Matthew Tarape MPH 632 Environmental & Occupational Health Blog

This semester I've learned so much in this course. It has really made me want to explore future job opportunities in this field because of how engaging it is, and learning how much it impacts myself, people around me, and the planet.  One of the first things I started doing in my life after learning about all the terrible chemicals in personal care products in this class was buying and using products that were more natural-based based on the Environmental Working Group's database. I also started buying and encouraging my family and friends to start using more natural personal care and cleaning products for their health.  Another takeaway was learning of the environmental injustice that happens in low-income neighborhoods and communities, especially the one happening right here in San Francisco's Bayview Hunter's Point neighborhood's old naval shipyard with the radiation.  After learning more about the the air pollution in the modules and doing my research, I...

What I find most troubling about climate change is that it is causing our planet to destabilize, affecting almost every aspect of people's lives whether it is losing homes to fire or hurricanes, air pollution filled with pm2.5, changes in food security, or affecting water. With the increased fires, increased storm and hurricane activities, and more leading to increased morbidity and mortality, our current government still doesn't acknowledge how much it has/is/will affect everyone (Especially today's Camp Fire becoming the most destructive wildfire in CA history, and Trump just blaming it on "mismanagement of the forests"). As a public health professional, what I think needs the greatest attention right now is educating more people with ways that climate change affects our present and future and also the ways that people of low-income are affected the most. What should happen is promoting and publicizing ways to protect yourself from today's climate chang...

After watching the zero waste life TED Talk, I was amazed at how little Lauren was able to reduce her waste. Over the years, I have made a couple of changes to reduce waste, such as using reusable bags for groceries, using a reusable water bottle to no longer use plastic water bottles, using glass tupperware instead of plastic, and other ways. But I had never thought of different ways until now, such as using not using a plastic straw, buying bulk ingredients to make on-the-go snacks instead of protein and granola bars that use plastic wraps, instead of buying new clothes buying second-hand clothes, not using single-use coffee cups, switching to a bamboo toothbrush with a compostable handle, making your own cleaning solutions, and using a lot less disposable paper towels. http://trashisfortossers.com/category/easy-changes/