These bulletins are now archived and searchable on the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/bulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the CHE-Washington regional group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Washington State Regional Group at the bottom of the application.
1) The Institute for Children's Environmental Health, coordinator of CHE-WA, has launched a searchable database of resources on environmental health for various audiences. Users can select not only the medium (books, websites, videos, etc.), the environmental/toxics issues and the health issues of interest, but the target audience as well. Once users make specific selections, links to online resources are provided. See http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchresources.cgi
2) CHE-WA recently conducted a survey of many of our members' organizations regarding needs in environmental health. Survey results are now posted on our website: http://washington.chenw.org/survey.html
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
Saturday October 13, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Gilda's Club, 1400 Broadway
Sponsor: Breast Cancer Fund and Gilda's Club Seattle
In "The Secret History of the War on Cancer", award-winning scientist Devra Davis tells the story of how big business, government and scientists often knew well before the general public which substances increased our risk of cancer -- but did nothing to stop these materials from becoming part of our culture and community. For almost a century, scientists have known that the causes of cancer have extended will beyond old age and poor genes. What used to be an older person's disease has skewed younger and younger, spurred by environmental elements found in our workplaces and homes, and by simple changes in our lifestyle over time. The Breast Cancer Fund is honored to co-host Dr. Davis in Seattle. As a reviewer of the Breast Cancer Fund's report, "State of the Evidence: What Is the Connection between the Environment and Breast Cancer?", Dr. Davis has been a supportive partner and a guiding force in the breast cancer and environmental health movement.
Price: free
Contact: Pam, 206-524-4405 or Pamela@breastcancerfund.org
Monday October 15, 2007
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at Antioch University Seattle, 2326 Sixth Avenue in Belltown, between Bell and Battery, near the Pink Elephant Car Wash
Come and find out how the Center's programs can help you to facilitate positive and sustainable change in organizations, communities and the environment. We'll be talking about our Masters' degrees in Environment & Community, Whole Systems Design, Strategic Communications, Organizational Psychology, and Management. We'll also be talking about our Graduate Certificates. Faculty and students will be on-hand to describe the programs and answer questions.
Website: http://www.antiochsea.edu/futurestudents/visit.html#oh
Contact: Wendy Olson, 206-268-4208 or wolsen@antiochseattle.edu
Monday October 15, 2007
noon - 3:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, Room 202, 4649 Sunnyside Ave North
Sponsor: Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition
Topics on the agenda include toy testing results, our Safer Products Campaign and preparing for the 2008 Legislative Session.
Price: free
Website: http://www.toxicfreelegacy.org/
Contact: Margaret Shield, 206-632-1545 ext. 123 or mshield@toxicfreelegacy.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"; and 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." 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
Sunday October 21, 2007
Hosted Social 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Dinner and Program 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Seattle, Washington
at South Seattle Community College Jerry Brockey Center
Sponsor: Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
The featured speaker will be Helen Caldicott, MD, cofounder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, president of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Reservations close October 15th.
Price: $75
Website: http://www.wpsr.org/annual-dinner/
Contact: 206-547-2630
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
Wednesday October 31, 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 Tom Zoeller, PhD, professor and chair of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Biology Department: "Classes and Consequences of Thyroid Disruptors"; and Sandra Steingraber, PhD, distinguished visiting scholar in the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, Ithaca College: "Consequences of Early Puberty in U.S. Girls -- Implications for Learning." CME credits will not be available for these calls.
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Thursday November 8, 2007
Two events: noon at the GSA Auditorium (First floor in the old BPA building), 911 NE 11th Avenue
or 6:00 p.m. at Portland State University Campus, Smith Center, Room 327-329, 1825 SW Broadway
Portland, Oregon
Presentation by Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPH, director of the National Center for Environmental Health
Price: free
Contact: Pete Farrelly, 503-358-5185
Thursday November 8, 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 Maureen Swanson, director of the Healthy Children Project, Learning Disabilities Association of America; Laura Abulafia, MHS, director of the Environmental Health Initiative, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Lee Grossman, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America; and Rob Fletcher, executive director of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed. CME credits will not be available for these calls.
