Just Another Nurse with a Passion and a Purpose...

Throughout this class we have learned so much about the environment and where are role should be as a nurse. Much of what we have discussed is shocking, disturbing, terrifying and leaves us feeling like there is nothing we can REALLY do. Policy, corporations and corrupt government seem to rule on environmental issues and nurses have seemingly no credit to make a difference. Once this darkness and depression sets in, and we cant find anything to eat, products to put on our bodies or clean our house with that does not violate someones health....we need to stand up, gather our evidence and start making changes. These can be small as a single consumer- and lead to larger change in our homes, communities, schools, churches and hospitals. I have already begun to make small changes in my own home. We switched over to reusable beeswax paper to wrap up leftover foods. We use only EWG approved care & cleaning products. We have always been privileged to choose organic over conventional-bu...

When I opened by phone and looked at the "legal" tab under settings- I was shocked. Quite a bit of information is held there. However, it says that my iphone "has been tested and maintains and meets applicable limits for radio frequency (RF) exposure" But How do I know? What does the evidence say about this? Most reading I could find came from the EU. What does America have to hide? Well it seems this a race to technology , and not about human health. Every article I searched talked more about how we need to "win" 5G and "beat out China" in our sprint to the finish to get 5G networks up and running... Should we be concerned that 5G is headed our way ? The industry tells us it is "the next great thing" "Will give us more speed"...But is this good for our health? Do we care about RF exposure in this country. Here is what our commission on   Federal Communications has to say about it: The  FDA maintains a...

How do we GREEN healthcare? This industry relies on single use efficiency for both safety and convenience. So how do we ever really go Green? This is going to take real initiative and change from the inside-out. We need the providers and delivery agents to change their practice. And demonstrate that this CAN be done and still be safe and efficient. The team at Harvard is on this march towards more sustainability. We can also change the narrative of WHY this is so important. If providers do not believe in Climate change or how a zip code influences genetic code- then we have a real problem. At UCSF they are hitting it from all angles. Educating providers, patients and the the administration about why this movement is needed and critical. Nurses can lead this change at the forefront. I was on the green committe at my local hospital. This was HARD work. No one really wanted to have to deposit meds, sharps, waste into multiple bins. We got pushback from leadership saying it was ...

Renewable Energy is critical to the health of our planet. How we continue to be swept up in the current of disbelief surrounding climate change and use of non-renewable energy sources boggles my mind. I was encouraged by the readings on how the U.S. has goals for reaching certain levels of renewable resources. I just hope this is not yet another cloud.. Choosing solar, wind, biomass, efficiency standards remains a privilege in this country. We need to recognize that not all people get the opportunity to choose their source of power. The cost remains high and is limited to those who own their own homes. Living in a LEED or other certified green home is also not a choice for the masses. New properties are beginning to adopt these standards more readily- but the technology, the efficiency exists and we should be promoting this further through government subsidy. In California we have more ability to do this- but many states do not. This local CA fact sheets provides great informati...

How can we strengthen our voice as nurses for climate change? A 2018 article by the American Academy of Nursing on Policy recommended 8 principles for nurses to take a lead on bringing this critically important issue to the forefront: 1. Reduce sources of pollution that contribute to climate change . a. Mobilize, focus, incentivize, and increase national funding for climate protective actions. b. Oppose any rollback of climate protective polices addressing fuel economy standards, power plant emissions, and other sources of atmospheric carbon. c. Support climate protective initiatives at the community level, emphasizing the needs of populations and communities most affected. d. Advocate for community actions to incorporate renewable sources of energy, more fuel-efficient options for transportation, waste management, agricultural and forest management, and more energy-efficient buildings. e. Promote environmentally sustainable practices (e.g., reduction of medical waste) througho...

How do we continue to waste 40% of the Earths contribution of food?? We have 1 in 8 Americans fighting to get food and yet we waste more than we provide to our own citizens. We need to raise our voices about this issue. This issue CAN be solved. We can be more conscience consumers, better custodians of our excess food and work with companies to donate more of their food to feed our own people instead of feeding the landfill. We can also do a better job at community composting to stop unnecessary food from going to waste when we NEED to produce healthier and more earth friendly soil. If we are going to waste, lets at least have an upside. Cities should unite and begin large scale composting to reduce landfill contributions and raise the consciousness of our citizens. There are many ways we can improve our consumption and contribute to the recovery of our food sources. We can also affect change of policy to reflect a more sustainable model. We need to first KNOW the ...

Over 70 million children around the world work in hazardous conditions in agriculture, mining, domestic labor, and other sectors. On tobacco farms, children work long hours in extreme heat, exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides that can make them sick. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, child laborers in artisanal and small-scale gold mines work underground in pits that easily collapse and use toxic mercury to process the gold, risking brain damage and other serious health conditions. We are working to end the worst forms of child labor and to ensure that all children are protected from jobs that interfere with their health, safety, and education. Source:  https://www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-labor How does this practice continue? How in the U.S. do we still permit this? I cried watching the videos about this. It seems like we have not made much headway on this since the 1700's. We continue to see the health and economic effects of child labor. It is clear that...

