October 26, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

It happened. It really happened. Our advocacy team submitted the abstract to the Pediatric Academy Societies National Meeting. It’s one of two abstracts we submitted, and we are grateful to have been at the right place at the right time to help address leaded aviation fuel hazards first in San Diego and then in our state. This has been a long term project that has touched so many people. So just really grateful today, and we have plans to show our workflow with Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and New York friends. We realize that there are other groups like us across the nation, and it’s best to share and collaborate.

I won’t share the abstract text right now, since I’m not the first author. But all the names on this abstract are those that I deeply care for and they deeply care for the community. That a small group of committed and concerned citizens can make a difference, cannot be repeated enough.

Our other team led by Dr. Melissa Campbell submitted the extreme heat and youth sports abstract as well, and we will have two abstracts at the conference. I was going to try to get in the Public Health Advisory Council, Climate Actions Campaign Abstract – but I think submitting it to a more local conference is better so that the students can actually attend. That also gives me two more weeks to write it up.

Otherwise I’m a pretty happy person now for someone who got a root canal yesterday! My dentist was really young and I asked him “How OLD are you??!!” He was 31 but very gentle and did a great job! I am so grateful to that dentist. I had to work the late shift yesterday and I have to drive ALL THE WAY TO FRICKIN’ SAN MARCOS TOMORROW to work for some reason – I have no idea. No one from the north quadrant ever comes down south to work. But two of us have to go up there. The inequities in our department used to bother me so much, but now I know they reflect the general inequities in the world. So rather than trying to implode my department, I just am happy being part of a motley group of fractious pediatricians at times and work with everyone and just do my job. My dad reminded me in the midst of when I was burning out, that it was okay to just show up to work. And now I just show up, and it’s actually joyful. I do what I’m supposed to do, and recognize all those extras are gifts I give to my community and my patients. I don’t feel I am obligated to do those extras, so there are times I say no. I said no yesterday to an add-on and that is okay.

And this Saturday, it’s my DAY OFF. And I’m going to say YES to hanging out with our teen. I’m going to try to call our son who is a sophomore in college as well. I really miss him. More than I probably realize. Sometimes I don’t let myself love him as much as I want to, because I had to share him so much when he was a baby. The pain of doctoring and mothering is very really. It makes climate work actually pale in comparison.

Sending everyone green hugs!

October 23, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

Life is really great right now! I’m sorry I’ve been absent from the blog but I float between blogging, Instagram and Facebook. I also found some really good new Netflix /kdrama shows! I have to wait for the next episodes so in between I’m doing climate work. We also had homecoming for my daughter recently and that was an entire adventure in itself. Isn’t she adorable? If you know we in real life, I shared some of the innocent 16 year old drama. Her dress was gorgeous and she pulled off the red matte lipstick. Next up! White Go-Go boots! That she is so adorable and has such a high GPA is really unusual. High GPA I’m used to, but the cuteness overload is what keeps me going! In the end, she loves me more than any boy that has liked her – and that I really have to thank the climate work. When you are happy, life goes well and your teenagers don’t go seeking affirmation from boys that are not ready to do anything other than attend to their own academic needs. It’s junior year and our daughter is definitely locked in with her academics, test preparations, and activities. And I’m locked into climate work.

Oh, I finished my taxes! I was really worried about not finishing our taxes but I finished them and predicted pretty well what was going to happen. We did not owe really anything, and are now paid up in full to the federal and state government. I hope our government uses that tax money wisely, and to combat climate catastrophe.

What else? Oh yeah! The Oregon CPR (Cows Creek Professional Retreats) is coming along nicely! Our good family friends are up on the almost 200 acreage and getting settled. The buildings are being or planned to be repaired. We should be running some professional retreats about mid April (right around tax day!) to about August. I can’t believe it’s really happening but it’s happening!

And the most unexpected thing happened! I’m going to become a voluntary UC San Diego undergraduate instructor of some sort! I’m already a VONS (not the grocery store) but UCSD School of Medicine Voluntary Non Salaried clinical instructor since I teach residents. But now I will be able to mentor students in hopefully two courses. Definitely “Heat and Human Health” but I’m also hoping “Tijuana Sewage Crisis and Pediatric Health.” I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. But it’s the right thing to do and I’m actually really excited.