Price: free
Website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html
Contact: Elise Miller, emiller@iceh.org
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.chenw.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. CHE-Washington welcomes these new members:
For a searchable database of organizations with which CHE-WA members are affiliated, please visit the CHE-WA website: http://washington.chenw.org/members.html
Job Opening: Staff Organizer, Washington State Jobs with Justice, Seattle. Washington State Jobs with Justice is a 14-year-old labor, community, faith and student coalition dedicated to fighting for the rights of working people. They work in partnership with central labor councils, local unions and community, faith and student/youth organizations in mobilizing direct actions for secure living-wage jobs, health care, and workplace and civil rights for all. Responsibilities of the staff organizer include organizing actions, building coalitions, designing and implementing fundraising plans, and providing leadership and leadership development. The application deadline is October 26, 2007.
http://www.wsjwj.org/assets/docs/Jobannouncement-organizer.pdf
Job Opening: Executive Director, Environmental Science Center, King County. The Environmental Science Center (ESC) is the only community-based, not-for-profit environmental education organization in south King County with programs for all ages. The executive director is responsible for the overall direction and management of the organization. Primary roles are to serve as the visionary leader for environmental education and watershed restoration education programs in South King County and to raise funds for and oversee daily operations of this not-for-profit organization. In this capacity, the executive director develops and maintains relationships and promotes ESC visibility in the community. S/he works extensively with ESC staff, the Board of Directors, community leaders, partner agencies, and the community at large. Other key roles include budget development and oversight, oversight of the development of a new ESC facility.
http://www.envsciencecenter.org/press/ESC_Job.pdf
Clean and green. Everywhere you look you can find medical advice on how to live right. But few of these prescriptions for the healthy lifestyle involve the place where you'll be doing much of that living: your home. Indianapolis Star, Indiana, 9 October 2007.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071009/LIVING01/710090309/-1/LOCAL17
All about: Landfills. Here's a fact that may surprise people: Garbage collecting is one of the most dangerous jobs you can do. CNN, 9 October 2007.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/08/eco.about.landfills/
Estrogenic compounds in treated sewage water may create exposure risks in drinking water. New research confirms that estrogenic contaminants can seep into sediment after being carried by sewage into rivers. Environmental Health News, 8 October 2007.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/newscience/2007/2007-1008labadieetal.html
Folic acid may help reduce blood arsenic levels. Researchers at Columbia University have found that blood arsenic levels can be reduced with the help of folic acid supplements in people exposed to the toxic element through contaminated drinking water. Asian News International, South Asia, 8 October 2007.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/180556.php/Folic-acid-may-help-reduce-blood-arsenic-levels
Disposal a murky issue in recall of lead-tainted items. No one is exactly sure what has happened to the millions of products recalled recently because they contain hazardous levels of lead or lead paint. That worries some consumer activists, environmentalists and others who caution about weak oversight of the disposal process. Los Angeles Times, California, 8 October 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toxic8oct08,0,802492.story
Mobile phone cancer risk 'higher for children'. Children should not be given mobile phones because using them for more than 10 years increases the risk of brain cancer, a leading scientist has said. London Daily Telegraph, England, 8 October 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=DJLBPCNNEOEO5QFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/10/08/nmobiles108.xml
U.S., Europe work on product safety communication. U.S. and European Union product safety officials are hammering out ways to work more closely on toy safety issues. USA Today, 8 October 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2007-10-07-europe-toys_N.htm
Doubts cast on 'hygiene hypothesis'. The idea that an increase in allergies and asthma is a result of a reduction in childhood infections seems not to hold up, researchers report. Reuters, 7 October 2007.
