Is that snail distracting? It is such a funny angry snail. Let’s just say we had fun at a very very long middle management meeting with over 50 other middle managers where we did some middle management things. As our team abhors inefficiencies and empty platitudes, we texted eachother to relieve our inner angst. What we were angry about? No one will ever know.

But don’t be distracted by the angry nail! Yes Texas is in a deep freeze as is the rest of the country, eerily reminescent of the Day After Tomorrow movie regarding climate change. But here is Souther California the winter remains pleasant albeit somewhat colder than usual. We did have our wildfires. Maybe the conservative half of our nationa are waking up? Yes climate change means the climate is changing due to fossil fuel use and carbon emissions. But we knew this was happening. Indeed, this is why I declared on the beach a year and a half ago that I would try to save the earth. Actually it’s almost 1.5 years into my environmentalist efforts and I remain hopeful, because what use is despair? Here on this blog I talk about hope that is earned due to concrete actions. So this is why I remain hopeful.

Five Reasons to Be Hopeful 2-17-2021 About the Environment

1. Seeds of Activism Planted 1.5 years Ago Sprouting. I’ve been everywhere telling my story. Chicken little running around telling everyone in my irreverent manner that the sky is falling, but we can actually do something about it. Yesterday I did my 3rd podcast interview within our physician group, and I agreed to because it’s another avenue for me to talk about the earth. As I sent an update email to our AAP CA3 Climate Change and Health group, I realized that I may have nudged some people to act just a little bit faster. But all around me I see my community banding together. Writing acacemic papers for the first time, attending legislative conferences, advocating for bills, agreeing to mentor students, maintaining websites, and joining in our efforts. I talked to an asthma specialist yesterday at length. He is someone I respect quite a bit, and I told him my odd story. He’s not on social media and is immersed in patient care and research. I asked him to take on an important public health role in the city, and he is thinking about it. I really hope he does it. I asked him, “what do you think? Thank you for hearing my story. He replied, “I need to think about it, but I’m oddly inspired.” He asked me “why me? why not you?” I told him the truth. “I did yoga last night and I ruminated on it. And I listen to ocean deep wave music at night, and I go to the ocean and she tells me what to do. And the ocean told me to ask you. If nature is telling you know, than the ocean will tell me someone else. And I want to activate you!” And in my own mind which I did not articulate, I thought to myself. “I want you to help me save the world. Why won’t you help me save the earth?” I await his reply.
2. Sticking To My Morals that this is Not For Financial Gain. I received a message from someone looking for a speaker for a global youth leadership program. Initially it sounded like a great forum to activate more people. But then I found out they charge students and a pretty exorbiant amount. If anyone actually KNOWS ME, or has read this blog – they know that is counter to everything I believe in. I replied back, “The only thing is that your academy is for profit?  All my advocacy work is purposefully non monetized? I don’t support any products or paid programs. Do you guys have a non-profit branch or someway I can figure this out.  I apologize. It’s actual a big moral issue for me because all my premed advising and leadership training I’ve given is always pro-bono. ” And I posted on my personal facebook group, “I don’t need to hear the sound of my own voice just to hear it.” This is 100% true. I’m out there to raise awareness and look silly, but to make people think – wow, has this pediatrician gone mad? Or is she truly serious? This made me upset enough that I agreed to another interview with a nonprofit magazine called ShoutOutSoCal. Here Dr. Plastic Picker goes!
3. Butterflies! 50 Doctors will be Thinking About Butterflies! This happened! This really really really happened. I have been talking about butterflies for so long. I want our organization to sign the Monarch Butterfly pledge but still can’t figure out how to do it. I’m looking into native succulent species that I can propogate myself and maybe plant in a strategic place. They are native and also attract pollinators. But in my ever irreverent obsession over butterflies, someone also had the same idea and loves the earth. So now our physician wellness program is doing a butterfly raising project with our physiciain group. This is so so so wonderful. It captures people’s imagination. As one of the administrators emailed back to me “Happy Metamorphisis” this is all so so so true. Anyway, just really happy that 50 physician familes will be thinking about butterflies. They all take care of likely over 2000 patient families and it will have cascading effects. When they realize they can raise butterflies, than they will realize they too can become eco-warriors like Dr. Plastic Picker. We need all of us to save the earth.
4. Native West Nursery. I found it! I found a local nursery that has large scale native plants. They mostly do wholesale but have some limited retail. I may buy some of their succulents as gifts to the winners of our Youth Arts Exhibition. Their address just for my further reference is 1755 Saturn Blvd, San Diego, CA 92154. https://nativewest.com and info@nativewest.com Native succulent garden at work! Here I come. Just watch me!
5. Fifth Reason! The Snail is So Funny. And that is it. Just your pediatrician helping me have hope and laugh a bit before you head into work and brave adult life.

