Your Environment and Your Health

Your Environment and Your Health

It has been proved that our health is function of our environment, several agencies over the world have worked for decades to safeguard families and communities to encourage the reduction of exposures to toxic chemicals that cause disease. Though there has been substantial progress and improvements over the past years, certain environmentally linked diseases, such as asthma, autism, and some types of cancer have increased. This write-up is focused at taking a look at these challenges and efforts currently ongoing towards sustainable health and environment.

Sustainable Food for Healthy living.

Concerted efforts should be taken at promoting sustainable agricultural practices to eliminating pesticides and other harmful contaminants in food. Agricultural establishments by now are working to transition to healthier food systems.

Awards should be instituted to honor those who successfully advance these goals – production of organic foods. We should continue to step up pressure on government agencies, such as the FDA and EPA, to protect the safety of food supply and consumer products, including working to reduce mercury in fish, stopping the unnecessary use of antibiotics in livestock, and reducing the use of dangerous pesticides.

Safe Drinking Water

Water  - the pure one is essential for health. We (all of us) should all be working to ensure that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water, from cleaning dangerous toxins like pesticides, hexavalent chromium, and rocket fuel out of our drinking water to replacing deteriorating pipes and mains that run underneath our roads and cities. Organizations should be working to address the impacts of global warming on drinking water and improve access to safe water supplies internationally and especially in the developing countries.

Chemicals in our Homes

Some of us have lost counts on toxic chemicals that surround us every day, from bisphenol A in food containers and baby bottles and triclosan in hand soaps, to flame retardants in household furniture and hormone disrupting phthalates in toys. This is the time to begin to reform outdated laws and update scientific assessments so that restriction could be placed on the use of toxic chemicals associated with cancer, disabilities, and reproductive problems. Efforts should be intensified to reduce the use of toxic pesticides in homes to protect children, pets and the most vulnerable among us.

Global Pollution

Pollution from several countries contributes to global air quality problems which enter our food chain. Equipment manufacturers must be encouraged to adopt environmentally sustainable business practices and green their supply chain.

Climate and Health

Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats facing the world today, but few people mostly in the developing world are aware of how it is affecting them. A check on the climate maps proves that more communities are now vulnerability to climate-related impacts. Agencies should be working tirelessly to help address the impacts of climate change, such as worsening air quality, extreme heat, and more frequent extreme weather events. The most direct action in my opinion towards stopping climate change is to developing and enforce policies to minimize human suffering.

Air Pollution

Generally, outdoor air pollution is associated with several deaths and countless illnesses each year across the globe. Working to clean up toxic hotspots including major industrial polluters as well as dirty diesel transportation hubs should be embarked upon by the United Nations. The goal for all children to be able to play outside without fear of asthma attacks or stunted lung growth must be achieved soonest. Also all communities must enjoy safe and healthy air quality, eliminating the race and income gaps in access to clean air.

Defending Scientific Integrity

Protecting environment and health require high-quality science that is free from conflicts of interest. Agencies like NRDC must scrutinize the qualifications of scientists appointed to key government advisory boards to assure they are free from financial conflicts of interest and to uncover biases.

They (agencies) must persuade major scientific journals to improve disclosure of funding sources when they publish studies. Government should defending independent scientists who are unjustly attacked by polluting industries because their study results threaten a lucrative chemical or product. The relevant agencies should expose industry tactics to delay scientific assessments and regulation of chemicals of concern. NRDC scientists for example should serve on numerous scientific advisory boards, have faculty appointments at universities, and publish their findings in peer-reviewed journals. Sharing the views of other contributors/writers. Thank you.