Blog 8
I'm a firm believer that environmental justice is racial justice is gender justice is healthcare justice is education justice, etc. Essentially, all of these justice issues are relation and intersectional. Hunter's point in San Francisco - which has high amounts of pollution and is also considered a food desert - is a great example, given that the population is largely African American.
I recently visited New Orleans and was heartbroken and angered to learn about many members of the African American community were left to fend for themselves after Hurricane Katrina, and that the most poor neighborhoods were the most devastated.
I also worked in Malawi in a refugee camp on the Water Sanitation and Hygiene team, and the ways in which I viewed environmental justice there changed everything for me. Access to safe waste disposal, clean drinking water, toilets, and adequate space for playing, etc. were huge issues for the community. As climate change continues to worsen, the global south will likely take some of the hardest hits in terms of the effects of climate change - a deep injustice, considering that the global north is largely guilty for climate change.
I work in community health and think and talk about social determinants of health frequently. I had never thought about things like air quality and amount of pollution as a social determinant of health, but it 100% is. I primarily thought of food insecurity (particularly if patients live in a food desert) as a social determinant of health, but the environment plays a much greater role in terms of how healthful oh a life someone is able to live or have access to. For communities that are exposed to greater amounts of pollution, or that do not have access to (or money to afford) organic produce and water filters, etc., they are automatically put at a disadvantage when trying to live a healthful life.
I recently visited New Orleans and was heartbroken and angered to learn about many members of the African American community were left to fend for themselves after Hurricane Katrina, and that the most poor neighborhoods were the most devastated.
I also worked in Malawi in a refugee camp on the Water Sanitation and Hygiene team, and the ways in which I viewed environmental justice there changed everything for me. Access to safe waste disposal, clean drinking water, toilets, and adequate space for playing, etc. were huge issues for the community. As climate change continues to worsen, the global south will likely take some of the hardest hits in terms of the effects of climate change - a deep injustice, considering that the global north is largely guilty for climate change.
I work in community health and think and talk about social determinants of health frequently. I had never thought about things like air quality and amount of pollution as a social determinant of health, but it 100% is. I primarily thought of food insecurity (particularly if patients live in a food desert) as a social determinant of health, but the environment plays a much greater role in terms of how healthful oh a life someone is able to live or have access to. For communities that are exposed to greater amounts of pollution, or that do not have access to (or money to afford) organic produce and water filters, etc., they are automatically put at a disadvantage when trying to live a healthful life.
Hi Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteI really admire you for going to Malawi and also your work in community health. I think community health is an area that advanced practice nurses can make a real difference, in the realms of public health education, clinical healthcare practice, and community advocate for positive health outcomes. I like how you tied different elements of community health and social determinants of health together under a big umbrella. Part of educating the public is getting them to realize that things such as healthcare as human right, environmental justice, and water/ air/ food/ household products safety, are all interrelated. Advocating for one thing doesn't mean neglecting or lessening the importance of others.
Much of activism stem from people doing own research because there are definitely forces that subvert efforts to affect change and improving safety standards. It can be frustrating for consumers and citizens to be confronted with the myriad of problems and concerns. I think that one of our roles is to encourage participation and impart continual stream of education to engage as well as empower both local and greater communities.
Sadly, we have to address the issue of environmental racism on top of every else going into the environment. In most African countries, the government is corrupt. Misappropriation of funds meant for public projects. The rich and the poor suffer. The poor people have no access to clean water or proper sanitation. The rich pay a lot of money for these services privately.
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