I’m already going to designate some students as my teaching fellows and assistants. If I get that national award I’ve been nominated before, I wonder if I can use some of it to give my students a small stipend?

That’s it! That’s life! Life is really great! Mostly because my daughter is cute.

October 12, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

I’m back at my trashart and it feels right. I have some ideas inspired by someone I admire. I think the exhibition will be called “trash cyborgs.” I’m making my trash cyborg people now. I’ll invite him to the exhibition but I don’t think he’ll come.

But the big thing that happened this last few weeks, is the third edition of the Youth-Art Climate Exhibition happened at LOS/NR fine art gallery. It’s been this amazing collaboration and synapse-making journey with Dr. Andrei and myself and many others. When we dream together, create together and think together – this is where the answers are.

But rather than veering into the philosophical, the actual day and coming together of the big event was beautiful. The opening day which was actually a Sunday was filled with students and their families. The happiness and joy, and community was palpable. The art work was beautiful and meaningful, and the community that gathered for this event created out of love left feeling more connected. Then we had the reception on Thursday evening, and it was a smaller gathering but the conversations we had that evening were meaningful and ultimately inspiring.

I’m so proud to be a part of this. We had this simple idea five years ago, and it grew and merged with other ideas into this event. The first year it was covered by KPBS. This year it was really experienced by us in this beautiful space.

But I really do have to do my taxes because I still live in this world and not a trash cyborg yet.

September 27, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

Wow. It’s been a marathon few weeks since the H3SD 2024 Summit. We finished the summit but I had agreed to speak at the Early Childhood Mental Health Conference which is a big regional conference in San Diego. It had been weighing on my mind, and I had agreed to do it in order to give an opportunity for someone who I am mentoring to speak. But in the end because we all live in our own realities of jobs/family/illnesses, we had to pivot and I ended up speaking with one of our premedical students. I am a believer in if things are meant to be , they are meant to be. And the talk at the end stages went fantastic. We were both definitely at the right place at the right time, and with each other at that moment.

We both delivered and I progressed on my thinking of so much of my environmental health work and thinking. I re-watched another recent talk I gave on indoor air pollution which actually was really good – now that I’m rewatching it. I need to move forward with that work as well. I am reminded that I am a very good public speaker, as I was rewatching some of my work.

But this weekend, I honestly need to catch up on sleep. My favorite kdrama is dropping a new episode! I have to help my daughter finish a really big application she is working on. And we want to have some fun and go out to Balboa Park. I also need to do my taxes. I have the money ready to pay my quarterly, but I need to get all my paperwork together. My father was an accountant, so I actually like getting together our tax paperwork.

That’s it! I just wanted to let my blog readership know that I have to really concentrate on my taxes this weekend!

September 19, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

What a relief just to type out the title of this blog. I’m absolutely exhausted. I’m tired. And yes I’m tired of bullies. You know who you are. Everyone has a bully in their life, even my good climate friends have people who have bullied them in their work-homes. And I have mine. There are bullies on city council. There are bullies in HMOs. There are bullies at school. There are bullies on committees. There are bullies at non-profit foundations. There are bullies in universities. And as my back is spasming and I’m thinking about just the mundane day to day of my life, I’m furious at the bullies that exist in my life.

But those bullies, have prepared me for the climate work. There is no bigger bully than the fossil fuel industry, entrenched interests, and those that sit around while the rest of us worker-bees actually work. I’m pretty sure I never bullied anyone in my life. If I have, please text me and I’ll apologize to you. Maybe I was having the same back spasms I’m having right now and was not in my right mind. Maybe the back spasms is a reminder of my own mortality (which I’m acutely aware of).

But now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I am grateful. I’m grateful for the kind-hearted and loving people who are doing climate work. The real work that needs doing. Not the posturing, not the easy stuff. The hard work. The organizing the summits. The fighting the Tijuana Sewage Crisis. The calling of legislators. The passing of bills. The work that is going to the root of systemic racism, environmental racism and addressing head on the climate crisis and global heating. It’s what my mentor Nicole Capretz from Climate Actions Campaign said, “the cavalry is not coming.”

