Environmental Health: Science, Policy and Social Justice

Announcement:

Hello students,

Tuesday January 6th marks the start of
winter quarter and the first class meeting of the Environmental Health:
Science, Policy and Social Justice program.

Our class schedule
for winter quarter is the same as the fall quarter with Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Fridays class meetings. The room assignments have
changed so please take a moment to check the new room locations on our
program website: http://acdrupal.evergreen.edu/envirohealth/

This message intends to give you some information and prepare you for the first week of class:

1. The focus for the week will be on Environmental Health past and
present, as a public issue. We will start with an introduction to Risk
Assessment (Chapters 1 and 3 from the Asante-Duah book) and the Social
movement context for Environmental Health, previewing some case
material (workplace, Akwesasne, women's, Asarco).

2. During Tuesday's seminar we will spend some time reviewing learning from
fall quarter, concepts, lessons, preview/expectations of the winter
quarter. Then we will continue the discussion based on the reading of
"Protecting Public Health and the Environment by the Stroke of a
Presidential Pen: Seven Executive Orders for the President's First 100
Days," Center for Progressive Reform (CPR). Go to
http://www.progressivereform.org/penstroke.cfm for document.

3. On Wednesday of week 1 there will be no lab (will start on week 2) the
class will meet as a whole in room Lab II 2211 for two sessions: Lab
preparation and discussion on the topic of hazardous waste in
fertilizer preparations as a follow-up to fall's guest presentation on
the Quincy case (Patty Martin). Be prepared to come to this discussion
by reviewing the following websites regarding the acceptable materials
that are allowed in fertilizers and any other resource you want to
check on the topic and you find helpful for the discussion:
Washington state department of agriculture: http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Fertilizers/Metals.htm
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/fereng/tmemo/t-4-93e.shtml and
EPA's policy: http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/tfer.html.

4. For Friday seminar we will base the discussion on the book "Ghost Map"
(whole book). Also, you should familiarize yourselves with the website
PumpHandle at http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com.
This site is referred to as "the water cooler for the public health
crowd" and provides a view of the thoughts, concerns and actions of
Environmental Health practitioners. We recommend that you sign up for
weekly messages at thepumphandle@gmail.com (put subscribe in the subject-line).

More information about the winter quarter plans will be shared
with you during our first class meeting and the syllabus will be posted
on Monday.

NOTE: If you are not continuing in the winter quarter with us and you
are receiving this message, please contact registration to remove your
name from the class list.

See you all on Tuesday!

Maria and Lin