Oh CaviWipes- how I have loved you. I took the opportunity to look up the standard of cleaning that nurses expose themselves to in healthcare settings. I even bought them at home for a a few years when my husband was sick to keep our home "clean and free of germs". Here is the MSDS on this darling product we all use daily in the hospital. As an ED nurse, I would wipe down hundreds of beds per day with these. I used probably several containers per day- (not always with gloves if I am going to be honest). Here is what I found to be hazardous and harmful ... Requires disposal in same way as pesticide Requires full protection of firefighters if fire happens around this material Irritating to eyes & skin Carcinogenic properties May cause respiratory irritation from combustible dust And this came under the "Regulation" part of the MSDS label: U.S. FEDERAL REGULATIONS: This chemical is a pesticide product registered by the United States Environme...

The Precautionary Principle: “When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” Why is the " Better Safe than Sorry" not taken more seriously? We have witnessed the application of dollars over data in Smoking, Lead, Asbestos and now in Climate Change.  Why do we continue to have this discussion of risk v. benefit when it comes to the actual lives of living things or the health of our planet?  This is astounding. This is frustrating. This is insanity. If you needed a refresher of who represents us in CA- here ya' go. I am (mostly) aware of my local officials but I honestly have just begun to have faith in them in the past few years. They have been republican ( I am not ) and are slowly shifting to a more central angle.. the County has largely been democrat representation over past decade.  Refresher on our P...

In the County of San Diego we have a centralized Sanitation department . We also are undergoing a complete rejuvenation of our sewer and water pipes throughout the region. Many residents complain about the construction, constant digging and traffic issues related to this l arge scale project ...maybe I should have them watch the video from India. 😜 The simple act of flushing the toilet is a scientific miracle. May be the most important invention in Public Health History. We are so incredibly lucky to have a government and tax payers to fund this project. This involves creating a healthier water supply and better treatment of sewage waste. As a direct neighbor to Mexico, San Diegans should understand the health and safety issues associated with inadequate sanitations systems. We are surrounded by contaminated rivers, groundwater and ocean pollution from Mexico's inadequate and poorly manage sanitation system. Many immigrants living in South San Diego are also not educate...

News Flash! EWG just ranked Kale as the third dirtiest vegetable you can eat! Choose organic Kale-Krazy people! The truth about pesticides is overwhelming. From the indiscriminate use near schools, homes and illegal dumping of pesticide laden industrial waste into public water sources...to the lack of protection for workers who are not informed of their risk or even cared for when they fall ill. We have permitted this dirty industry to call all the shots. In 2015, the EPA even reversed protections and banned pesticides made by the Obama era. We live in a country that protects it's economy before it's people. I almost cannot believe anything I read on the EPA website .  It is a lovely list of sources and medical conditions associated with certain pesticides..but why post the information if we are not truly regulating them? After watching the films from the module and seeing the horrors of pesticide exposure to cotton farmers in India, I think of how much injustice ...

Working in free clinics in urban settings- I have often considered how ethical it is to feed a vulnerable population expired or nearly expired food on the regular as a "charitable" act. At shelter based clinics and food distribution sites, the food being served or distributed is often just past the date or near its "best by" date. I have learned that food waste is a major problem in this country, and the last thing I want to see is more food wasted while people go hungry. Unfortunately, the populations being served this food tend to have multiple risk factors making them vulnerable to potential food poisoning that could be deadly. A story out of Denver in 2012 indicated that over 350 homeless individuals became ill after eating a free turkey dinner at a homeless shelter. A 2011 article in the journal of Foodborne Pathogens and Disease highlights the vulnerable populations who are more at risk. Those living in shelters, group settings and hospitalized patients ar...

This module was the most difficult one for me to read through and watch the films. Agribusiness is close to my heart being from the Central Coast of CA. I grew up understanding the plight of farmers, water issues, importance of bees, sustainability and the taste of organic fresh produce. I am disheartened that not much has improved over the past 40 years. Yes, we have made some strides with popularity of  farmer's markets , knowledge of organic sustainable agriculture. We continue to battle for rights of farmworker's and issues of human trafficking are alive and well. The stories in the Dirt film of suicide rates of farmers and living conditions for workers was shocking. I also cannot believe how far we have allowed industrial farming practices to go. The mono-culture trends that began in the 1950's continue across our heartlands. The fate of these practices for our food supply and planet is daunting. One of the take aways for me was in one of the Ted Talk that said we hav...

How confident should we be in drinking water in SD?  According to the City of SD- it is safe! This article talks about why.  I was impressed by reading the SD Water Quality Report . Great information and nicely put together. It makes me want to drink tap water...I am aware of the abundance of groundwater contamination and high coliforms found in in our local supplies due to continued contamination by the Tijuana River and estuary near Imperial Beach. I would like to believe it is being appropriately treated...but I am cautious.  When I dig deeper and check the EWG website .. I am not so sure. This report tells a very different story.  Top Three Reasons to Avoid Bottled Water? The safest choice we may have is to choose filtered water from the tap in a safe reusable bottle.  According to the EWG Here is Why:  Top 5 Reasons to Choose Filters Over Bottled Water If you're concerned about contaminants in the t...