Blog #26: Radiation

Ionizing Radiation from the use of Cell Phones

The video on cell phones emitting ionizing radiation was well worth my time in listening to Dr. Davis.  I have always wondered if glioblastoma was linked to long-term cell phone use.  I have heard of studies in the media about cell phone use and cancers, particularly brain cancer.  It never occurred to me about infertility in the adults and birth defects in the unborn with the use of cell phones.  It was a very interesting lecture by Dr. Devra Davis.

When I went to my settings and found the 'Legal and Regulatory' link, I skimmed through a lot of nonsense information about copyright, warranty and license, I kept scrolling down to find information about risk factors on cell phone use but I ran out of patience trying to scroll for the information, no wonder consumers are not aware of the risks, its not easy to find!

I agree and endorse nurses who advocate and support educating the public and their patients on the hazards of cell phone use because where else will the public get it from?  They would have to do their own research or be enrolled in courses like this to be educated and informed.

Position statement on technology and health: Provide scientific research from credible sources, then state your position statement on the health risks of cell phone use.  Publish this statement to the public health authorities and the cell phone companies so they can develop the appropriate infrastructures to use the devices safely, like it was illustrated in Dr. Davis' video.

"Cell phones are attributed to low fertility, birth defects and some forms of brain cancers"

Blog #25: Greening Healthcare

Green Healthcare

 It has never occurred to me to think 'green' in the health care industry until now.  With the informative sessions in this course, I have come to appreciate the environment more, and none so more than in the healthcare setting.  I have always worked in a hospital setting for the last 25 years, and it has always irked me on how hospitals waste so much supply of their instruments, patient care supplies, medications and equipment.  An opened package for one item caused the entire medical supply package to be discarded.  At one hospital I worked at, any sterile packages that were opened and not used went into the mission storage supply to be distributed to less affluent countries but for the most part, very little of the sterile and clean supplies were recycled.  One example is, plastics that are not contaminated with human secretions are not allowed to go into recycling including the water and soda pop bottles and cans that patients and staff use.  When I asked why couldn't these items be sent to a recycling center, I was told because the items came from a hospital, it could not go to a recycling plant for fear of contamination.  Instead, these recyclables now fill our our landfill sites.

I belong to the ANHE for a fellowship program on environmental health and I am currently working in my community to improve land use zoning and development.  There is also the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) that deals with environmental and occupational issues in the more vulnerable populations.

I like the idea of 'green health care', it has to involve every aspect of the contributing industries, occupations and the growth of the economy.  

Blog #24: Energy

Energy and Health

The production of energy globally has both negative and positive impacts on the health and the environment.  Reading and watching the articles and videos on current energy sources were very informative and have opened my mind and thoughts of the progress and destruction that energy use has made.  Energy has caused global engineering success with innovative advances in providing the basics of food, shelter and water.  On the contrary, it has also caused depletion of our earth's natural and man-made resources, destroyed our ecosystem and increased the disease trajectory in the world's population.  Knowing what I know now after this educational session on energy and health, I have enough information to advocate and lobby for more sustainable and re-usable energy sources.  The graphics depicted from the reduction of greenhouse emissions was eye-opening and impactful on how I use and conserve energy with my own personal practices.  I can support organizations and industries that promote a safer and cleaner environment when they implement or plan on implementing renewable resources for building and engineering.  The videos and readings were very informative and well promulgated with clear understanding of the content and the audience they were trying to reach.

The current government incentives that are available state and local wide are, monetary incentives and rebates for electric vehicles, parking spaces that are designated for EV which are located closer to the retailers' entrances.  There are carpool lanes to get you to places faster.  There are charging stations located at convenient stops.  I am not sure about this measure, but I think the license fees are cheaper if you own an electric vehicle. I know in Vancouver, in my home city, the parking spots are free for energy efficient vehicles. This is a big incentive, since parking a car is expensive in Vancouver.