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/doubts-cast-on-hygiene-hypothesis/20072607-12xd.html
EPA approves new pesticide despite scientists' concerns. Despite the protests of more than 50 scientists, including five Nobel laureates in chemistry, the U.S. EPA on Friday approved use of a new, highly toxic fumigant, mainly for strawberry fields. Los Angeles Times, California, 6 October 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-pesticide6oct06,0,3454295.story
Lead laws pose challenge for science. It helps keep electronics stable, but new laws have device makers seeking an alternative. Associated Press, 6 October 2007.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20071006/BUSINESS/710060524
Mercury lingers throughout environment. While the average person may never face health concerns regarding exposure to mercury, mercury is present in the water and in the atmosphere. Petoskey News-Review, Michigan, 6 October 2007.
http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2007/10/06/news/news03.txt
EPA refused to warn of asbestos dangers. EPA's cleanup of hundreds of factories turning asbestos-contaminated vermiculite into insulation is flawed, say investigators. EPA also refused to adequately warn millions of homeowners that they may be exposed to asbestos in that insulation. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington, 5 October 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/334357_asbestos05.html
New report fuels confusion about women, fish. An industry-sponsored group is urging pregnant women and new mothers to eat more seafood. But members of the coalition, which included federal agencies, were surprised by this announcement, and not all support it. National Public Radio, 5 October 2007.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15005507
Is your make-up killing you? Women absorb 5lb of chemicals from cosmetics every year -- from cancer-causing compounds in face cream to arsenic in eyeshadow. We tested two beauty junkies to reveal the shocking toll on their bodies. Daily Mail, United Kingdom, 5 October 2007.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=485704&in_page_id=1770
Study of U.S. child health takes big step forward. The largest-ever U.S. children's health study, which hopes to find cures to some of the nation's most pressing and puzzling health problems, has added 22 new study centers, officials announced on Thursday. Reuters, 5 October 2007.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0435310520071004
Nail salons. Nail products contain a host of toxic chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, reproductive harm, occupational asthma and other negative health effects. Women's Health and the Environment, 3 October 2007.
http://womenshealthandtheenvironment.org/article.php?id=132
Morning-sickness remedy calabash chalk may pose health risks. Health Canada is advising Canadians, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, to avoid taking the traditional remedy calabash chalk because of potential health risks from high levels of lead. Canadian Press, 3 October 2007.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/071002/x100229A.html
Trying to turn Mr. Clean into Mr. Green. A movement is afoot among consumers to change how people clean, what kinds of products they use and how transparent manufacturers should be about what is inside their products. New York WNBC-TV, New York, 2 October 2007.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21038670/
The global push for environmental justice. From South Bronx to Soweto, from Penang to El Paso, communities all over the world are finding commonality in their experiences and goals in seeking environmental justice. Environmental Health Perspectives, 1 October 2007.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/115-10/spheres.html
Lead-paint suit may thin burden of proof. A 17-year-old Milwaukee boy who was poisoned by lead as a baby faces off today against the nation's leading makers of lead-based house paint, hoping to prove that for half a century they knew their product made people sick. USA Today, 1 October 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-01-leadpaint-trial_N.htm
Study suggests DDT, breast cancer link. Women heavily exposed to the pesticide DDT during childhood are five times as likely to develop breast cancer, a new scientific study suggests. Los Angeles Times, California, 30 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ddt30sep30,0,3451847.story
Do common plastics and resins carry risks? It's hard to avoid bisphenol A, used to make polycarbonate plastic and a resin that lines food cans. The universal presence of BPA has raised concerns because hundreds of animal studies have shown that this largely unregulated pollutant can tinker with the development and function of a wide range of tissues. Science News, 29 September 2007.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070929/bob9.asp
In a contaminated world, play isn't the only hazard. While the idea that a child has been playing with a Thomas the Tank Engine coated with lead-based paint may terrify parents, experts say the risk of being poisoned that way is actually not very high. New York Times, 29 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/business/29lead.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
A warning on kids' cold doses. Responding to safety concerns from Baltimore health officials, the FDA is recommending that common cough and cold medicines never be given to infants and toddlers, and that children under 6 should not be given antihistamines. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 29 September 2007.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.fda29sep29,0,3599818.story
Study links decreased heart attacks to smoking restrictions. A study released Thursday credits New York's 2003 Clean Indoor Air Act with an 8 percent drop in heart attacks statewide because of reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. Associated Press, 28 September 2007.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--cleanair-heartatt0927sep27,0,2335316.story
The high price of beauty. The cosmetology industry uses more than 10,000 chemicals in its products, 89 percent of which have not been evaluated for safety. The list includes compounds flagged by the EPA as having potential health effects, solvents tied to problems and chemicals already banned by Europe. The Nation, 28 September 2007.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071008/sole-smith
30 percent of asthma in U.S. can be attributed to cat allergy. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy. News-Medical.net, 28 September 2007.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=30515
New FTAs detrimental to U.S. food safety. Recently negotiated free trade agreements (FTAs) with Peru, Panama and Colombia would limit inspections and safety requirements for food imported into the U.S. from these countries. Great Falls Prairie Star, Montana, 28 September 2007.
