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Coordinated nationally by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health |
These bulletins are archived and searchable on the Partnership's website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/bulletins.html To join the Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment (PCHE) and receive this bulletin, please complete the form on our website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/members.html#member
Thursday September 27, 2007
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Lansing, Michigan
at Lansing Community College West Campus Auditorium, Room S147, 5708 Cornerstone Drive
Sponsor: Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Presenters will be Andrew Fasey and Joel Tickner, along with a panel of industry representatives.
Price: $100; preregistration and prepayment are required
Website: http://www.chemicalspolicy.org/news.shtml
Contact: Melissa Coffin, 978-934-2997 or Melissa_Coffin@uml.edu
Thursday September 27, 2007
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
San Francisco, California
at the Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens Street
Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools and others listed at http://www.chps.net/GTSponsor.htm
Greentools will bring together school districts, their design teams and experienced CHPS community members to discuss how to design, build, operate and fund efficient, environmentally sustainable and healthy schools.
Price: see http://www.chps.net/GTAttendees.htm
Website: http://www.chps.net/greentools.htm
Contact: ariel@chps.net
Saturday September 29, 2007
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Newberry Books, 561 NE Ravenna Blvd
Sponsor: Institute for Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders and Toxipedia
Healthy World Theater reaches to the heart to promote awareness and understanding through the arts to create a healthier and more peaceful world so that all creatures may reach, maintain and enjoy their potential. We are seeking your recommendations or contributions of artistic material that helps create a healthy world and healthy people. Bring your poems, haiku, songs, plays -- almost anything to help us use art to create a healthy world. Featured artists include Bill Witherup, poet and author of down wind, down river; Angela Dy, hip-hop artist, poet and author of suprapersonal; Steven Gilbert, author of A Small Dose of Toxicology; Nancy Dickeman, poet, writer and activist; Leonard Rifas, comic writer, educomics; and Richard Warner, musician.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.HealthyWorldTheater.org
Contact: Nancy Dickeman, nancyd@wpsr.org
Tuesday October 2, 2007
Brussels, Belgium
Sponsor: Health and Environment Alliance and European Public Health Alliance
The event will address important issues for health and medical communities in the EU, as well as provide more substantial expert (WHO & EEA) and civil society input into the European Commission consultations on climate change and health.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.env-health.org/
Contact: Health and Environment Alliance, +32 2 234 3640 or info@env-health.org
Wednesday October 3, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific time / noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment and Women's Health and Environment Initiative
Girls get their first periods today, on average, a few months earlier than did girls 40 years ago, but they get their breasts one to two years earlier. Over the course of a few decades, the childhoods of U.S. girls have been significantly shortened. What does this mean for girls today and their health in the future? The Breast Cancer Fund commissioned Sandra Steingraber to write The Falling Age of Puberty -- the first comprehensive review of the literature on the timing of puberty -- to help us better understand this phenomenon so we can protect our daughters' health. This call will be moderated by Heather Sarantis, Women's Health Program Manager for the Collaborative on Health and the Environment. We will hear a featured presentation from Sandra Steingraber, PhD, ecologist, author, and cancer survivor. Dr. Steingraber is an internationally recognized expert on the environmental links to cancer and reproductive health. She wrote Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment and Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood. Formerly on faculty at Cornell University, Sandra Steingraber is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/2264
Wednesday October 3, 2007
2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing
Presenters will be 1) Martha Herbert, MD, PhD, clinical associate in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Morphometric Analysis and assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School: "The Emerging Whole-Body, Gene-Environment-Epigenetics Approach in Autism Research and Treatment"; 2) Susan Schantz, PhD, professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: "Neurodevelopmental Effects of PCBs, MeHg and Other Contaminants: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies"; and 3) Allison Davis, PhD, RN, clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and affiliate of The Arc of Anne Arundel County: "A Vulnerable Population: Environmental Health Exposures and the Developmental Disabilities Community." CME credits will not be available for these calls.
