Final Blog

This class was enlightening and I enjoyed being exposed to topics and conversations that I would not otherwise engage in. I enjoyed personalizing this learning, like looking into my personal care products and reflecting on steps to contribute to a healthier life and environment. I also appreciated the flexibility in choosing our own research topic as it relates to environmental health.

I liked that the blogs held us accountable for doing the online modules/readings and it was a quick way to write down our thoughts, reflect, and engage with peers. I thought the blog prompts were interesting and simple (not too challenging) and I did enjoy reading my peer's opinions/thoughts on the content. I will say, however, that I thought there were way too many blog posts and having to respond to each one for 2 people became a chore rather than something to look forward to. There could have been less blogs to do each week (2 max).

Thank you! And thank you Rudi and Matt for your thoughts and replies!

Climate Change

The most troubling thing I find about climate change is the inevitability of it. It feels very out of our control, and almost unstoppable, which is interesting since it is a result of our own human behavior. Although I have learned that there are small changes we can make in our daily lives to help, I still feel slightly disempowered to be able to really contribute to prevention. Our focus can be on preparedness and our response to the effects of climate change. Perhaps the thing that needs greatest attention right now is emergency response. I also think that part of this includes counseling and support for mental health around PTSD and trauma from experiencing large scale disaster. I would describe climate change to a long-lost relative as simply as possible. I'd describe it as the gradual shift in our environments i.e. temperature change which result in negative health outcomes for all life. I would list some examples like asthma (human impact), drought (ecological), and the loss of natural habitat  and (ecological). I would also include a discussion about what is being done to help slow down climate change. 

Missed one! 10.1 Video/Family Work Exposure

My dad is retired, but used to work for the City of Oakland's Sewage and Drainage Department. He started in the rough, being one to suit-up and clear out blockages, and then became a supervisor so that he no longer was directly in contact with drains and sewage lines but was still around them. I remember he was often out at night working during rain storms while I was growing up. This job definitely had chemical and biological health hazards in terms of exposure to the contents of sewers and drains. The only part of the hygiene hierarchy that I think fits with this is the lower level of protective equipment/gear. Some barriers to this may be personal opinions ("Oh I don't need to wear gloves or a mask") which could be addressed through education and mandatory gear. 

Zero Waste Life

While watching the video, I was (and still am) in amazement at this lifestyle! It is really inspiring, it seems like it was a hard transition (especially with having to hand-make products). I went shopping yesterday and was noticing all the plastic packaging and I felt myself torn- I didn't want to buy certain food due to its packaging, but I really wanted to eat the food! I ended up buying it anyway...but I think my mindfulness on the waste that I support and create is a good first step. Maybe I can make little changes in what I buy- buying less plastic packaging little by little. I want to do more shopping at farmers markets, too. I overall appreciate the woman's advice on steps toward a zero waste lifestyle.  

Occupational Health Related Disease: Byssinosis

I chose Byssinosis (brown lung) since I have not heard of this much before. It is a respiratory disease associated with working at textile mills (primarily dust from fibers i.e. cotton). I was reading a 1978 article from the NY Times about how the cotton industry pushed back against regulation and OSHA did not set any standards for cotton dust exposure. Eventually there were standards set around ventilation, respirator use, and routine medical check ups. Upon my research on this work related disease, there seems to be little campaigns and research around prevention, but in the US Byssinosis rates are declining, according to the American Lung Association and CDC.  I was hoping that the CDC would have more info on public health campaigns around this disease, but I am not finding much information.

OSHA Program

I found on OSHA's website that they support/provide a program that gives free consultation at high-risk work places (i.e. with high hazards or exposures). They support this for small businesses and their team members will go to the work place to give recommendations for improvements so that the business will not get fined by OSHA and to further ensure worker safety. Sounds like these services are for new/developing businesses which is great so that they can learn how to be more safe, especially if they grow! This does not really apply to me/my health/my work. I also found on the OSHA website a zone for young workers where it talks about their rights and how to safely handle equipment in different work environments. This portion of the website is very kid friendly (language use, colors, etc.) and is helpful for my health since there are a lot of youth who work in industries that I am involved in (restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores). I also work indirectly with youth and could use this knowledge to tell them about their rights/refer them to this site.

Material Safety Data Sheet

My friend works at the UC Berkeley "Innovative Genomics Institute" and was telling me about a common chemical in her workplace, Imidazole

Imidazole:

- skin burns and irritation, eye damage, may harm unborn child

-not a carcinogen

-wear protective gear i.e. gloves and goggles, recommends wearing a respirator but does not stress this as mandatory (which is confusing since it states inhaling it is a hazard and to immediately get fresh air if inhaled)

-did not receive any education or training on this chemical, but was told to look up the SDS for further info and to not inhale it. Received a overall/general training on how to read hazard labels (pictograms) but nothing specific to chemicals.

-no discrepancies between the SDS and ToxNet

The MSDS (now called SDS) for Imidazole (or any other chemical I am sure) was not easy to read and comprehend. It was also difficult to find. If a worker (particularly someone with a low English proficiency) has to find and read this on their own, they will probably have a difficult time understanding.