February 16, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Yesterday was an epic climate advocacy day. Yes it was. Do you know what I did? [DRAMATIC PAUSE] I sat in front of my computer and sent emails. Yes I did. And it was an epic climate advocacy day. I am not being facetious.

Back in January, I had been invited to attend the National Children’s Health and Leadership Forum. The AAP National Leadership had signed the local chapter climate advocates up, and registered us. I just virtually showed up. But it was a very useful conference, as I was able to virtually meet person after person working on climate issues. There was a panel of speakers from the youth climate movements, who had organized the climate marches two years ago. What struck me is when they were asked about how they were able to mobilize and their activism, they were open and said that the reality of activism is that it’s a lot of sitting in front of the computer.

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February 15, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Yes, this happened yesterday. I made chocolate hummus spread and also a jar of homemade peanut butter. I had texted one of our other pediatricians yesterday calling her off from weekend after hours clinic, and she texted me a picture of the special breakfast she was making for her family which including waffles with this delicious spread. I was intrigued. Hers was store bought which runs around $3.50 to $10 per container. My primary motivation is to reduce our plastic packaging and palm oil and most store-bought things contain both. It’s been fun to try to make more things at home, and it’s been so delicious. What I didn’t realize that after breakfast with this chocolate goodness topped on a banana, I would feel so full for most of the day.

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February 14, 2021

by drplasticpicker and grandma

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February 12, 2021

by drplasticpicker

My siblings and I met virtually for various family reasons and the subject came up on how much do you give your children? It’s funny how life has taken each of us in different directions but our core values are the same. For those that are given much, much is to be expected. That much is what one contributes to the world. Yes, we don’t want to end up like societal leeches that accomplish little like the Trump children and the teen children from all those reality shows that are just horrible with ennui so early in life. But also in terms of material wealth, you should leave them something but not too much. Money should certainly give one security in case there is a grandchild or family member with some unexpected medical condition that needs long-term care, but otherwise money too early or the knowledge there is a pot at the end – will take away one’s chance to earn one’s place in the world.

What is earned is so much more valuable than what is given. The picture above is my son from the back, home from Cross-Country. He is proud to wear the jersey every sports season because he earns it from running 3-7 miles a practice. Those are real miles run, foot to the dirt. Pounding that he voluntarily subjects his body to. It’s part of growing up and this is why sports for so many kids is character building. It truly isn’t about how fast one is or how you place. It’s the journey, and the miles run.

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February 10, 2021

by drplasticpicker

It’s Wednesday and I haven’t blogged at least for a day or two. When I give up blogging for the day, it’s because work has been too demanding or there is a vital climate project that needs to be done. Yesterday was both. We had a middle management meeting where we are meeting with the Nutrition Department to help them and us change to offer better education on plant based diets, and also I am pushing personally to make sure offerings make sense for my patients who are predominantly part of Environmental Justice communities. The more vegetables and plant-based meals all of us eat, the more we will heal the planet and as a community. The other project that is taking some of my precious headspace (which we should all think of precious and not waste on things that are hurtful or hurtful people) is leading our American Academy of Pediatrics author group in writing our opinion piece. It was accepted and everyone is excited. Now comes the real part, we have to write the 8000-12000 word piece. I see it is an opportunity and I’ve done similar things before. It is due in 3 months, but we have to start on it now. The abstract is essentially done, our amazing premed intern has created the common google doc and we are working on the bilbiography. This is important because it is a major academic journal and we are writing about active transportation and changing the built environment to reduce both carbon emissions and address the active transport needs of children. Being able to walk around neighborhoods, bike to school in natural settings improves mental health and physical health, and wards off chronic diseases that are now occuring in adolescence.