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Saturday October 6, 2007
Reston, Virginia
at the Hyatt Reston
Sponsor: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit of Region 3; the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Region III, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children's National Medical Center, Environmental Protection Agency Region III and George Washington University
The conference is targeted to health care providers, public health professionals and the interested public. Topics will explore the intersection between the environment and child health issues and will include a discussion of possible environmental factors influencing autism, environmental terrorism and preparedness in school settings, environmental changes and their contribution to the obesity epidemic, forecasting child health issues due to climate change, the how- to on greening your medical practice and home, air pollution and compromised respiratory function and a presentation and discussion of case studies in pediatric environmental health. Continuing education credits (CME, CHES & CEU) will be available to participants.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.gwu.edu:80/~macche/restonconference07/
Contact: Aurora Amoah, eohaoa@gwumc.edu
Tuesday October 9, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Kingston, Ontario Canada
at the Confederation Place Hotel
Sponsor: Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre; the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment
This workshop will share important information about environmental risks to child health, including environmental exposures at home, work, school and outdoors, in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we use. It will also provide simple childproofing tips and service-provider strategies to reduce the risks to preconception, prenatal and child health. The workshop will help you identify the risks of highest concern in your community and initiatives that will support or enhance existing programming. The registration deadline is Wednesday October 3rd at 5:00 p.m.
Price: $60
Website: http://www.beststart.org/events/detail/playingitsafe_k.htm
Contact: Sue Weststrate, 800-397-9567 x 2278 or s.weststrate@beststart.org
Tuesday October 9, 2007
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Environmental Health Initiative and the John Merck Fund
This is the first teleconference in a two-part series on children's health at school. With 54 million children in 120,000 schools nationwide, and estimates of the costs to restore America's school facilities ranging from $127 to $254 billion, US Government Accountability Office, National Education Association, and US Environmental Protection Agency studies have found that half of all students are compelled to be in buildings that daily erode their health and learning. Asthma is the single largest cause of absenteeism and the occupational disease of teachers. Just as children are not biologically little adults, schools are not little offices or houses. Participants will learn what the differences are between adults and children in schools as workplaces; what the peer-reviewed sciences reveal about school environments' and children's health; and what steps must be taken nationally, in the states, and at the local level to prevent barriers to optimal learning or prevent the exacerbation of disease or disability. Time permitting, participants will have an opportunity to discuss how their organizations can develop an agenda to promote a healthy built environment and to prevent harm to children and others. Speakers will be Claire Barnett, MBA, executive director of Healthy Schools Network, and Kim Voss, parent and advocate.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
Wednesday October 10, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue
Sponsor: Paul Wotzka Defense Fund
In May of this year Paul Wotzka, a hydrologist who worked 16 years for the State of Minnesota, was fired from his job after being barred from testifying at a legislative committee about the levels of the herbicide atrazine in Minnesota's waters. This event is a fundraiser to help with Paul's legal fees. Tyrone Hayes, PhD, professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, has agreed to attend and speak. Dr. Hayes is the leading expert and voice on the dangers of atrazine. After presentations by Dr. Hayes and Paul Wotzka, there will be a question-and-answer panel with Hayes, Wotkza and special guests.
Price: suggested donation is $20
Website: http://mepartnership.org/mep_calendar.asp?cal_id=2656
Wednesday through Saturday, October 10 - 13, 2007
Washington, DC
Sponsor: Children's Environmental Health Centers
This is a workshop on children's environmental health and progress review for the STAR grants. The primary focus of this workshop will be to connect the dots from science to mainstream practice and to identify the opportunities and barriers to incorporating the results of environmental health science research into health care. The program will include plenary and breakout sessions with case studies: From Children's Health Research to Pediatric Practice. Participants include the EPA/NIEHS Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (Children's Centers), "Building Health Professionals' Capacity to Address Children's Environmental Health" Grantees (HCP Grantees) and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs), Washington, DC. Workshop will include presentation of the 3rd Annual Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards.
Price: unknown
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/events/10_10_2007.html
Contact: Nigel Fields, 202-343-9767 or fields.nigel@epa.gov
Thursday October 11, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific / noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment and Health Care Without Harm
This teleconference will be a discussion about the health risks, medical applications and policy issues associated with nanotechnology. Featured presenters will be Dr. John Balbus, director of health programs at Environmental Defense; Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the International Center for Technology Assessment; and Ian Illuminato, health and environment campaigner for Friends of the Earth. The call moderator will be Steve Heilig, MPH, director of public health and education for CHE and the San Francisco Medical Society. A science update will be provided by Jennifer Sass, PhD, senior scientist for Health and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/1894
Saturday October 13, 2007
noon to 5:00 p.m.
