It goes without saying that parents want what’s best for their kids, but who decides what “best” is or the best way of achieving it? Mealtimes are dreaded in many households because of the potential for fights over what and how much needs to be consumed. And even the healthiest home environments don’t make kids immune to external standards and value judgments related to weight.
The more uncomfortable the topic, the less it tends to be discussed, and – chances are – the more likely it needs to be. One issue with which I’ve struggled over the years is weight and fat-phobia. Fortunately I had a great opportunity to tease apart my own baggage in the safe space of book club with “Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture”
It was a frustrating and disappointing week at work, with some losses for public health and climate action. I told my team that “if it were easy, someone would have figured it out already.” That said, I am grateful for the opportunity to figure it out with 15 other leaders from around the world this coming year as part of the Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab.
In honor of Climate Week and our need for stronger, swifter climate action, this post examines the new Allegheny County ordinance calling for the creation of a Climate Action Plan, which will reference Pennsylvania’s and Pittsburgh’s existing plans. Therefore, it’s important we understand the assumptions and omissions present in these example Climate Action Plans and how their approaches will shape the county’s next steps.
Once I got around to demolishing the dilapidated fence around our back porch, I knew I had to get rid of it in a responsible way. Landfilling is about as antithetical to “responsible disposal” as I can imagine, but because of the chemicals in pressure treated wood, there aren’t many better alternatives. The real key is making informed choices about whatever replaces it.
How much do you know about where your plastic goes after you put it in the recycle bin? Statistically, very little of our plastic gets recycled, but that doesn’t stop us from believing that it will. This persistent perception helps keep the plastic industry growing, despite the negative environmental and health consequences related to the production and degradation of their products.
Last month I had the pleasure of attending a drag brunch at a local brewery. The event received some backlash from the local community, which created a lot of media buzz. While the threats ultimately amounted to nothing, that is not always the case. While opposition to the LGBTQ community seems to be on the rise, our actions can play a big role in combating bigotry.
When I think of mothers, I think of almost ritualistic, uncomplaining sacrifice for their families, often to their own detriment. Something we rarely discuss related to motherhood is the level of agency involved in that decision and how critical it is that people become parents when they’re ready for it. What some call an unsavory topic, I call a necessary component of comprehensive healthcare.
Odd-numbered years mean judicial elections in Pennsylvania, and those are far more critical than most people realize. Our courts determine how our laws are interpreted, and we the voters decide who gets to be on the bench. In other news, Allegheny County residents who are registered democrat will likely be picking our next Chief Executive from a wide field of candidates.
We’ve made it through another Lent, and on this Easter morning, many are celebrating the end of a period of fasting. I am less celebratory as I consider how to move forward from a digital detox that I (surprisingly) loved. I undertook this project because I wanted to make a change, and I have some ideas on how to build a healthier relationship with the digital world.