Blog #23: News today on Indoor Farming

Indoor Farming to combat climate change

The safety challenges of outdoor farming are becoming more acute with climate change and unexpected shifts in pests and bird migrations.  Indoor farming is a solution to eliminating green house gases as our planet gradually gets hotter and the population increases.  The solution by one company in Baltimore is to use LED lights and the natural lighting to grow and farm food, producing more and having a lesser impact on the green house emissions.  Since climate change is warming the earth, impacting the seasons and weather, the natural environment, including marine and land wild life, it is difficult to produce the amount of food from the unpredictability of climate change.  (News released by the Washington Post on November 19, 2019).  Companies such as this operates and produces food for the planet in an ecological and sustainable way through massive greenhouses, thus, moving us forward into the 22nd century!

Blog #23: Climate Change

Climate Change and Our Health

1. Climate change is predicted to have multiple effects. Are you prepared, as a nurse, to address the effects that are likely to be experienced in your community?
2. Are there ways in which the nursing community can use our trusted voices about health to strengthen climate change policies and practices?

1. As I go through this course on environmental health, I am more aware of the negative health and environmental effects that are currently happening now and will happen in the near future if our conscious effort to reduce our carbon emissions is desensitized and unamended.  I am solely prepared to advise my community but I can educate them on the effects of climate change, its causes and prevention.   Using the fact sheet on climate change put out and endorsed by the Obama Administration is a good place to start my community education and preparedness on the health effects from climate change.

2. Since I have been informed and constantly reminded that our profession in nursing is the most trusted and reliable voice to influence change in policy and public safety, that, by using media and scientific data to convey our message and concern to policy makers, elected state and city officials and the general public that the need to address climate change will be impactful.  One of the ways to influence awareness and action is through nursing and environmental disciplines to project the immediate need to change the way our society does things in order to preserve the planet and improve our green house gas emissions.  Strong bodies that are made up of medical professionals and scientists have the greatest influence on policy change.  Like the Obama Administration, they used reliable bodies of knowledge and experience to influence them release reports about climate change into the healthcare sectors. 

Blog #22: Occupational Exposures

Ergonomics

1. Consider your findings on your MSDS about the potential dangers associated with the chemical/product you looked up.
   • Was the MSDS an adequate tool for a worker to use to gain an understanding about the potential health risks and how to protect him/herself?
   • Consider that the general public reads at a reading level at or below 6th grade, and that's if English is their first language. Was the MSDS still adequate? 
2. How did the occupational health organization's health and safety program you chose relate to your health and safety issues?

I looked up Toxnet on household bleach I use for cleaning my house, and I found an article on bleach affecting women with increase in occurrences in asthma and other respiratory diseases.  I found this article interesting that women are mainly affected because house cleaning is usually performed by women. I tried to use baking soda but it just doesn't quite clean my bathroom sinks and showers adequately, so instead, I wear a mask and keep the bathrooms ventilated while I clean.  I am not exposed to any occupational hazards at work other than ergonomics.  I have an adjustable computer desk and chair that I find helpful from preventing neck strain.  I have windows in my office to let in natural lighting and I have good ventilation with heating and cooling, all keeping me safe and comfortable.  The occupational health and safety did not really apply to me.  When I was an oncology nurse many years ago, I administered IV and oral chemotherapy where I used PPE to handle and dispose of chemotherapy drugs and wastes.

The MSDS is still adequate for the general public but not for people who cannot read or write English.  In those cases, the MSDS information should be printed in the more common languages people can read and write.

Blog #21: Heath Policies

Health Policies

1. Take a look at your local news or listen to the news on the radio or TV over the next week and see if you can identify policies that will affect environmental quality. Can you see a direct or indirect relationship to human health?
2. Do you know the name of your local elected officials - local, state, and national?
3. Are there health policies that you typically track by yourself or through your professional nursing organization or nursing union? How might you get more involved in promoting environmental health policies

To answer question #1, the local news constantly covers the wildfires in California but there are no health policy issues mentioned in the news.  However, I do see the negative health effects as a result of the poor air quality in the valley.  There are numerous clinic visits with respiratory illnesses, such as, exacerbation of asthma and COPD, in addition, to new symptoms of allergies.  These patients are needing more potent inhalers or short term steroid therapy for exacerbations.