Portland, Oregon
at First Unitarian Church, SW 12th and Main
Sponsor: Rachel's Friends Breast Cancer Coalition
Stacy Malkan, a founding member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and communications director of Health Care Without Harm, will speak at this event. Other speakers include state Senator Margaret Carter; Mia Davis, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics; Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis, Oregon Environmental Council; and Sara Leverette, Oregon Environmental Council.
Price: $5.00 suggested donation
Website: http://www.rachelsfriends.org/events.html
Contact: Diane Lund-Muzikant, 503-869-7225 or muzikant@aol.com
Sunday through Thursday, October 14 - 18, 2007
Durham, North Carolina
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency, American Chemistry Council, Bayer CropScience and others
Partnerships: Exploring Innovative Approaches in Exposure Assessment -- This conference will bring together scientists from many environmental and public health fields to present and exchange information on recent advances in the broad field of exposure science. Emphasis is placed on exploring new technologies, new science arenas, and new organizational partnerships to understand and reduce health risks from exposure to environmental contaminants. The conference will facilitate cross-fertilization of new ideas across many disciplines through training workshops, oral and poster presentations, symposia, panel discussions and plenary presentations.
Price: see http://secure.awma.org/events/ISEA/reg.htm
Website: http://secure.awma.org/events/ISEA/
Contact: Carrie Hartz, 412-904-6008 or chartz@awma.org
Wednesday October 17, 2007
2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing
Presenters include Yvonne Fry-Johnson, MD, chief of maternal and child health at the National Center for Primary Care: "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Developmental Disabilities"; Virginia Rauh, ScD, professor of public health and deputy director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health: "Effects of Prenatal Exposure to the Organophosphate Pesticide Chlorpyrifos in the Urban Environment"; and Isaac Pessah, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Children's Environmental Health, University of California, Davis: "Gene-Environment Interactions and Autism" (this last presentation is still to be confirmed). CME credits will not be available for these calls.
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Friday through Sunday, October 19 - 21, 2007
Seattle, Washington
at the Seattle Center
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Education Council
With a conference theme of "Revolution from the Heart of Nature", the primary focus of the Bioneers is on solutions, informed by nature's essential principles of interdependence, cooperation and community. The inspiring stories of these dedicated individuals illustrate the innumerable ways one person can make a difference, guiding us to a future environment of hope that is within our grasp today. Their insightful solutions involve innovative technical approaches while also embodying a change of heart, integrating principles of social and economic justice. This conference features a live satellite downlink of the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California, to each of the participating regional Beaming Bioneer events. Please visit the Bioneers website at http://bioneers.org for more information about the Bioneers Conference and our partnership.
Price: $75/day
Website: http://www.nweec.org/seattlebioneers/
Contact: Northwest Environmental Education Council, 206-923-1980
Friday and Saturday, October 19 - 20, 2007
Edgecombe County, North Carolina
at the Franklinton Center at Bricks
Community members, government officials, environmentalists, students and researchers will participate. The summit seeks to raise public awareness about environmental justice, connect communities in need with technical resources, support and encourage community-driven research, help communities and policy makers address problems of environmental injustice and bring about positive changes in public health and the environment by promoting social and environmental justice. A call for research presentations on environmental justice is open until September 7, 2007. Sponsors invite submissions that address environmental justice topics from any disciplinary perspective, including environmental sciences, social sciences, humanities, law, journalism, public health and medicine. Researchers who have conducted community-driven or community-based research are encouraged to present in collaboration with community groups.
