M12.9: Climate Change

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  1. What do you personally find most troubling about climate change?
    1. We are experiencing disasters more and more and there is little to no changes in our behaviors. Many continue to use products that can't be recycled, chemically harmful, etc. There are a number of individuals who are fighting towards changing policy to provide more protection to our environment and stopping corporations from continuing on their destructive path. In addition, not having government to support climate change policy or recognize that it exists also hinders any progress towards improving the environment.
  2. As a public health professional, what do you think needs the greatest attention right now?
    1. As individuals who consume multiple products, I think if we focus/pressure companies to produce safer, biodegradable products (including their packaging) it would allow for the environment to be less impacted by the already existing products that cannot be decomposed. Plus, if the products are safer, there could be less chemicals in the water which can in term also help marine life as well.
  3. If you were visiting with a long-lost relative who had never heard about climate change, how would you describe it and its attendant human health and ecological threats?
    1. Climate change is a result from greenhouse gases that are creating an unfavorable ozone layer which does not allow the sun's rays to be emitted out of the Earth's hemisphere appropriately. As a result, different locations in the world will experience abnormal weather/environmental impacts - some areas might become hotter, some areas might become colder, some areas might have more rain while others have less rain. Think of it like this - say that you are baking bread (it's the Earth), at the right temperature the bread will look good and be perfect. However, if you turn up the temperature, the bread will start to burn and eventually fall apart. If you turn down the temperature, the bread will become rigid and will also fall apart. We have the power to "change the temperature" through the goods we consume. We can use public transportation to reduce our carbon footprint. We can ask companies to create safer, biodegradable products to reduce waste and protect the water life environment. We can use safer alternative products that are currently in the market. These are just few examples of what we can do. If we do nothing, many animals (including ourselves) and vegetation will die or become extinct. In addition, we will suffer health consequences like asthma (from too much carbon dioxide in the air) and obesity/diabetes/starvation (from being unable to grow healthy crops) or different cancers.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 16, 2018 at 3:41 PM

    Hi Daisy,
    I agree with your statement about keeping pressure on the companies that make the products that we consume. I dont think that it is right that we as consumers have to be the ones to figure out which products are safe for use and the environment. It should be on the companies that make it because they are also the ones seeing the effect due to their products (even if they are in denial about it).
    Thank you for your post!
    Kera

    ReplyDelete

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