October 19, 2026

by Dr. Plastic Picker

Everything is really getting busy with the Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport Leaded AvGas Pollution! I really got involved in this almost 5 years ago because it was a common sense issue. LEADED AIR POLLUTION IS BAD FOR KIDS BRAINS!!! And can you believe it’s gotten worse! I had no idea. I was so annoyed and irritated at the local inaction, that after working on the unleaded fuel talk issue locally – it made sense to help just change the state law. And California became the first state in the country to ban unleaded AvGas as of 2030. That’s in 4 years people! But even after you get a law passed, there are still those that profit from pollution and they will try to obstruct. And then mostly there are people who don’t do their jobs, and the issue falls off their radar screen.

But for all those that likely are very stressed right now. That’s a YOU PROBLEM, not my problem. All these children with developmental delay, I have to put in referrals. The health care and educational system have to pay outsized amounts in special needs services because someone ramped up flights for FLIGHT SCHOOL? When there is an option to do unleaded fuel??? They had an option to take action. But someone didn’t think about the 30 schools and all those school children that live under the flight path of these planes.

It’s funny how being a pediatrician makes one brave and there are so many other pediatricians in this conversation. The reason why is that our children and our patients aren’t able to speak up for themselves. Children bear the brunt of the ugliness of the world. They are vulnerable to the world of adults, that don’t take into consideration their neurodevelopment!

Well, guess what? My neurodevelopment is going great and we are ready for Wednesday’s webinar. We did such a small part. Had two students put together the event and did the social media ads (I wonder if they used AI?). I posted it everywhere. Emailed all the important family practice and pediatricians I know. At least I included them. Whether they show up, that’s on them. I showed up! I always show up. And that’s my super power. Well, not always – but most of the time because I have students from UCSD I need to supervise.

Anyway, I just wanted to say I have a lot of other projects I need to do. This one is super important, and many thanks to the amazing journalist that put it all together. Is there a halo around his head? His parents must love him so much , he’s that good of a person.

But I do have other projects that I need to work on. I have to finish our APHA poster. I’m curious why the two students who are supposed to be helping me with the poster are not helping me? I assume they are doing other important stuff but I honestly would like some help. And then we have a big working group now to address coding and extreme heat within our HMO and a date for the first meeting. That one is cool because we got together OC, San Diego, Southbay (is it southbay HMO) and MID-ATLANTIC!!! I’m really looking forward to putting together that literature search, and mentoring that specific student.

Okay. Just wanted the blog readership to know that Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport/Clairemont leaded AvGas pollution is a really big and annoying issue, and so is the Tijuana Sewage Crisis. But there is also extreme heat and El Nino as well. OMG so many projects! There is endless opportunities for premedical students in pollution (unfortunately).