Price: unknown
Contact: Steve Wing, 919-966-7416 or steve_wing@unc.edu
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 23 - 24, 2007
Denver, Colorado
at the EPA Conference Center, 999 18th Street, 2nd Floor
Sponsor: The US Environmental Protection Agency Region 8, the US Department of Health and Human Services Region VIII, Rocky Mountain Region Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit and the Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics
Conference goals are to 1) increase the ability of health, environmental and education professionals to identify, prevent and reduce environmental health threats to children; 2) share information, resources, "best practices" and emerging science regarding the protection of children's health from environmental hazards; and 3) encourage coordination and information sharing across government agencies, health organizations, health-care providers, educators and the general public in addressing children's environmental health issues. Participants will include local, state and federal environmental, health and education government officials; health-care providers, daycare providers; school administrators, teachers, nurses and facility managers; child-health organizations; parents and the general public.
Price: There is no charge to attend the conference. However, space is limited and registration is required.
Website: http://www.epa.gov/region8/humanhealth/children/cehmonth/index.html
Contact: Alicia Aalto, 303-312-6967 aalto.alicia@epa.gov
Wednesday October 24, 2007 (Olympia, Washington, at the Heritage Room at Capitol Lake, 604 Water Street, 5:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. lecture)
or Thursday October 25, 2007 (Seattle, Washington, at Glaser Auditorium, Swedish Medical Center, 747 Broadway, 6:00 p.m. reception, 7:00 p.m. lecture)
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Fund
Over the past few years, studies have revealed that girls as young as two are entering puberty. The reports and images are deeply disturbing. For breast cancer advocates, there is something else that is disturbing: early puberty increases breast cancer risk. Noted author, biologist and cancer survivor Dr. Sandra Steingraber will help us understand this phenomenon of early puberty by walking us upstream to illustrate the connection between our health and the environment. She will present possible causes of early puberty, including environmental exposures.
Price: free; RSVP required
Contact: 206-524-4405
Thursday and Friday, October 25 - 26, 2007
San Francisco, California
at the Parc 55 Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St
Our children, with or without medical needs, are faced with many challenges in this quickly changing and complex environment. Professionals who care for children and are involved in today's healthcare system will need to rely upon supportive, collaborative relationships for the purpose of healing the child. Integrative medicine is a holistic approach to this challenge. This is a multitrack integrative medicine program offered to all doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, clergy, complementary therapy practitioners, residents, students and others in health care training programs. The two-day program is designed for all those who care for children in therapeutic settings, and continuing medical education is available for physicians.
Price: see https://www.cme.ucsf.edu/cme/CourseDetail.aspx?coursenumber=MMJ08004
Website: http://www.pangeaconference.com/
Contact: 415-476-5808 or info@pangeaconference.com
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Could mattress safety measures make you sick? New standards make mattresses more fire resistant. They'll still burn, but not as fast, because they contain more flame resistant, or FR, materials. But could the chemicals that make you safer also make you sick? Chicago CBS 2 TV, Illinois, 25 September 2007.
http://cbs2chicago.com/health/local_story_267221159.html
EU toy safety rules to be revised by year's end. EU toy safety rules will be revised by the end of the year, the European Commission said Tuesday, responding to concerns sparked by three high-profile recalls of Chinese-made toys by a U.S. company this year. Associated Press, 25 September 2007.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D8RSF8V80
Truck pollution study being released. A new study out of California says the trucking system at the Port of Oakland is a direct contributor to the health crisis that is leaving one out of five west Oakland children with asthma. Bay City News, California, 25 September 2007.
http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/09/25/n/HeadlineNews/TRUCK-POLLUTION/resources_bcn_html
Why are U.S. kids obese? Just look around them. Tough choices tempt kids at every turn -- whether it is soda in school, junk food ads on TV or the fast-food chain around the corner -- and school policies limiting physical activity only make matters worse, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. Reuters, 25 September 2007.
http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=why-are-us-kids-obese-jus&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters
Hatch supports pollution-disease study expansion. A bipartisan group of senators, including Utah's Orrin Hatch, seeks to expand a program that will search for links between pollution and chronic disease, such as cancer. Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, 24 September 2007.
http://www.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/ci_6969025
Child safety fears prompt Wi-Fi code for Welsh schools. New safety rules are to be drawn up for Wi-Fi in schools for the first time in Britain, after a local authority officially voiced concern last week about possible effects on children's health. London Independent, England, 24 September 2007.