http://www.theprairiestar.com/articles/2007/09/27/ag_news/updates/update39.txt
Finding right water bottle for your lifestyle. Many people are switching to reusable bottles, worried that a trend that began as something good for our bodies has turned into a serious problem for the planet and our health. San Jose Mercury News, California, 27 September 2007.
http://www.mercurynews.com/lifestyle/ci_7001566?nclick_check=1
All types of alcohol raise cancer risk. All types of alcohol -- wine, beer or liquor -- add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday. Associated Press, 27 September 2007.
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_7014548
Oregon mills struggle against Oct. 1 formaldehyde deadline. Many of Oregon's wood products mills hope to delay or avoid having to install controls on emissions of formaldehyde from glue. Associated Press, 27 September 2007.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1190834928301350.xml&storylist=orlocal
Abuses in the fields sometimes ignored. Working in the fields, certainly, is neither the easiest nor the most pleasurable, neither the most secure nor the best paid. But agricultural jobs in the United States alleviate the difficult economic situation of thousands of families from Mexico and Central America. Salinas Californian, California, Opinion, 27 September 2007.
http://thecalifornian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/OPINION/709270308/1014
Potential hazards spur Walgreens to pull air fresheners. Managers at 111 Walgreens stores in Minnesota and thousands more nationwide pulled three types of air fresheners off their shelves over the weekend, because of concerns about hazardous chemicals [phthalates. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota, 27 September 2007.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1448469.html
No vaccine link to behavior. Federal researchers said they found no link between a vaccine preservative containing mercury and mental acuity and behavioral problems in children immunized in the 1990s -- findings that aren't likely to end parental fear that mercury has caused childhood disorders. Wall Street Journal, 27 September 2007.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119083835476340331.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The problem with plastic. During the first few years of life, when babies' cells continue to undergo "programming," exposure to certain toxic chemicals can disrupt the delicate process. US News & World Report, 27 September 2007.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/09/21/the-problem-with-plastic-bpa.html
EPA bucks criticism to give farmers new crop fumigant. The EPA is expected within days to approve a new toxic fumigant for use by fruit and vegetable farmers, despite opposition from California regulators, prominent scientists and environmental and farmworker groups. Associated Press, 26 September 2007.
http://www.mercurynews.com/natbreakingnews/ci_6995866
Environmentalists argue for tougher brownfield standards. New York's program to clean up contaminated sites is so lax that polluted land is still a health danger even after it has been "cleaned," environmentalists charged Tuesday. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, New York, 26 September 2007.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709270369
Omega-3 fatty acids protect against diabetes. A diet rich in fish and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids helped cut the risk that children with a family history of diabetes would develop the disease, U.S. researchers said yesterday. Reuters, 26 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=a04d1efe-f818-4387-93f5-3f46a0887644
Environmental injustice: Children's health disparities and the role of the environment. There are a growing number of children suffering from environmentally related diseases. Given their increased burden of exposure and altered ability to excrete toxins, one could argue that children, as a group, are victims of environmental injustice. Explore, September 2007.
http://www.explorejournal.com/article/PIIS1550830707002510/fulltext