Actually Nicole, the sad imagery is that the cavalry is coming. It’s coming with Dr. Plastic Picker and it’s literal children. Sometimes I look at the premedical students, medical students and high school students that have joined hands with pediatricians to do this work in San Diego – and I realize they are like toddlers in diapers. We have children that are rising up and fighting back. And it’s absolutely daunting.

But those children have done amazing things this week. They’ve written a blogpost that was published in the AAP-CA3 newsletter about their advocacy. They helped form the backbone of the OC Public Health Advisory Council of Climate Actions Campaign. They helped delivery testimony regarding the dangers of hydrogen sulfide gas to developing lungs and children to the San Diego Air Pollution Control District board, and get a promise of 10K air purifiers to the south bay.

That I have my own bullies makes me a better pediatrician. It makes me understand better what so many of my patients especially those that are neurodivergent go through. That I have my own bullies makes me a better mentor for the medical students and premedical students that dare to dream to be physicians, that though they know they have had to overcome so much to get to where they are. They have many more mountains to climb, financial barriers, prejudices about their gender, growing up in communities that they dearly love that are also burdened by pollution. It makes me a better mother, helping my daughter navigate the dicey world of junior year where some around her don’t believe in her dreams. When you try to rise, others will try to pull you down or others will try to push you down. But to my daughter and to so many that I mentor, we’ll rise up. We have to. There is no cavalry coming. There is just us. But we are a powerful force. Thank you for listening. And I feel better, and I’ll show up to work today despite the ridiculous things I have to deal with day to day sometimes in order to be a doctor.

September 14, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

Honestly you can’t make up some of this stuff!!! I called my sister and called our niece Zoe in New York. I’ve told all the details to some friends and patients, but here I can’t tell all the details because the internet is forever. But OMG, honestly life is stranger than fiction sometimes.

We had just almost finished the leaded aviation fuel project which is awaiting the Governor’s signature and then the Tijuana Sewage Hydrogen Sulfide (perhaps there was Hydrogen Cyanide) crisis happened. There was news coverage, gas masks, drones deployed, governor called, chancellor and congressionao delegations, messages to the President of Mexico, competing press conferences, mayors and board of supervisors involved, front line doctors, public health doctors, graphs, talks of swirling eddies and hot spots. But in the end, why I got involved is because I heard about the schools and children that were affected. It was Nestor Language Academy, Southwest High School, Mar Vista High School and Berry Elementary School. These are all schools that our clinic takes care of. So the entire issue hit home.

In the end, I’ll keep the details to myself. If you know me in real life, I told you my version of the story. But this is what is on public record. This is the letter we sent to the Governor of California, Board of Supervisors, San Diego Air Pollution Control District and posted all over our socials. We were told that our letter made a difference, and that at least our patients will be getting air purifiers.

And with that, I made the news for the 50th time. It was wild for sure! For now our part is done. I have to email and thank everyone! But the funniest thing I texted my niece and a few of the students is that in my mind I was thinking the entire time “Why do we need nuclear weapons when you have sewage? Countries can just build sewage treatment plants at different borders, and when they get mad at each other just stop the plants, and then Hydrogen Cyanide will just waft over to the other side.” LOL. A reason to get rid of nuclear weapons.

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/south-bay-news/funding-for-more-air-purifiers-approved-to-help-south-bay-families-affected-by-sewage-crisis

September 7, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

I feel better. I feel better just titling the blog post “It’s hot. I’m tired.” I just sent the Public Health Advisory Council San Diego email group and a included a few other doctors and medical students a plea for someone to show up on September 17 at the Vista Unified School District at 6pm to help present with one of the staff. All this work is volunteer, but the volunteers are very busy physicians like myself. I just wanted to remind them that there is some work that is important, and since we are laser focused on decarbonization – electrifying this school district is very important.