Local elected officials for Fresno county for public health officer is Sara Goldgraben MD, MPH, MBA.  Our state public health officer and director of the CDPH is Sonia Angell MD, MPH.

The disease I currently follow is Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) and recent health policies that have developed through the process of regulations and policies act.  There is a Bill out S.3114- Combat Valley Fever Act.  This Bill, which was put out in June 21, 2018 serves to track coccidioidomycosis cases in the national registry.  Ms. Harris introduced this Bill.  Valley Fever is my DNP project.

Blog #21: Environmental News Today

Venice, Italy Flooded

On November 15th, 2019 CNN reports extreme flooding in Venice, Italy.  Hundreds of young adults came together through word from telegram social media group to help clean up the streets of Venice, and help drain households and stores. They, approximately 1700 young adults, also collected waste that impact the lagoon's ecosystem.  The lagoon's natural ecosystem cannot repair itself from the pollutants brought in by natural disasters and by mankind, such as, from cruise ships.

Blog #20: Food and pharmaceutical wastes

1. What are the roles that nurses can play in addressing food waste?
2. How can nurses exert leadership in addressing pharmaceutical waste?
3. After watching the TED talk about a young woman who chose to live a zero waste life, consider the changes that you might be able to make in your life to live a zero waste life.

Addressing food wastes, can be done by promoting it through the media (newspapers, social media sites, television), all these avenues can make the public aware of the amount of food wastes that occurs.

Nurses can address pharmaceutical wastes by not giving into insurance companies on prescribing more than 30 days, they do this to increase compliancy.  I feel that it is the person's responsibility to take charge of their own health care maintenance.  

The zero waste lifestyle concept is an effective message to consumers, however, I do not feel it is realistic to get to this point in one's life for most of the population.  In today's world of bigger, better, more and cheaper, consumerism is attracted to this methodology.  As for me, I know I do not have the time or patience to make my own products but I do make the effort to create less waste by using bottled water infrequently, not using disposable utensils if I can help it, try to buy products that are ecofriendly in the packaging and to use products that are sustainable.

Blog 20-Environmental News Today: Trump is an 'Oil' president

Does America Have an Oil President?

According to CNN on November 6, 2019, Jane Fonda, an environmental activist, stated on CNN that our president is bought off by the fossil fuel industry.  The climate crisis is an impending doom to our very fragile earth, and if people in power like our president do not support or address climate change, it will ultimately leave us in a state of emergency of global warming and depletion of our earth's resources.  Many countries already are combating climate change with the conservation of energy and limiting waste, for example, in recent news today, Germany invested billions of dollars to change the beer pack plastic rings on the cans to recycled cardboard in order to reduce plastic and reduce the harm to wildlife.  The U.S. is a powerful and influential country that sets the course and benchmark for change that other countries follow.  If our president limits fossil fuel extraction and production,  he will exemplify the recognition of the world's climate crisis.

Blog #19: Sanitation

Wastewater Treatment Plant

1. Do you know where the sewage treatment facilities are in your community?
• Consider their locations - is this an environmental justice concern? 

When I googled 'sewage treatment plant near me', two treatment plants came up.  The first one was for a raw sewage plant out in the rural part of Fresno county, at Jensen and Cornelia in the southwest part of Fresno, mostly farmland but there are communities out in this area, with the majority of the residents are Blacks and Hispanics.  The Jensen plant is a secondary treatment plant with effluent odors.  The second wastewater treatment plant came up in my neighborhood in the northeast part of Fresno, but this plant is a tertiary wastewater treatment plant that is recycled water used for irrigation for facilities like parks and golf courses.  This area has two affluent country clubs that most likely utilizes this water source.  The northeast communities are predominately white and professionals.

The location of the two treatment plants could be considered as an environmental injustice.  The one in the northeast part of Fresno has a lesser environmental impact on the surrounding communities since this plant is a tertiary recycled wastewater plant used for irrigation.  On the other side of town 22 miles away from my neighborhood is a secondary wastewater treatment plant located in the rural part of Fresno impacting at a greater force to the residents around it.