12.9 Climate Change

     Although, I believe that Earth has natural climate changes, the current climate change is happening exponentially faster and more extreme than ever before. This is due to human activity and industrialization of the last 300 years. What troubles me most about the current climate change is that all species, including the human race, are not prepared to adapt to the pace and intensity. Other species are affected by the current climate change more than humans...to the point of extinction.

     As a public health professional, I believe that global communities should invest a great amount of attention to being better stewards of the land by minimizing industrialization activities (mining, pesticide use, oil refining...etc.), minimizing waste production and improving waste management systems. 

     I just returned from a one week long medical mission to Honduras during Holy Week. I was appalled at the lack of waste management. They burn their garbage in open burn pits 24 hours a day and 7 days a week...and most of the time garbage is everywhere. The children swim in it and that is why there is skyrocketing prevalence in infectious, waterborne and airborne diseases in Honduras. This is true for most countries around the world, but especially 3rd world countries. Burning trash destroys the ozone layer, which proliferates climate change. Climate change affects food sources and availability for all species. 

10.1 Video Blog

In the medical-surgical ICU where I work, we frequently provide care for oncology patients who are receiving chemotherapy. We are not trained in chemotherapy administration and management, therefore it is a biochemical health hazard for the untrained nursing staff. Using the hierarchy of controls, this is how I would propose to address the issue:

PPE: Protect the Worker with Personal Protective Equipment

• Implement education and training to newly hired nursing staff and annually to all patient care staff on proper use of personal protective equipment when providing care to ICU patients receiving chemotherapy

Administrative Controls: Change the Way People Work

• Facilitate easier access to PPE by ensuring that the unit is well stocked and that it is easy to find
• Provide supportive education and training that is not punitive to all patient care staff (no question is a dumb question type of attitude)

Engineering Controls: Isolate People From Hazard

• Design chemowaste management systems to be more accessible, convenient and user friendly to patient care staff
• Design at least one room in the ICU to be appropriate for chemotherapy

Substitution: Replace the Hazard

• Optimal intervention is to reduce exposure or minimize the effects of exposure through staff education and training

Elimination: Physically Remove the Hazard

• Have appropriate and secure disposal systems accessible to patient care staff

In my ICU unit, the main barrier of patient care staff to exercising their rights to a healthy and safe workplace is lack of knowledge and training. It is the responsibility of management to provide this training, yet they do not see it as a priority, because we are a "medical-surgical ICU," despite the fact that 50% of our patients have cancer and receive some form of anti-cancer treatment. 

M11.5 A Zero Waste Life

Zero Waste Life

Lauren Singer's choice  to live a zero waste life is admirable. It is challenging to live a zero waste life, especially in a society that heavily relies on plastic and a culture of abundance and disposability. Everything is packaged in plastic, which creates perpetual waste.

I purchase my fruits and vegetables from the Farmer's market and I use reusable cloth grocery bags that can be washed. My family and I compost food that is no longer edible and recycle plastic. I'm ok with drinking tap water, but my relatives do not trust it and continue to consume bottled water. I try to use all my products to the end of its life. I have had my laptop for almost 10 years now and I drove my first car for 11 years before it broke down and I had to replace it. I haven't gained weight or grew any taller in the past 10 years, so I keep my clothing. We have reusable tupper ware and we use metal eating utensils.

Unfortunately, I am clueless on how to make my own personal products, but if I were taught and trained, I would be open to incorporating that practice in my daily life. I would walk or bike to work to help reduce the carbon footprint in the world, but work is more than 30 miles away. I walk to the grocery store when I do my errands.