I was not focused on picking lots of bags this month, as I was very distracted by the election. Indeed while I’m typing up this post, I’m watching Jake Tapper at CNN at the same time. He is a handsome man. I also did other environmental projects that I thought would have a greater impact on climate change especially giving my first graduate student lecture at Virginia Commonwealth University and my first medical student lecture at University of California San Diego. The truth is that I am feeling in general so much healthier, and I try to meet my minimum goal of 20 bags a month. This month I met my goal of 20 bags and exceeded just by 1. Total bags are #321 since I started.
I’m giving a talk at UCSD School of Medicine PRIME HEq program this afternoon. I spent the last few days preparing for the talk, and did practice it last night with Mr. Plastic Picker. After my delivery I asked, “Should I take the Dr. Plastic Picker stuff out? Is it too long?” My Dear Husband and the originator of my eco-avatar name said I should keep it, and that it’s the most powerful part. I had delivered a different talk at the Sustainable Healthcare Project at VCU, but that was clearly a more motivational lecture. This is part of their official curriculum and mostly about air pollution and climate change. The talk is entitled “PEDIATRIC HEALTH & CLEAN AIR: ADVOCACY AS TREATMENT.”
The beach was actually really clean the Friday evening of this fateful election.
November 4, 2020
by drplasticpicker
It’s 530am after the 2020 Pandemic Era US Elections. There was the Executive Branch on the ballot, but so was the Senate, House and many local races. There is palpable sense of disappointment on my personal Facebook feed as there is in our home. Yet I have always known we live in a skewed bubble echoing chamber. Of course California went blue, as did the entire west coast. 65% of Californians voted for Biden. Yet I also know the history of the anti-socialist Cuban community, and I could have told you that they 100% they aren’t “Latino Voters” that would suddenly vote for a ticket with a black woman as VP candidate? They are Cuban-Americans and they hate Communist, just like the community I grew up in. Case in point their favorite son is Mark Rubio. He is not a caricature. He is elected by a population and represents that view. Do you think Cubans and Southeast Asians in the majority care about Black Lives Matter? There is still centuries of internalized racism and colonialism. But we can’t save the earth with just half of the population, and no matter what happens with the election – we know that at least half voted for Trump.
Did anyone ever think it was going to be easy? There are still many ballots to be counted. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that no one can predict anything. Demoacracy will play out in it’s messy and beautiful way. Dr. Plastic Picker believes in democracy – this is the only way things will work. The only way we can save this earth, is changing hearts person by person. We also need to speak the language they understand, which can include finances or faith. It’s hard and messy, and takes engagement and building community. Mr. Plastic Picker looked at me yesterday with a clearer gaze and he said, “You are right. You keep on doing what you are doing no matter what the election results. You’ll still be Dr. Plastic Picker.”
I made Home-Made Pesto last night. We had it for dinner and our children agreed it was better than the Costco one. Creamier, my daughter said. It was simple and easy – and I am continually shocked as to why I had not known how to make this earlier? After dinner, there was enough to refill a clean Pesto Jar from the local organic market. I have to admit, the store cought pesto from the organic market was so vinegary that I had to force myself to finish it. It was shipped from Italy, and the main oil is actually sunflower oil not even olive oil. In our pesto we used walnuts instead of pinenuts, and usually walnuts are the quarter of the price of pinenuts. Ever price conscious – I’ll stick with walnuts.
Halloween ended with Beyond Beef Nachos with a Sour Cream web (so vegetarian?), and Turkey Mummy Dogs (Pollotarian?). Anyway, it was delicious and homemade.
November 1, 2020
by drplasticpicker
I will never forget this Quarantine Halloween 2020. It was the Saturday before an historic election where so much is on the line. I am as anxious as everyone and sometimes I want to empty the contents of my stomach when the images of what ifs crosses my mind – especially if this election does not go our way. It’s also the last weekend before we venture into the third wave of COVID-19 infections, and pediatricians are worried about children becoming secondary victims of FLU-VID (when flu and covid clash). No matter how much one debates COVID-19 impacting children, influenza’s disproportionate effect on children is as much accepted truth as anything in the world. Influenzae kills kids especially babies and asthmatics. So this fall is a frightening moment for us all, including your local litter-picking pediatrician. Vaccine rates are plummeting nation-wide.
Relying on one generation to make change is scary. Come on middle-aged adults – step up!
October 31, 2020
by drplasticpicker
I finished attending the National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum. It was actually an impactful conference organized by the AAP and Eco-America. I was able to dialouge with climate leaders from a large swath of organizations including Faith leaders, American Lung Association, and other MD Climate Activists. I even met one fellow pediatrician from New York who private messaged me that she was a “Dr. Plastic Picker East Coast Fan.” I was so touched. Truly.
