SCIE251 | Environmental Health

Assignment 1: Applied EH Tools TED talks (pair-share)

Academic skills: Notetaking (Cornell notes)

Davenhall (9:25) applied epidemiology        

https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_davenhall_your_health_depends_on_where_you_live

Toxic Baby (17:48) applied toxicology        

https://www.ted.com/talks/tyrone_hayes_penelope_jagessar_chaffer_the_toxic_baby

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Students will be asked to prepare a presentation in a group of 3-4 students, where they will critically evaluate the impact of specific environmental risk factors on the human health. Students will be expected to appraise the effectiveness of current regulatory and protection framework available to prevent the identified environmental health hazards. Presentation and informational poster.

Present a historical or current “hot topic” related to EHS, including background of risk/issue, how people are exposed and affected, current protection framework, critical assessment of the situation and suggestions for future leaders/practitioners.

Example Topic list (not exhaustive):

1. Environment and mental health
2. Oceans and environmental health
3. Emergent epidemics and globalization
4. Conflict and public health
5. Food sustainability, GMOs
6. Geo-engineering or terraforming

Students will be expected to use academic skills and technical materials from homework assignments to ensure that the final presentation is of high quality, both in terms of content and presentation.

Assignment 2: Global issues & EHS reports (applied to DPSEEA model)

Academic skills: Active reading, summarizing

Bio diversity and human health (WHO/Harvard rep)

http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/biodiversity/en/

Climate change (WHO/WMO Atlas or MA report) 

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/

Assignment 3: Disasters leading to EHS Policy

Academic skills: Research

1. Air – 1952 London fog, UK British parliamentary act
2. Water – 1969 Cuyahoga river fire, US Clean water act
3. Soil – 1970 Love canal, US CERCLA or Superfund

Assignment 4: Emerging issues in environmental health

Academic skills: Citations, online source evaluation and bias

1. Mental health and the environment
2. Ocean pollution or ecosystem collapse
3. Epidemics/pandemics and globalization
4. Conflicts, migration, and climate change

Assignment 5: DDT case study and media evaluation

Academic skills: Presentation

PBS Silent spring retrospective https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2bZ9lpNGfE

ATSDR ToxFAQ, ToxInfo https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/

1. Basics of DDT as toxin 
2. Pros, cons of use
3. Current issues
4. Evaluation of ban, evaluation of bias in media