http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2990155.ece
Ozone deal called boost to fighting climate change. A deal by 191 nations to eliminate ozone-depleting substances 10 years ahead of schedule is a "pivotal moment" in the fight against global warming, Canadian Environment Minister John Baird said on Saturday. Reuters, 23 September 2007.
http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-09-22T184843Z_01_N21423045_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-CLIMATE-OZONE-COL.XML
Study of epigenetics seeks to control genes' functions. A new science is turning the medical world on its Darwinian ear. Epigenetics is about the factors that turn genes on and off, including contaminants. Worldwide, interest is booming. Kansas City Star, Missouri, 23 September 2007.
http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/277128.html
Food for thought. Junk food is unhealthy and many parents avoid feeding it to their kids. But can the combination of colourings and preservatives added to all sorts of food harm children, making it harder for them to concentrate and to learn? Economist, 21 September 2007.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9794915
Health alert study for air freshener chemicals. A study of more than a dozen common household air fresheners found that most contain chemicals [phthalates, allergens, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde] that may affect hormones and reproductive development, particularly in babies. Miami CBS 4, Florida, 21 September 2007.
http://cbs4.com/health/local_story_263165404.html
State finds lead hazard in its free lunch totes. The California Department of Public Health said Thursday that it was recalling 300,000 green and blue canvas lunch coolers made in China and distributed throughout the state at health fairs and other events since 2004. Los Angeles Times, California, 21 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-lunchbox21sep21,1,3571560,full.story?ctrack=7&cset=true
Industry says kids' jewelry needs lead to be cheap. The shiny tiaras and bracelets that little girls love to wear need to contain lead despite its dangers to keep the cost down for consumers, the Fashion Jewelry Trade Association told a congressional committee on Thursday. Reuters, 21 September 2007.
http://sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=industry-says-kids-jewelr&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters
New methods to detect pesticides, antibiotics in water, natural food developed. Researchers from Granada have developed new methods to achieve sensitive detection of pesticides and antibiotics in water and natural food. Asian News International, South Asia, 19 September 2007.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/175311.php/New-methods-to-detect-pesticides-antibiotics-in-water-natural-food-developed
Working together, we can reduce exposure to toxics. We can minimize benzene in the air we breathe easily: Limit idling car motors to 20 seconds, and stop topping off gas tanks. Eugene Register Guard, Oregon, 19 September 2007.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/09/18/ed.col.arkin.0918.p1.php?section=opinion
Report criticizes dumping of fly ash in mines. Pennsylvania calls putting fly ash waste from coal-fired power plants into abandoned coal mines a "beneficial use," but a coalition of national environmental groups has issued a report showing the widespread practice does much more harm than good. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pennsylvania, 19 September 2007.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07262/818648-85.stm
Canada's patchwork environmental strategy needs overhaul: report. Canada needs a cohesive environmental strategy that includes more monitoring of people's exposures to environmental contaminants, a strengthening of environmental laws, and increased awareness about these issues, says a new report. CBC Canada, Canada, 19 September 2007.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/18/suzuki-report.html
'Health disaster' in French Caribbean linked to pesticides. The indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides on banana plantations in the French Caribbean has left much of the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe poisoned for a century to come. London Independent, England, 19 September 2007.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2976687.ece
Breast cancer and your environment. The most common invasive malignancy among women around the world, breast cancer's rates during the last several decades have nearly tripled in the United States. A multidisciplinary team identified 216 chemicals pervasive in our environment that cause breast tumors in animals. MSN, 19 September 2007.
http://health.msn.com:80/centers/breastcancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100170477
Pesticide exposure tied to asthma in farmers. Exposure to several commonly used pesticides appears to increase the risk of asthma, US researchers report. Reuters, 18 September 2007.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKCOL76062320070917
Restricting pesticides could greatly reduce suicide rates worldwide. National and international policies restricting the pesticides that are most toxic to humans may have a major impact on world suicides, according to new research from the University of Bristol published this week in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE). News-Medical.net, 18 September 2007.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30012
Sex education: A primer on chemicals, fertility, and reproduction. Around 12 percent of American couples reported having a hard time conceiving a child and bearing it to term in 2002, up 20 percent from the 6.1 million couples reporting such "impaired fecundity" in 1995. one major factor may be nonstop exposure to low-level environmental pollutants like pesticides, dioxins, and phthalates. Daily Grist, 18 September 2007.
