I haven't really talked about my work on this blog, but many of you know that my work is mostly in water governance: How do we improve decision-making about water (specifically, who decides, who gets to use it and how)? We ask these questions in hopes of improving or maintaining water quality and quantity, including access and affordability for all, on a continual basis. These questions can seem worlds away from an average day in the life of an average Westerner (where water of good quality is available on demand in most communities), but they aren't. As with many sustainability issues, the choices we make as individuals do matter.
Increasingly, the connections between individual behaviour and larger scale human-environment systems are being told through short (and digestible) videos. An example is this video funded by the European Commission that explains the link between pharmaceuticals and water. The big takeaway here is that choices we make about our personal health can affect us through ecosystem health. In this specific case, the advice is to seek out pharmaceutical support when necessary, but to be thoughtful about it (and disposal of pharmaceuticals) because taking pharmaceuticals has an impact on the larger human-environment system (and that includes you! not just the feminized fish). With slightly different reasoning, medical researchers are giving us the same message: respect pharmaceuticals because development of antibiotics (in particular) is a major undertaking (both in years and expense) and casual use of them increases the likelihood that bacteria will become resistant.
If you are reading this in BC and want to know about the provincial programme for return of medications check out the MRP.
Increasingly, the connections between individual behaviour and larger scale human-environment systems are being told through short (and digestible) videos. An example is this video funded by the European Commission that explains the link between pharmaceuticals and water. The big takeaway here is that choices we make about our personal health can affect us through ecosystem health. In this specific case, the advice is to seek out pharmaceutical support when necessary, but to be thoughtful about it (and disposal of pharmaceuticals) because taking pharmaceuticals has an impact on the larger human-environment system (and that includes you! not just the feminized fish). With slightly different reasoning, medical researchers are giving us the same message: respect pharmaceuticals because development of antibiotics (in particular) is a major undertaking (both in years and expense) and casual use of them increases the likelihood that bacteria will become resistant.
If you are reading this in BC and want to know about the provincial programme for return of medications check out the MRP.
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| What goes around, comes around |
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