Communicating Environmental Health Risks and Cultivating the Next Generation of Border Leaders — School of Public Health at SDSU, Paula Stigler Granados

The Finest City

This episode features Paula Stigler Granados, Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at San Diego State University. Paula first discusses environmental health impacts along the San Diego-Tijuana border region and insights from her recent white paper on the public health crisis caused by Tijuana River contamination. She then explores the challenges of managing growth while addressing aging infrastructure and transborder environmental issues, highlighting the need to better communicate risk and learn from past environmental trauma.

Timestamps:

[2:32] Paula’s thoughts on the quote from Temporary Paradise, “This is a single natural region, and a connected social landscape as well, despite the barrier.”

[4:22] Paula’s hopes for the white paper she co-wrote about the Tijuana River being a public health crisis.

[6:12] The pathogens and toxic chemicals our border communities are exposed to from the raw sewage and runoff in the Tijuana River.

[9:11] How those chemicals and toxicity impact our community around the San Diego / Baja border.

[13:25] The importance of communicating better the risk and impact of this public health crisis.

[14:02] Paula’s interest in community-based participatory research.

[18:09] The wealth of information and education now for future generations.

[18:28] The role climate change has on vector-borne diseases such as Chagas disease.

[22:09] The opportunity for the World Design Capital to highlight the intersection of design and environmental stewardship in the San Diego / Tijuana region.

[25:38] Paula highlights the importance of honoring the community members in Imperial Beach and repairing and reducing environmental trauma in the future.

[27:21] The environmental issues in Imperial Beach and surrounding the Border call for all voices to speak up, not just local or national ones.

About C-3

Even before the California Coastal Commission or Environmental Protection Agency existed, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) was the environmental conscience of San Diego. Since that time, in part due to C-3’s leadership in education, advocacy, and empowerment, a plethora of organizations have developed throughout San Diego County. These organizations specifically focus on promoting progressive values in architecture, urban design, land-use governance, natural resource management, sustainable economic development, climate change resilience, and social justice. As the field of allies has grown, C-3’s role has evolved to provide a platform that promotes creating civic community.

Opportunities for Advocacy and Engagement:

C3sandiego.org

Paula Stigler Granados SDSU

Paula Stigler Granados LinkedIn

Quotes:

• “I’ve always felt this fluidness between Tijuana and San Diego. It’s a region a lot of us are really connected to and a beautiful environment that we share here.” — Paula [3:08]

• “I think communicating risk is incredibly important.” — Paula [12:50]

• “I feel like this is an opportunity to talk about how we can protect our environment, our health, human and public health, as well as design infrastructure that makes it friendlier and a more walkable and healthy environment.” — Paula [23:24]

• “I think it's important to really acknowledge how important it is to resolve this issue and to hear the voices of the people living with this on a daily basis.” — Paula [26:24]

• “Infrastructure will always fail. So what are things that we can put into place that would at least help minimize the amount of failure that will happen?” — Paula [26:43]

• “I believe that the community’s voices are just as important as the local leaders' voices, and they're just as important as anybody else's voice. It’s going to take all of us.” — Paula [27:41]