Blog #20: Regulation & Policy

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 Public Officials of CA:
  • Gavin Newsom (D) Governor.
  • Eleni Kounalakis (D) Lieutenant Governor.
  • Alex Padilla (D) Secretary of State.
  • Xavier Becerra (D) Attorney General.
  • Fiona Ma (D) State Treasurer.
  • Betty Yee (D) State Controller.
  • Tony Thurmond (D) State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
  • SD Mayor is Kevin Faulconer 
  • The SD County officers responsible for enforcing the PP are the Chief of SD County HHSA and the Public Health Officer. I know Nick and Wilma personally and know they would do anything in their power to enforce this- but can they? Though they independently and personally act for the health of any and all living beings in this county, they may be limited by the agency.  
Health & Human Services AgencyNick Macchione
HHSA Public Health OfficerWilma Wooten, M.D.
 

Why is it that we advocate for corporations over individuals? We protect business over families? I remain hopeful that our country will come together and make larger stride to reform policy. Every paper I read gives more insight as to why we do not choose to invoke this pp. It seems that every single industry has sided with business over people. I do not understand how decision makers sleep at night who participate in actions that cause harm, increase risk and degrade our planetary home.

In a statement issued by the US Chamber of Commerce, they state "Radical environmentalists are pushing for its adoption".  When will we stop calling science "radical" and recognize the importance of human life above all?


As nurses we can join organizations that follow the data and advocate for the living and not the dollar.
 I always say- "We get one earth walk- make it count". 


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