Overview
Providing evidence: Supporting your response with credible evidence, such as GPS readings, landmarks, or photos
Asking questions: Asking open-ended questions that encourage further discussion
Offering illustrations: Providing examples or illustrations to support a key point
Pointing out inconsistencies: Identifying inconsistencies in an argument
Suggesting alternatives: Proposing alternatives to a proposed project and explaining why they should be considered
Use APA style and sources to back up evidence to the response.
No AI or plagiarism
at least 100 words
1) There are lots of health hazards exposed to people all over the globe, it's easy to not even notice it most of the time. Three that come to mind in my life include the exhaust fumes that fill the air as I sit in traffic, the burn pit I was next to while deployed in Africa, and the hazmat material I work with as a part of my job in the military. These things feel unavoidable lots of the time, that the only way to go towards a healthier environment would include a radical lifestyle change.
The pollution that comes out of automobiles has been around my entire life, I am aware of the greater overall effect this has on the air and climate change as a whole, but I couldn't really even say if it had a drastic affect on my well-being, it is all I have ever known. The burn pit out in Djibouti, Africa was extremely unpleasant to be around, my breathing and overall health seems to be fine, however I was able to sign up for an "Open Burn Pit Registry", so that if any horrible disease were to end up coming upon me the government will be able to "identify and research health challenges of Veterans and service members who were exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during their military service" (publichealth.va.gov), so that is nice. The hazmat I work with includes different types of fuels, oil, batteries, nothing that requires a full hazmat suit, but does require caution. Again the effects are yet to be seen, aside from some slight anxieties.
The best way to deal with these environmental hazards would be to minimize exposure and to use protective gear, I have accepted that some risks and detriments come with the job and with just simply living day to day life, it is virtually impossible to live entirely clean and without danger. I'm sure we are all doing something, eating something that is toxic for us, it just won't be apparent until many decades down the line. Transient.
Works cited:
publichealth.va.gov, 2024, Public Health, Accessed Apr. 12th, 2025,
https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits...
2) I love the outdoors; especially if it involves a nice sandy beach. Over the years, I have been exposed to gratuitous amounts of solar ultraviolet radiation as is evident in the darker shade of brown I achieve in the summer. However, like most people, I have been victim to sunburn as well. When I was younger, I rejected the idea of wearing sunscreen. I felt that I did not need it if I timed my activities just right. I would stay outside for hours until I achieved my desired shade of brown. Sometimes, I would overdo it but most of the time I would not burn. This constant overexposure to the sun has caused me to look older than I am. I can see my skin is a little wrinkly now, creases appear by my eyes when I squint or smile that did not used to be there before. In contrast, some of my Asian friends, who have always been abundantly cautious with the sun, appear, in my opinion, to look younger with nicer looking skin. To best mitigate overexposure to solar ultraviolet radiation is to wear sunblock and cover up.
The first time I ever heard of radon was when I was living in Okinawa, about 10 years ago. I was provided military housing for being stationed there. However, within about a year of living in that house, we received a notice that the housing inspectors would be installing devices inside our home to test and measure the presence of radon. Like any good millennial, I googled it and realized it was a radioactive gas (google.com 2025). I was shocked. The good news was that I did not have to move since the results essentially said that we were safe. It was only much later that I was informed that my housing area rules required that my home have five times the EPA action level before they would take any action (Slavin, E. 2015). To date I am not sure how and to what extent my family was impacted by radon. The only way I know is to get your home tested and make the decision once you understand the risk.
I have been a diesel mechanic for most of my adult career and as a result, I have been exposed to elevated levels of exhaust gasses. There have been days in the past when I would get home from work with my throat feeling hoarse and my lungs heavy. At the time, I just considered it part of the job as an occupational hazard but later I realized that it was due to improper ventilation in our maintenance bays. Very rarely did I get to work in a shop that had the proper metal tubes that would be placed over the exhaust stacks to funnel the gasses out of the shop. I now feel an increased sensitivity to most smoke, like cigarette smoke, exhaust, even campfires irritate my throat much faster than when I was younger. I am rarely exposed to exhaust anymore due to my position in a more administrative role in the maintenance community. I also drive an electric vehicle so I don’t worry about it at home.
Work Cited:
Google.com, 2025 Google search: What is Radon? Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+radon&rlz=1C1SQJL_enJP771US772&oq=what+is+radon&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDAgAEEUYORixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDM5OTBqMGo3qAIHsAIB8QWlZ8RmSi19QA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
Slavin, E. March 20, 2015. Families struggle with radon in military housing. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/families-struggle-with-radon-in-military-housing-1.335616.