It felt very good to send the following email snippet

“One last plea for anyone who might be available to speak at Sept 17 at 6pm with Climate Actions Campaign to help Serena with the work up in Vista to help electrify.  We asked PHAC members first, but I’m including some of my AAP peds colleagues and some of our medical students who might know someone.  As long as it’s a med student, pediatrician or other physician – we can catch you up easy.

I’m asking because if no one volunteers, I will go. But I will be honest, I’m completely exhausted.  I have a PHAC OC press conference that morning (because we are doing a press release for the CAP report there which is hugely important) but the VISTA work is important too. No one in OC can physically be there yet, as I’m trying to build up the council.  And I have realized I need to figure out how to fit in a bunch of dental stuff for myself and my daughter because her wisdom teeth are coming in.  So asking for help, if anyone can do it. If not I will do it, and it will be fine. But it helps me to ask knowing that I reached out.  I’m not as good as Bruce as keeping connected with everyone, but would like to start making sure I ask because I know everyone wants to help with impactful stuff – and helping VISTA get to district electrification is fundamental decarbonbization and important.”  

I was on KPBS yesterday and the interview went well. It actually got published as an article “San Diego Unified students sweat it out in class as air conditioners malfunction” Let me update my doximity resume. Here is the link if you want to watch it. https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2024/09/06/san-diego-unified-students-sweat-it-out-in-class-as-air-conditioners-malfunction

I’m glad I can just type stuff on this blog. I posted on Instagram and it’s true, whenever it’s time to retreat and delete the social media – I’ll be okay. I’ll always keep the blog and my personal emails. But the social media Instagram stuff, I’m not sure how much of it is real? You know? I’m tired because I have real stuff I need to catch up on. My daughter has real teeth that we already went through braces, and her wisdom teeth are starting to move. I also need to see the dentists myself. I also need to do my real taxes. I totally forgot we could paid yesterday. But I need to pay the government their substantial portion so I need to file our taxes. I started real folding and organizing our closet, and I need to move our teens ceramics from the extra dining room table we have to the upstairs game room that has a perfectly good display case already. Lots of real things that need to be done today.

Decarbonization is real work as well. So I hope one of my other PHAC and doctor friends shows up in REAL life to help do a presentation. If not, I’ll do it. But I’m hot and I’m tired because there is a heat wave. But at least I was on KPBS for it! That was COOL!

August 30, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

Honestly, this one was fun. It was super fun. Here is the online version https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/08/29/opinion-fireworks-near-mission-bay-are-harming-animals/

I wrote to a climate colleague the following, “Adam was so happy today. I really only did a paragraph. It was mostly Adam and Andrew. But I think what I’ll remember most about this one, was laughing with Adam over the word pyro-metallo-mania. He said pyromania and I added the metallo part.” And honestly that’s what I will remember most about this article. It was important to write, to say our piece as community leaders. I posted a lot about this on Instagram.

But here on this blog, I’m just me and I wanted to remember and share that moment. My professor friend, Adam, just laughing and being joyous when we were trying to save the world together.

I have to remember that I’m a person. I’m going to turn it off completely this weekend. I need to do two presentations on air pollution, and I need to start getting my heart rate up to make sure my physical body is strong. Mentally I’m doing wonderful and I’m grateful for this climate and health journey that I am on. But I am nearing 50, and I need to remember to do cardio enough that my heart rate gets up above 140 at times. So just a quick post to say hi, and give the op-ed a read if you have time. I’m almost done with my matcha (still with just a splash of soy milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar) and will go jogging for 30 minutes.

August 19, 2024

by Dr. Plastic Picker

The house is a disaster. There is a gift bag filled with vegetables I need to drop off at Dr. Luis Castellanos’ house. I believe he has peaches for me, which I will come get hopefully Tuesday. They are probably overripe. The last of the cherry tomatoes are on the vines, and the summer is coming to a close for our family. We have the house to ourselves and somewhat our lives back after successfully finishing H3SD 2024 at UC San Diego School of Medicine. It’s hard to describe how successful the gathering was. Just some phrases I posted on my personal facebook page.

