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

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...

Considering we are 70% water and we live on a planet that is about 71% water... We should probably care at least 70% about how we use, treat and manage water.  According to new studies published in the National Geographic foundation , we are in a fresh water crisis. We also need to care a WHOLE lot about groundwater. Something I never really considered is how to protect our precious resources below the surface. There is an entire foundation dedicated to just this! We can educate, support and raise the voice of how significant it is to preserve and protect our precious water resources. Groundwater Foundation We use a staggering amount of water in this country! Yet many communities around the globe have no access to clean drinking water.

Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Studies indicate the deadliest month for CO is in January. January is the Deadliest Month for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Posted in:  Carbon monoxide Poison Safety & Prevention Christmas & Winter Holidays Winter According to  a new study  by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first month of the year is the worst for carbon monoxide poisoning. At least two people die each day from carbon-monoxide poisoning in January—three times the fatality rate recorded in August and July. Unintentional carbon monoxide exposure accounted for 15,000 emergency room visits annually between 1999 and 2004, with an average of 439 people dying each year. Fatalities were highest among men and senior citizens: Men because they are engaged in more high-risk behaviors such as working with fuel-burning tools or appliances and seniors because they are likely to mistake the symptoms of CO poisoning (headaches, nausea, diz...

News Releases from  Headquarters › Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Proposed EPA program would give $50-million boost to children’s health WASHINGTON  (March 18, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new $50-million grant program, the  Healthy Schools Grant Program , to expand the Trump Administration’s efforts to protect children where they learn and play. The announcement is part of President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget and supports  EPA’s ongoing commitment to evaluate and address risks to children’s health . “Protecting children's health is a top priority for EPA, and this new funding would help schools address poor and deteriorating conditions that can harm children’s health and stymie academic progress,”  said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler . “This grant program would help schools, especially those in underserved communities, reduce exposures to environmental hazards, create healthier learning envir...