Environmental and Occupational Health Issues in Public Health

Vice News reported on August 22, 2018 that the EPA under the Trump Administration vows to roll back Obama's Clean Power Plan to increase coal production. In a recent report, the EPA demonstrated that Trump's new Affordable Clean Energy Plan will cause an annual increase of 1,400 premature deaths due to pollution.  T he report states that,  "i mplementing the proposed rule is expected to increase emissions of carbon dioxide and increase the level of emissions of certain pollutants in the atmosphere that adversely affect human health," (Vice News, 2018). People of color and the poor tend to live closer to the power plants and therefore will be impacted more significantly compared to the general population. The EPA estimates that African Americans will suffer up to 50% more of the negative health affects due to the increase in coal waste and pollution.

It is easy to passively live in our homes without consideration of potential environmental toxins. After completing this assessment, I am grateful that I do not have a high risk of environmental exposures in my home. While I do have emergency disaster supplies, this list is a reminder that I need to update those supplies.  After listening to the TED talk from Arlene Blum about flame retardants, I am devoted to checking all of furniture and bedding for toxic chemicals. In addition, I will be going through all of my children's toys to check for toxic plastic chemicals.  Comment on other blogs: Monica: It is crazy to stop and think about the possible toxic products in your home. Candles seem so harmless, and so do fragrances. I agree. Franny: I agree that this exercise makes you stop and think about what things in our homes can possible make us sick. 

Whether we are at work, school, home, or out in the community, environmental exposures follow us everywhere and impact our health. Some environmental exposures are contained to a singular location, while others, including carbon monoxide, can be in several locations. Decreasing harmful environmental exposures in our lives begins with an awareness of the toxins in our environment, and then learning how to make better choices to decrease those toxic exposures. We can choose to purchase organic produce to avoid exposure to agrochemicals, and we can elect representatives that will support policies that restrict the industry's use of harmful agrochemicals. It is important to remember that the environment has a pervasive and constant presence in our lives and in our health. Improving our health outcomes and the health outcomes of a community requires creating a healthier environment. Comments on other blogs: Franny: I agree with your comment that the environmental toxins ar