“H3SD 2024. It was an absolutely inspiring evening. Day #1 was all about the students. Opening and poster presentation.”

“It’s hard to sum up how wonderful it went. H3SD 2024 , the collective we (organizations and individuals) knocked it out of the park. So it gets an Instagram reel share on Facebook.”

Instagram posts as well with reels and commentaries. But we will write the summit proceedings up, as it needs to be shared as soon as possible. We made important connections during that meeting, and built up regional leadership to address global heating in our region. One of the most important connections we made as an organizing committee, is looping in San Diego State School of Public Health – as they are doing work at our most at-risk community which is the Imperial Valley. Our AAP CA3 chapter actually is San Diego and Imperial Counties so that is our catchment area as well. It’s humbling to know that as one of the chapter committee chairs, I don’t know enough about the children in the Imperial Counties.

But today is just a feeling of exhaustion. I’m sure our hard working coordinators are feeling the same. This year was so different than the first. I think this one belonged to everyone, and overall objectively improved and impactful. But I’m thinking back to last year, and it’s with an overwhelming sense of love. H3SD 2023, was my shooting my shot at global heating. I was shooting my shot at building relationships and connections across institutions. I was shooting my shot at perhaps chance meetings that would lead to some drama. And it led to something entirely different, and something more enduring.

As the person who helped start H3SD, the first one will always be the most loved. It’s like your first child. You don’t know what you are doing, but you know that you absolutely love him/her/they. And that love and fear and anticipation, can never be recreated. But the 2nd child, you are more experienced and it goes more smoothly. And H3SD 2024 was that. This was the 2nd child, well planned and executed. It was other people 1st child, but for me it was the 2nd. I started H3SD with friends as an idea on the wetlands, and it was powered by so much joy and hope. And I am so happy that it’s taken a life of it’s own. It no longer belongs to me, it belongs to the shared community that made H3SD 2024 a hopeful coming together of the house of medicine – raising it’s voice for the planet.

But I am indeed so tired. I need to do our taxes. The entire thing probably costs our family $10K or so? We received some funding for other sources and UC San Diego School of Medicine came through. But we applied for some grants and awards, and I know that this next year – it will be no longer just us but shared. Just letting things soak in and enjoying the exhaustion.

But my daughter reminded me that she’s a junior this year, and she needs my support. I’m going to limit myself this year. I only have her at home for another two years, and these are two crucial years. She’s my climate why, and I have to be mindful that I have to be there for her. I’m trying to save the earth for her, and my future grandchildren – whoever they might be.

I was going to show you a picture for her, but it’s her pictures and she has her own social media now. So I’m going to respect her privacy. I’m learning for sure, and growing and learning not to be so superficial.

August 11, 2024

My good friend and collaborator Dr. Luis Castellanos is at his house this morning, and he is living his life with his family. Being a husband and father. Mr. Plastic Picker and I are in our house, and my radiologist husband had to run out unexpectedly and will work all day at the HMO covering the hospital because of a sick call. He’s going to be “paid back” supposedly, but I never believe that. He’ll make extra money, but it’s money that we don’t need because we are FISE – Financially Independent to Save the Earth (it’s a phrase I tried to make a thing a few years ago). And another friend is nearby in another coastal city, and they have left the practice of medicine essentially. And here I am, Dr. Plastic Picker often collaborating with my friend Dr. Luis Castellanos on trying to save the earth. We have our upcoming H3SD 2024 San Diego’s Heat and Human Health Summit in less than a week at UC San Diego School of Medicine. What amazes me, that at some point we were all first year medical students together, in patient doctor 1 and just learning how to examine a patient. And now we are trying to resuscitate the planet.

But here I wanted to share with the readership the nomination we sent on behalf of my good friend Dr. Luis Castellanos for the Prebys Foundation Leadership Award. It’s a big prize and funds that he will put to good use to help address global heating and health, and address health disparities in San Diego County. Even if we don’t get it, the combined forces of our medical community will keep on trying to resuscitate the planet. And still be normal clinical doctors in pediatrics, cardiology and radiology.

Please send us good thoughts and we hope he is honored in November.