http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/09/18/chemicals/index.html
Pollution killing kids in China, India. Poisonous industrial sites in India, China and the former Soviet Union top a new ranking of the world's most polluted places, where millions of people are threatened by toxic chemicals, an environment watchdog says. Agence France-Presse, 17 September 2007.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/257283
An Attack on Cancer Research: Industry's Obstruction of the National Toxicology Program. Over the past five years, industry has repeatedly misused the Data Quality Act to suppress important cancer-related information being analyzed and published by the National Toxicology Program. OMB Watch, 17 September 2007.
http://ombwatch.org/article/articleview/3964/1/192?TopicID=5
State of Lung Disease in Diverse Communities: 2007. Certain communities of color have higher prevalence and death rates from some of the most common respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, and most often reside in high-pollution areas. American Lung Association, 17 September 2007.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=317197
EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation. Europe's top environmental watchdog is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol. London Independent, England, 17 September 2007.
http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2966951.ece
Plan touts 'no child left inside'. Not only is the outdoors regarded as a cure for the childhood obesity epidemic, but getting close to nature also could be key in diminishing childhood learning disorders, advocates say. Sacramento Bee, California, 17 September 2007.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/383188.html
Stay in school? Not sugary sodas. The nation's largest soda makers are on their way to eliminating full-calorie soft drinks from school vending machines, student lounges and lunchrooms, according to a report issued Monday. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia, 17 September 2007.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/coke/stories/2007/09/17/kidcokes_0917.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
Fluoridation is coming to San Diego County. Beginning Nov. 5, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides 80 percent of the water used in San Diego County, plans to begin fluoridating the treated water it sends to customers here. San Diego Union-Tribune, California, 16 September 2007.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070916-9999-1n16fluoride.html
Health, environmental issues slow dash to build artificial playing fields. A small group of allies have come together to oppose what some call progress -- a growing wave of installations of artificial turf throughout the western suburbs. They argue there are too many health and environmental questions around fake grass. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 15 September 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/13/grass_roots_uprising/
Lead paint cleanup: a $2.4-billion solution. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is proposing that three paint companies that lost a historic public nuisance trial last year now spend $2.4 billion removing lead paint from more than half the houses and apartments in Rhode Island. Providence Journal, Rhode Island, 15 September 2007.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/Lead_Cleanup_09-15-07_CB738JA.3274607.html
More bad air days for U.S. cities. Study: 10 U.S. cities will have increase unsafe air days if global warming continues unabated. Associated Press, 15 September 2007.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/14/national/main3261153.shtml
Early puberty in girls troubling. American girls are entering puberty at earlier ages, putting them at far greater risk for breast cancer later in life and for all sorts of social and emotional problems well before they reach adulthood. Sacramento Bee, California, 15 September 2007.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/380508.html
[Editor's note: Please see information about three related presentations on this topic by Sandra Steingraber in the Events section above.]
Implications for human health of adding fluoride to municipal water systems. Ted Schettler, science director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, is interviewed on the topic of adding fluoride to water. KEXP, Seattle, Washington, 15 September 2007.
http://www.kexp.org/programming/progpage.asp?showID=7&1413=39348.25-1&96=39348.25-1&20=39348.25-1&256=39348.25-2#recent (Sustainability Segment September 15th)
Scientists do the numbers. Coffee is good for you -- no, it's bad. A scientific approach used in many human studies often leads to findings that are flat-out wrong. Los Angeles Times, California, 15 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-epidemiology17sep17,1,7970471.story?ctrack=5&cset=true
Environmental illnesses: stepping up the fight. While it is not exciting to know that many toxins affect our health, it was exciting to see "An Inconceivable Truth: The Link Between Infertility and the Environment" in Vogue magazine. Edmonton Journal, Canada, 15 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/letters/story.html?id=c496f7f0-fc84-42a0-b939-3eccf2a8a57b
Roadside diesel pollution poses heart danger -- study. Air pollution reduces blood flow and interferes with the body's natural ability to break up blood clots, researchers said on Wednesday in a finding that may help explain why pollution can cause heart attacks. Planet Ark, 14 September 2007.
