Jill Buck’s Take on Climate Change and PFAS

Watch the full interview here!

As kids, we were always taught to question the environment around us. Growing up in the Tri-Valley, we discovered the myriad of problems that plague our environment early on. When we heard that our community’s water contained a dangerous amount of PFAS (a chemical used by manufacturers to make products heat and water-resistant), we were surprised and inspired to create change. To better understand the scale and magnitude to which PFAS (and climate change in general) affects our community, we interviewed Mrs. Jill Buck, an environmentalist passionate about helping our world.

Who is Mrs. Buck?

Jill Buck is the founder and president of the Go Green Initiative, whose mission is to “provide schools with the tools, training, and ongoing support that they need to create a ‘culture of conservation’ and natural resource stewardship within their community.” She is also the host of the radio show Go Green, and she has spoken in multiple conferences, including the Green Business Summit in Beijing. In one sentence, she’s an active member of our world, striving to make the planet a better place.

Ms. Jill Buck

Why is PFAS so harmful?

PFAS exposure to humans can cause a lot of damage, including, but not limited to: thyroid disease, liver damage, obesity, and even cancer. PFAS’s minuscule size makes it difficult for people to tell if their water contains this toxic chemical. Even if they did know that their water contained PFAS, individual humans wouldn’t be able to purify it. PFAS can’t be purified like other chemicals because most filters weren’t made to filter PFAS.

When we asked Mrs. Buck about the clean-up of PFAS in our waters, she boldly stated, “They’re man-made, and we’re gonna need a man-made solution in order to clean up our environment and remove these.” Her statement is not far from the truth. If we’re going to rid our waters of PFAS, we need an effective human-made solution to this problem.

A worrisome aspect of PFAS is how widespread it is. Due to its heat-resistant and water-resistant abilities, the chemical can be found in household objects we use daily. Since these chemicals are stuck together by strong bonds, they are difficult to break down. Thus, PFAS chemicals end up leaching into our water systems, where we are prone to consuming them. Even worse, PFAS bio-accumulates in our bodies, and we humans have a lifetime maximum for the amount of PFAS we can handle in our systems.

Such a small molecule causes devastating problems.

Why doesn’t the public know about these dangers?

When we surveyed people about PFAS, we noticed that the majority had no idea what we were talking about. Some of our own members had no idea PFAS existed until we did more extensive research. It’s disturbing that so many people are unaware of the chemicals that they are ingesting. When we asked Mrs. Buck why so many people don’t know about PFAS, she responded with a complicated but accurate explanation. “People don’t really get excited about making that a front-page issue.”

Making people uncomfortable usually isn’t the first thing our leaders aspire to do, and informing people firsthand that their water isn’t safe doesn’t look so good for the leaders of the community.

Are there any filters that work for PFAS?

Though there currently isn’t a way to clean the PFAS out of our water, the NSF (National Science Foundation) had a filter called NSF p473. This filter was able to purify water that contained PFAS. However, at this stage, the filter is no longer being manufactured. There are currently two filters available on the NSF website that can filter PFOA and PFOS. However, their filtering capacity is only 500 and 365 gallons of water, respectively.

Due to COVID-19, our world has improved significantly in terms of climate change. Will that stay the same after COVID-19?

According to Mrs. Buck, all of these changes depend on location. News broadcasts, online articles, and other media show that the planet’s situation on climate change has improved significantly, and it may be one of the only positive aspects of COVID-19. In our community specifically, trucks were still driving to deliver things to and from ports and in the process emitting more greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. These gases are one of the main causes for serious problems like global warming and melting ice glaciers.

How will climate change and our environment be affected once our economy tries to pick up the pace again?

“The next few years are going to be tough for climate change,” Mrs. Buck admitted. “Our economy doesn’t even have the budget to support itself normally. Schools are getting budget cuts due to COVID-19, and people are getting furloughed and removed from their jobs because of money issues. The future is going to be a very tough road for climate change.”

“We’re gonna have to make choices, you know, to invest in the kind of infrastructure and programs and things that we need to address climate change, and to be ready for climate change, and maybe spend less on other things we’re putting in our budget.”

Many places have banned specific items that pose threats to our environment, such as plastic. But have these bans been effective?

“Yes and no,” Mrs. Buck replied. Plastic bag manufacturers have made bags thicker, so they end up being classified as “not single-use,” meaning they can be used multiple times. However, many people still treat them as single-use. The thicker plastic bags are thrown away as frequently as the single-use bags are, but it takes longer for the former to degrade. The result is a great deal of thick plastic bags suffocating our environment.

These bans have the potential to be useful, but only if people follow them correctly. Public policy needs to be precise.

Public policy needs to be precise.

What do you want people of our community to do to combat these kinds of problems?

Community effort. “We could make some pretty simple behavior changes that would have a huge impact collectively,” Mrs. Buck told us. If we work together to combat these large scale problems, we will be able to make a difference. Think about it: if consumers don’t use plastic bags and switch to eco-friendly items, manufacturers won’t make them anymore. They wouldn’t be making money. Why would they continue to create products that they’re not profiting off of?

“We could make some pretty simple behavior changes that would have a huge impact collectively."

I want to be eco-friendly, but it costs too much. What should I do?

Mrs. Buck’s response was relatively simple. No, it doesn’t cost more to be eco-friendly. It’s actually the opposite. The whole myth that eco-friendly styles of living cost more is just a generalization. The stereotype is a norm in our status quo due to the unwillingness of people to change their habits. Simply taking the time to research affordable, environmentally-friendly options will save time and money in the long run.

What do we need to do to preserve the environment for future generations?

Mrs. Buck’s input helped us realize how much damage climate change is doing to our environment. We see animals die because of plastic consumption. We witness irreplaceable habitats being reduced to barren wastelands. We watch as hundreds of species become extinct.

Now, the question becomes, “I’ve seen everything; I know what’s happening, but what do I do?” The answer is simple. Do something. Anything.

Your contribution doesn’t have to be on a massive scale, like partnering with huge corporations. It can be as small as refusing to use a plastic bag, spending time with your friend by helping out in a beach clean-up, or talking with your family regarding consumption and developing eco-friendly habits. Do something, even if it’s small. The environment needs you.

Resources:

https://youtu.be/en9CFSghqxA - Link to the full interview

https://gogreeninitiative.org/ - Website of the Go Green Initiative

NSF's certified water filters - This website contains information regarding current certified water filters that purify water contaminated with PFAS.

10 Fast Facts on PFAS or “Forever Chemicals” in Pleasanton’s Drinking Water - Mrs. Buck’s article regarding PFAS. Note: This article was written a few months ago, so it may be outdated. It is also individualized towards the city of Pleasanton.

https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas - EPA’s information on PFAS

https://www.epa.gov/pfas/treating-pfas-drinking-water - EPA’s take on how to filter PFAS

To find more information about the situation in your community, you can research on your own or contact us at m.power.together@gmail.com. We can help you research the conditions in your community regarding climate change and PFAS/chemicals in your water.