Reflection on Advocacy Writing: Seattle

While researching advocacy groups in Seattle, Washington I stumbled upon the Seattle Environmental Activists (SEA) which is a group of citizens who came together out of concern for the environment. Their organization is action-oriented and by reading a lot of information on their website, I learned that they are very straight-forward. They not only spread awareness about environmental issues, but they attend rallies and protests as well. The theme that I received from the writing is that "things must change in Seattle or else horrible things will happen and we only have a few years left to change  things." Which, I believe, will get people willing to be more environmentally conscious.

Seattle's Pedestrian Master Plan

Seattle updated their Master Plan in July of 2016 and their vision is to make Seattle "the most walkable and accessible city in the nation.” Already, Seattle is recognized as one of the nation’s safest and most accessible cities for pedestrians. It is tied for the second-lowest pedestrian fatality rate in the country and is ranked 5th in the country for the percentage of people who commute to work by foot.
In their updated plan, they had objectives in place to achieve their goals such as reduce the number and severity of crashes involving pedestrians, develop a connected pedestrian environment that sustains healthy communities and supports a vibrant economy, and get more people moving to improve health and increase mobility. They made a clear walkable zone which is a horizontal and vertical space that is free of obstructions and other potential hazards. In addition, they encouraged pedestrian movement by providing improvements such as curb ramps, landscape buffers, natural drainage features, and streetscape elements such as street furniture and lighting that help create friendly pedestrian environments. They also plan to raise awareness of the important role of pedestrian movement for transportation, recreation, and in promoting health and preventing disease.

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedMasterPlan.htm

My Reflection on Environmental Justice

Before this class, I've never talked nor discussed the topic of Environmental Justice. To be honest, I didn't exactly know what it meant. After watching the videos on environmental health and listening to the lecture, I understand the definition and use of environmental justice. From what we discussed and the readings, my understanding of environmental justice is the involvement of all types people to implement and enforce environmental laws and regulations.

Reaction to An Inconvenient Truth

On November 7th, 2016, we watched An Inconvenient Truth which came out in 2006. I found it to be very impactful and I liked how Al Gore presented lots of recent data and data from over 650,000 m years ago. Last year, I had an argument with someone who was convinced that the recent significant warming of the planet was natural and that it happens every few centuries; I had shown them the same graph that Al Gore presented about the rise in CO2 levels and temperature and how recent years had surpassed the normal maximum. Also, that data that he presented was from 2005! It's been ten years and it seems that nothing significant has happened to alleviate global environmental problems-- there are still polar bears without ice and people being displayed due to intense natural disasters. This film also put into perspective how coastal cities will be lost in the ice caps melt which shocked me.

Water and Sanitation Improvement in Antananarivo, Madagascar

The capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo has about 2 million inhabitants. Originally built on the top of a hill, the city spread to neighboring hills and slopes and in recent decades, it has started to cover marshland and valleys. Water and sanitation is a huge challenge in Madagascar, where over 50% of the country’s population lacks access to safe water (WSUP 2016) . Citizens of Antananarivo also suffer from lack of safe and clean water. Recently, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, a multi-sector partnership, has worked with state-owned water utility JIRAMA, national ministries and local communities to improve water and sanitation services.

As of July 2016, over 700,000 low-income residents, or nearly one-third of Antananarivo’s population, have benefited from an improved water supply (WSUP 2016). By improving the water supply, fewer people will be exposed to diseases and child mortality rate will likely decrease.


WSUP. 2016. "Where we work: Madagascar" URL: http://www.wsup.com/programme/where-we-work/madagascar/

Food Insecurity in Madagascar

According to the Famine Warning Systems Network which is a leading provider of early warning and analysis on food insecurity , Madagascar is an area of concern.  As seen in the figure below, there is acute food insecurity in the south end of Madagascar. In 2015 and 2016 crop production in southern Madagascar was well below-average or failed (depending on the area) due to the effects of a severe El Niño-related drought. A recent FEWS NET assessment found that homes in drought-affected regions have decreased consumption and are engaging in negative coping strategies. Several parts of Madagascar are either in crisis or stressed which shows that households that have been negatively affected need assistance/new sustainable strategies to cope with El Nino.

Health Issues in Madagascar

According to the WHO Country Profile for Madagascar, Madagascar score poorly on most of the measures of health. For example, under-five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) and maternal mortality ratio (per 100000 live births) are lower in Madagascar, than for the WHO region since 1990. The low under-five mortality rate is due to several causes of deaths  in young children such as acute respiratory infections which attributes to 18% of the total deaths in 2013. However, Madagascar scores highly in the utilization of health services including Smear-positiveTB treatment-success, antenatal care,  and contraceptive prevalence (Madagascar scored higher than WHO region). According to Unicef, 50 percent of under-five year-olds suffer from stunted growth, which makes Madagascar one of the 10 countries in the world with the highest burden of chronic malnutrition. Through sustainable development: increasing in sustainable designs of more accessible health services and sustainable farming (which does not harm the soil and allows repeated use allowing more food production), Madagascar's heath problems will be eliminated.

WHO, 2011. “WHO maps noncommunicable disease trends in all countries.” News Release. 27 October. URL:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2011/NCDs_profiles_20110914/en/

Unicef 2015. "The Issue" Health and Nutrition 28 October. URL:
http://www.unicef.org/madagascar/5557_6446.html