I am so proud to be our Eco-Champion for the Kaiser South Pediatric Clinics! Jenny Lusung RN at Bonita designated me for that role, so I think that makes it official. Jenny has asked me to write a regular item for the BOTAY Newsletter and this will be my first specific one for our great community. Thank you for allowing me a regular column in this virtual space. I am grateful.
I wanted to highlight the Eco-Choices that our community is making. Sometimes I live in my own head way too much between blogging, going to the beach to pick up plastic alone and trying to move the healthcare sector toward more sustainability. This week I attended the National Children’s Health and Climate Leadership Forum and again talked about myself. But when I get out of my own head and look around, I find the greatest inspiration from our work community. I thought I’d report to everyone the beautiful world I see moving toward sustainability and amplifying eachother’s voices!
Beautiful Green Aerobin 400. Thank you Dr. Young HoYoon for inspiring our family!
October 29, 2020
by drplasticpicker
It has been one of those off-odd weeks again. I had the motivational talk at Sustainable Healthcare Project at VCU, testified at the County Board of Supervisors re dangers of vaping, and then attended as part of the AAP the National Children’s Health & Climate Leadership Forum. Then I had a 12-4pm virtual work meeting where we reviewed some pediatric projects. I’m really excited about this video well teen visit for MediCAL patients that we are piloting. I asked if it would be okay if I tried to write it up as a paper and everyone was enthusiastic. It’s really innovative. Plus I want a real publication if I am serious about starting a climate change and health pediatric fellowship program, because I want to be fellowship director. There were the usual annoyances at work with upper upper echelon management people, and then there was that annoying HR (actually 3) issues that are resolved but still bother me. I just go to work and not telling people my business. I just tell my real friends and Nurse L and living my drplasticpicker life. I was so happy to help along with San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air to get that anti-flavored tobacco bill passed. I didn’t do my usual running up and down the hallway celebrating, although it was such a big win. I honestly think everyone who has a teenager should give me $5. Your are welcome! I just saved all of us a lot of headaches, literally. I’m just kidding about the $5. But everyone should realize that we all need to pitch it to change laws or pick up trash. Most people do, but the few that glaringly benefit from all the good changes positive people try to make but then continue to be petty at work – I have deleted you from my mind. Yes that is how I deal with that. I just delete them. Gone. Okay, I will never mention this again.
I posted this on my personal Facebook page, and it’s worth reposting on the blog. I have been interviewed by a few news outlets including KPBS and mentioned in Del Mar Times, and will be doing a podcast soon with KevinMD. But the one that has been the most meaningful was this recently completed interview with Voices of GenZ writer Arlene Nagtalon. Rereading our conversation in her article, I felt much the same way when my son talked about his Climate Strike Speech at school. To see our children especially these brave teenagers tackle issues that we as adults have failed at, is inspiriting.
“Its 11PM and trying to coordinate with some key people efforts to get a measure passed tomorrow at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to limit flavored ecigs in order to protect our teens. And it’s frustrating because big tobacco and many forces are out there fighting against such a common sense measure. But when I get frustrated and want to give up fighting for pediatric health and our environment, I think about amazing teens like Arlene Nagtalon. This is a co-worker’s daughter. I was touched when she asked to interview me for the youth on-line magazine Voices of Gen Z. Below is the interview. I’m a bit tired of talking about myself, but I was so grateful to get to know Arlene during our virtual interview. She wrote all about me, but sprinkled during my replies was a true back and forth conversation that was very satisfying. I can tell you it was one of the best most intelligent and stimulating conversations I’ve had in a long time. Check out her article, but better yet check out this magazine. What these young minds are discussing, blogging about and writing – is simply amazing. They get it. They get the issues. It’s their world and they are fighting for a better future. I sound probably hypomanic in the interview because it was so fun to talk with Arlene. Kudos to her mother and father for raising an amazing daughter. Her pediatrician (a friend and colleague) for being her pediatrician. It really takes a community. Anyway just wanted to share why it’s worth fighting big tobacco at 11pm at night and why picking up plastic is worth it, because it’s for our children. It’s true we borrow the world from them.”
I am waiting for Mr. Plastic Picker to finish a call. He’s staffing for his department this morning, and will be done in about 15 minutes. He said he’d go to the beach with me to talk while I pick up trash. The beach has been a healing place for me the last year, and I am always grateful when he agrees to go with me. I think he is healed next to the ocean as well.
