Although it’s very easy and accessible, plastic has very many negative affects that can impact the environment, animals and the human body.
Why plastic really is that bad
September 12, 2018
We’ve heard it on the news, in our science classes, and Leonardo Dicaprio’s Instagram page relatively often. Ditch plastic, use paper. We’ve been learning to reduce, reuse, and recycle since elementary school and it feels like the obvious thing to do, but is it really that bad to stick to plastic?
First off let’s start with how plastic is actually made. The ingredient list is comprised of organic materials such as coal, natural gases, salt, and crude oil. They then add chemicals to these materials to create reactions that give plastic its shape and form. Some of these include bisphenol A (BPA), which 93% of people had detectable amounts of in their system, Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are flame-retardants added to furniture cushions, mattresses, and carpet pads.
These chemicals are often absorbed by humans and lead to hormone imbalances and health effects. We are often exposed to plastic debris through air, dust, water and food. However, humans aren’t the only ones who are affected. Sea turtles often confuse plastic on beaches for food, which is considered a factor in the species’ declining population. Birds that swoop down on oceans in search of fish, specifically the Laysan albatross, also are found to mistakenly consume plastic pieces. Once it is ingested, the plastic causes an obstruction of the digestive tracts and punctures internal organs. The shocking results of a recent study show that 98% of albatross were found to have debris of plastic in their bodies.
So what can we do to help? Well the easiest way to answer that is, ditch plastic! Some of the best ways to limit your plastic use is to take cloth bags with you to the grocery store (paper isn’t all that better for the environment, but I’ll save that for another post), avoid bottled water, and say ‘no’ to plastic utensils and straws. Although these all seem like simple and easy gestures, they make a huge difference.
Dr. Germ: Dr. Mom
In this weekly blog, staff reporter Shannon Christian writes about the myths of healthcare and how it impacts students.
“It makes sense to be a nurse when you’re a woman, you can’t start a family until you’re 30 if you go the physician route.”
Last week one of my classmates mentioned that a physician she had been following had advised her to pursue nursing if having a family was something that she prioritized. Her older sister is graduating medical school this year, and my classmate also plans on pursuing a doctorate degree just like her sister; she’s only ever considered being a physician as her future career.
In many hospitals, the more senior members of the care teams; physicians and surgeons are males. Currently, women comprise 37% of the population of physicians in the United States. Divided by specialty, the number of practicing physicians that are women is significantly lower than male physicians. Throughout my clinical experience, I’ve only worked with three female doctors, the rest being men. In a field so disproportionately composed of men, why does it seem like women aren’t being encouraged to pursue a doctorate in medicine? .
Medical school can be 8-12 years of post-undergraduate education, which can be a deterrent for many students, but the pressure on women is built on the fact that it places strain on the many classic factors people associate with those women. This includes starting and raising a family, which would be extremely difficult to maintain while completing medical training and a residency, in which one could be working multiple 12-hour shifts in a week.
Instead of simply pushing women away from the field due to the daunting aspect of a rigorous student-life, resources for medical school should be offered to encourage the growth of the population of women physicians. Resources such as pay for childcare during residency, or ability to take time off during school would encourage those who do want families to not pursue careers with less schooling. Without the work of women within the medical field, many advances would have not been feasible, such as Getrude Belle Elion, who developed 45 drug patents that combated AIDS, leukemia, and other ailments. Women should be encouraged to become physicians, whether or not they want to start a family, to in turn promote a more balanced population of physicians and welcome the opportunity for groundbreaking innovations in medicine.