Plastics and Public Health (APA4254.02) (cancelled 11/12/2024)

Megan Wolff

The world’s population has tripled since the 1950s, but production of plastics has increased over 70-fold in that time. The impact of plastic as litter is undeniable, both in the oceans and on land. But recent findings about the impacts of plastic on human health demonstrate that this is not just a litter problem, it is a health one. As we follow the path of microplastics we learn more every day about what plastic does to living organisms. The chemical additives in plastic do not stay put. They leach out into what they touch — including food, water, air, and human bodies. A large number of these additives are known carcinogens, neurotoxicants, and hormone disruptors, and are associated with a range of disorders from obesity and diabetes to autism and ADHD. Plastics and the chemicals they are made of are so common as to be unavoidable, that their impacts are felt by all of us. What does this mean, and what is to be done? Join Megan J. Wolff, PhD, MPH, the health policy director of Beyond Plastics, for an in-depth class on what is known – and what is being researched – on the impact of plastics on human health.


Learning Outcomes:
* Gain an understanding of the chemistry of plastics, and the impacts of petrochemicals on living systems.
* Understand the historical and economic influences that gave rise to the production (and overproduction) of plastics.
* Explore how regulatory bodies such as the EPA and the FDA set standards for safety, and how these are influenced by outside entities such as trade groups and manufacturers.
* Learn what forms of citizen action may be most effective in combatting human-derived environmental hazards.



Delivery Method: Fully remote
Prerequisites:
This class is open to anyone who has taken Judith Enck’s introduction class, Beyond Plastic Pollution (APA 2334), and other advanced students interested in public health. Students should contact the faculty member (meganwolff2@bennington.edu) for registration.

Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 1
W 7:00PM - 8:50PM (2nd seven weeks)
Maximum Enrollment: 15
Course Frequency: Once a year

Categories: 4000 , Advancement of Public Action , All courses , Cancelled Courses , Fully remote , One Credit , Second Seven Week , Updates
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