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February 7, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I am reminded this morning that not every post has to be soul-wrenching or an introspective piece. My environmentalism is about doing something now about the climate crisis. And the thing that started it all is plastic picking! So here are my monthy totals. I commit to at least 20 bags a month and I hit my goal. Feburary is a shorter month, but I’ve already gathered 3 for the month. If I’m low, I’m just do a quick bag at work because the HMO parking lot is still a mess. At least I cleaned up around where I park my car.

For Janaury 2021, I cleaned up 20 bags of plastic pollution and salvaged 67 Items from the ocean or landfill. In total, I’ve cleaned up 381 bags of plastic pollution and salvaged #1461 Items! Click here to see my lifetime totals page https://drplasticpicker.com/plastic-picking-round-up/

20 Bags of Plastic Pollution

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February 6, 2020

by drplasticpicker

I have nothing TO DO this weekend. I will probably DO a lot, but I have nothing TO DO. I even put my work text messages on BUSY. Not DO NOT DISTURB just BUSY. I will finish Fridays charts this weekend, and probably do a couple of patient follow up calls. But even with the climate work, I don’t have anything TO DO. Last week we gave UCSD Family Practice Grand Rounds and submitted an abstract to the Journal of Applied Research in Children. So a lot happened.

And it is Saturday morning and even the kids don’t have anywhere to be because it is quarantine still. Last night I came home late from clinic on the later side, but not as late as the Friday night before. Our daughter had a Girl Scout meeting at 630pm and their father picked up sushi with lots of plastic packaging, as the kids requested sushi. I guess the carbon footprint from sushi isn’t that much because at most it’s little bits of fish. So we had sushi while our daughter was listening to her Girl Scout meeting and I went to bed early. Even with a normal full clinic day, work is tiring. Dr. Dear Friend had a very irate parent and multiple child protection issue cases, and she had a harder clinic day than I did. But it’s hard these days at work because of all the saddness when our families come in. COVID-19 has particularly hit the hispanic and southbay communities more, and this is where I practice. This is where I grew up.

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February 5, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Slowly but surely I’m getting to the 24 hour pizza dough rise. The original recipe was the bobbie flay recipe, but I’ve done it so often now and added my own variations that I feel like it’s my own. Plus I use it as a food waste recipe to use the last remaining bits of flour. Today was 4 cups of flour (2 cups of bread flour, 1 cup of wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour), 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 package of yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and sprinkled rosemary AND thyme (the thyme is new). The sensory experience of kneading the warm dough in the relativeness darkness of the kitchen is very relaxing. It’s set on the kitchen counter covered near the cookbook area, covered with the pretty green beeswax wraps.

I have a full day of clinic today, and I may or may not have to show up at our Girl Scout meeting. Girl Sccouts is a whole other blog topic. But yesterday I wasn’t that helpful after clinic because I was tired still from the emotional elation of the UCSD Family Practice Grand Rounds entitled “Creativity, Wellness and Climate Activism.” I stopped by to thank Dr. AF for his honest and powerful presentation. But I’ve learned to self-care in a fundamental way. So last night I was napping on and off late afternoon, and then our tween daughter wanted me to toss the ball to her while she practiced volleyball. I was feeling tired initially but it was something important to her. So I self-elevated my mid-40s body off the couch, and threw her the volleyball again and again and helped her practice setting and spiking. I’m amazed that she likes volleyball, personally I’m scared of a ball hitting me. I think it’s because I wear glasses.

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Febraury 3, 2021

It’s on the later side than when I usually blog. It’s 6:16AM and I’m sitting at my kitchen table drinking instant coffee out of my Unicef Mug that my Girl Scout Co-Troop leader gave me. She is a friend and we have a long and strong relationship. The mug like that friendship is complex. Today, I added a bit of vanilla to my coffee for the first time. I don’t need to drink instant coffee and prefer real coffee now. But we have instant, and being green and sustainable is about being flexible. I’ll need to recheck on our coffee buying habits again soon. I thought we had decided to switch over to a rainforest friendly brand? The instant Nestle keeps on popping up?

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