and everyday products. On a professional level I learned more about toxic exposures impact in public and occupational health. Also, being able to differentiate the evidence available and the evidence that is missing. Fully aware that the science is not always available, but the signs are there when people get sick. Environmental Health and Occupational health are a big part of public health, it is important public health professional are aware of threats to a person’s well-being.
1 comment
Read more

M2.3 Household Products

Household Products Database: Clorox Fraganzia Bleach Clorox Fraganzia Bleach, Fresh Squeezed Lemon I have a newer product Long Lasting Fragrance Clorox Splash-less that is similar to the one I found in the database. It has a health rating of 2 and it is considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) Warning. Causes serious eye irritation. It has sodium hypochlorite: IARC Group 3 Carcinogen. I am not surprised by the toxicity of this product, Clorox and bleach is a product that I have used for as long as I can remember. I used it occasionally to clean my pet towels and my toilet. However, with this specific information of it being a carcinogen, I am reevaluating my behavior in contaminating the water and the environment. Now it’s not just about me having extra clean items, it’s about polluting the environment. Clorox and all cleaning products with toxic chemical ingredients should be disclosed, this is particularly critical to the health o...
Post a Comment
Read more