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Final Blog

Wow, what can I say. The semester is coming to an end. I am going to be quite honest that this class has been overwhelming. Not just in the amount of work  needed to complete for the class, but mostly because of the subject matter itself. I have been introduced to many forms and types of environmental stressors and threats that it is quite scary. Sadly, most of the problems are caused by the way we function and live in our daily lives. I do not have one specific favorite topic but here are a few things I am more aware of now in my daily practice. - raising livestock contributes a lot to climate change - plastic water bottle awareness - toxic particles in our air/fires - the importance of dirt/compost - zero waste lifestyle - disaster preparation - earthquakes especially today, here in the Bay. Overall I enjoyed this class, and all its content. Although, I will not recommend the online version of the class because there is a lot of material to cover,  I realize I d...
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14.4 - Website Exploration

Navigating the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) website was a bit difficult but focused my attention on the Earthquakes section. Living in the Bay Area, the one thing that comes to mind in disaster preparedness is Earthquake readiness. I remember the big 1989 earthquake so well, I was only 5, and remember waking up in cold sweats because I was so afraid of another one. Since then, I have a built-in fear of earthquakes, I have anxiety about them. According to the NCDMPH website " More than one million earthquakes occur every year worldwide, and the health effects caused by them are unique and are complicated by the potential damages caused to the health infrastructure." Luckily my father was really good about being prepared and picked up on some of his tips. This website has helped me understand earthquakes better, and provides knowledge not only on health impacts but the psychosocial impacts as well. I was also able to locate local resou...
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12.9 Climate Change

The one thing I find most troubling about climate change is that almost everything we as human beings do in our daily lives is contributing to the increased temperature of our atmosphere.  As a public health professional I think that the issue of livestock emitted greenhouse gases should be addressed and made more aware of publicly. Most people do not know that the raising of chickens, cows and other livestock contribute to a majority of released methane in the atmosphere.  If my grandmother was still alive I would tell her how over the years that due to the increased amounts of air pollution and releasing of gases into the environment our earths temperature is changing. The environment is getting warmer and all living organisms are finding it more and more difficult to live with these changes in climate. 
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11.5 - Zero Waste Lifestyle

Living a zero waste lifestyle has many environmental benefits. I would love to transition to using less waste, but do not think I can completely commit to being zero waste. I will work on a scale, slowly making my way to the zero waste side of the spectrum. Right now I use a stainless steal bottle for water, but sometimes forget it. I have been using recyclable bags and leave them in my car for trips to the store or market. Somethings to work on would be to use just glass containers. I am going to start to collect and save my current inventory of glassed goods. That way I have more containers to use instead of plastic. I already shop second hand, but when it comes to shoes, that is just weird for me. I do not think I can completely get rid of packaged items, but I can "reduce" the amount I purchase. I think that in order for more people to become zero waste Education, implementation and resources all need to be available for the general public. I love that Lauren Sin...
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10.2 - MSDS & Toxnet

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There is no MSDS at my current workplace. I however worked at several hospitals for my dietetic technician fieldwork, and know each of the facilities had an MSDS area/location in the kitchen. I found a sample MSDS online of a restore akaline cleaner.  The health risks associated with this chemical is respiratory irritation, severe irritation to mouth, throat and stomach, eye irritation, tissue damage,   skin irritation, contains a material that can cause adverse blood effects, and prolonged exposure can lead to kidney damage .  No it is not a carcinogen. It does not cause cancer.  What personal protective equipment or special precautions should be taken when working with this chemical? - Information not available  If this is a chemical found in your workplace, what training/education were you given about any risks associated with this chemical? - Information not available
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10.8 - Occupationally Related Disease

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and can cause chronic lung disease as well as lung and other cancers. Symptoms and/or cancer may take many years to develop following exposure. (from OSHA website) Workplace Standards:  Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for asbestos is 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air as an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA), with an excursion limit (EL) of 1.0 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter over a 30-minute period. The employer must ensure that no one is exposed above these limits Assessment Monitoring If exposure above the PEL or EL , there are procols to engineering controls and work practices that need to be executed. Proper respiratory protecting needs ot mee the PEL standard. Separate decontamination and lunch areas Training  Medical Surveillance Records
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10.5 - Occupational Safety and Health Organizations

AFL-CIO stands for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.  They exist to ensure that all working people are treated fairly, with decent paychecks and benefits, safe jobs, dignity and equal opportunities. Unions are essential to provide a safe workplace and where people are able to feel social and economically safe from injustices.  It is important that we put the care of ourselves in the hands of responsible organizations or companies that listen, respect and value their employees. We want to know that we are covered if any issues, emergencies or problems arise. 
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