Journal
Issues I have become aware of in personal life/article/someone else?
Reflect on learning process in class and outside of class.
News articles
Patients suffering from CVAs that are possibly exposed to indoor cooking pollutants that contribute to their ill health. Offering advise to pts about improving their health in the future in my work often about lifestyle changes and not environmental changes in the household.
The wine industry (and others in SA) that are cheap. Cheap because of poor pay and working conditions. Exploitation of workers and their health and well being. SAs labour law an example of legislation in place that is okay but poor enforcement.
NEMA
Bill of rights
OHSA
I never knew about the the way SAs legislation works. Framework to regulation to bylaw (check).
Critical analysis of legislation - what is not being spoken about.
The way legislation may be impacted negatively by the governments own interests and influence by outside parties (need good example)
Leakage of sewerage at Blue Route Tokai. Damage to ecosystem. Local park. Local farm and vlei system. Class work that highlighted WWTW with chemicals in water that are most harmful and poorly understood. Cows and animals that live on the farm. people who eat the meat or drink the milk. Is this environ injustice. Maybe poor environ stewardship?
False bay water quality from assignment - environmnetal injustice in that some are more affected by others - the poorer pouplation of Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha but also the historical injustice of why they are there in the first place. This was a comment on my short essay that helped me realize the past of south africa contributes to the current environmnetal injustice that happens in South Africa.
Long assignment learning.
Must talk about Course Objectives:
South african apporcah tp environmental health policy
Critical analysis of environmental health public policy
Environmental Justice
Link between environmental health and public health
Relate to economics?
Session 1 Sustainable development. - Introduction of concept of SD. I was previously aware of the idea but not in a formal definition (Brundtland report). The idea of future generations or intergenerational equity is very important. Just did economics course that was on equity (try relate back). Economic Society and environment circle graph difference from eco, soc, eviron surrounding idea. Previous ideas were more about environ as a privilege for rich and white. Actually the basis of the whole society and economy and not competition between them. Without it we will pay the price. The involvement of stakeholders is mentioned.
A fellow student mentioning and reiterating the strife that many SA citixens face in the townships of south africa. High burden of communicable disease due to proximity and sharing of water and sanitation services (TB), poor service delivery resulting in adverse health effects, need to use paraffin, candles and gas in the house may lead to increased risk of lung and heart disease (shown in class). This is also related to historical injustice of SA. Group areas act, bantu education, fewer opportunities of people of color and systemic racism.
Session 4 - South African Environmental Law - The system of law in SA and how it works. Legislation as a framework. Then regulations and by laws. Guided by the constitution and bill of rights. Many departments that set up regulations that may act as silos but actually overlap in scope. They do not always work cohesively.
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