http://www.planetark.org:80/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=44334
submitted to this bulletin by Jim DiPeso
Unions, builders join to sink diesel reduction bill. The anti-pollution measure looked like a lock until Democrats' biggest ally unions weighed in. Los Angeles Times, California, 14 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-diesel14sep14,1,7497784.story?coll=la-news-politics-california&ctrack=6&cset=true
Ozone treaty, rare global success, fetes 20-year mark. The 186-nation treaty that protects Earth from the Sun's dangerous ultraviolet rays fetes its 20th anniversary Sunday, with the US and Europe poised to call for an accelerated timetable for banning ozone-depleting chemicals still in use. Agence France-Presse, 14 September 2007.
http://www.terradaily.com/2007/070914014352.n28ydxja.html
Pollution: dangerous to joggers. Tiny particulates in the air have always been a risk for the lungs, setting off respiratory illness like asthma and emphysema, and researchers from Scotland now report that the heavily contaminated air in urban areas could also be hazardous to the heart. Time Magazine, 13 September 2007.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1661313,00.html
Toy woes may result in more power for safety agency. Senators are prepared to boost the Consumer Product Safety Commission's budget and legal authority so it can better keep unsafe toys and children's jewelry off store shelves, Sen. Richard Durbin said Wednesday. USA Today, 13 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2007-09-12-mattel-congress_N.htm
China agrees to lead paint ban in U.S. toy exports. Toy industry experts and retailers viewed China's agreement to ban the use of lead paint in toys exported to the United States as a step toward ensuring toy safety. New York Newsday, New York, 13 September 2007.
http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzchin0913,0,6014119.story
Are people's PBDE uptake patterns changing? Researchers don't know why the PBDE uptake patterns in Spanish infant placentas resemble those from electronics recycling workers--and not those of their parents' blood. Environmental Science & Technology, 13 September 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/sept/science/kb_pbde.html
Program aims to help asthmatic children live in smoke-free homes. A pilot program to help children with asthma live in smoke-free homes got a shot in the arm from the Allegheny County Board of Health. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pennsylvania, 13 September 2007.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07255/816989-114.stm
State urges campaign to eliminate dangerous toy jewelry. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health called for a major campaign to eliminate dangerous toy jewelry from store shelves. Some items contain lead at levels as much as 1,800 times higher than is considered safe. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 13 September 2007.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/09/13/state_urges_campaign_to_eliminate_dangerous_toy_jewelry/
Cancer deaths higher among less educated. Less educated people in the US are more than twice as likely to die from cancer as their better-educated counterparts, according to a new study. Financial Times, England, 13 September 2007.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c88d722-60bf-11dc-8ec0-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F0c88d722-60bf-11dc-8ec0-0000779fd2ac.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.environmentalhealthnews.org%2Farchives.jsp%3Fsm%3Dfr13%3Bhumhealthcond17%3B5Childrens_health17%3BChildren%27s+health
Playing with danger. For weeks, the public has fretted over imported toys that exceed federal lead standards. What's equally important, some experts say, is not whether the U.S. is properly enforcing the limits that are in place, but whether government standards are strict enough. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 13 September 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-to.hs.lead13sep13,0,866974.story
Breast-feeding does not protect babies from asthma. Breast-feeding does not protect children against developing asthma or allergies, a study suggests. A large trial involving more than 13,000 women and children found no evidence of a protective effect. London Times, England, 12 September 2007.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2434723.ece
Is your beauty regime damaging your health? We have become adept at reading food labels, but close scrutiny of the ingredients in our toiletries and cosmetics (which companies are required to list in full) is far less common. London Guardian, England. Opinion, 12 September 2007.
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2166552,00.html
Pollution blamed for fall in Arctic baby boys. Twice as many girls as boys are being born across much of the Arctic because of pollution from industrialised countries, scientists have found. London Times, England, 12 September 2007.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2434582.ece
Pill use 'may cut risk of cancer'. Using the contraceptive pill cuts the overall risk of a woman developing cancer, research suggests. BBC, United Kingdom, 12 September 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6987889.stm
