ANHE

As a Cardiac Care nurse, this info from the EPA is extremely relevant to my practice.  I'm going to start incorporating this education in my discharge teaching.  (From EPA) Heart disease is the number one killer for women, as well as for men. Unfortunately many women think of a heart attack as a problem for men, not them. Each year, approximately 400,000 American women die from Heart disease and more than 42 million women are currently living with some form of cardiovascular... Read full post

This fantastic article from Organic Gardening on greening hospitals highlights much of the work that Dr. Barbara Sattler and Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment have done to promote sustainable healthcare in Maryland.  Green Health CareHospitals are becoming healthier places due to new efforts to protect the environment.By Sharon Tregaskis
Last year, the Baltimore Medical System's new Highlandtown Healthy Living Center served nearly 15,000 patients—many of them... Read full post

From New York Daily News on December 5:
 
Toxins in beauty products, plastics, meats can harm child health, Mt. Sinai experts claim Avoid plastics and scented products, docs sayBY Jennifer H. CunninghamNEW YORK DAILY NEWS Exposure to toxins found in everyday items can wreak havoc on children’s hormonal systems and set them up for a lifetime of poor health, child health experts from Mount Sinai Medical Center said Monday.Some beauty products, fatty meats, pesticides, plastics... Read full post

(From Breast Cancer Action) Pinkwashing has reached a new low this year. In the past, we’ve worked to demand accountability from companies who pinkwash in the name of breast cancer. We’ve seen pink alcohol. Pink buckets of fried chicken. Pink hormone-laden yogurt. But we’re genuinely shocked to see a breast cancer organization marketing a product containing multiple chemicals categorized as toxic or hazardous. Susan G. Komen for the Cure commissioned and is now... Read full post

"Blood, rain and tears: meditation on the destruction of water"
This powerful piece by Sandra Steingraber illustrates the destructive power of fracking .  Humans have never had the power to destroy water before now.  Now that we can, what will happen to us and our environment?

(From the American Public Health Association) Adopting comprehensive state-by-state smoke-free laws in the 27 states that do not already have them will save more than $1.3 billion over five years, according to a report from the American Cancer Society. Read the full story. 

Did you know? Your child’s innocent-looking lunch box or backpack could contain chemicals linked to learning disabilities, obesity, and asthma. That’s because many school supplies are manufactured using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the most hazardous plastic for our health and environment. PVC is unique among plastics because it contains dangerous chemical additives including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins, which can be released from the plastic and expose your... Read full post

Our friends at the Environmental Working Group have just released The Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health.  This fantastic guide will help you understand the environmental impact of the food choices you make every day.  Bottom line = all meat is not created equal!  Read this message from the Environmental Working Group and get started making more sustainable food choices for your family.  (From the Environmental Working Group)What's for dinner?It's a question I... Read full post

GOVERNMENT/NONPROFIT/INDUSTRY PLAN OUTLINED TO REMEDY LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE U.S. SYSTEM TO PROTECT PUBLIC FROM HARMFUL CHEMICAL EXPOSURES
 
“Action Agenda” Arising From Broad-Based “National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures” Outlines 48 Recommendations to Ensure Chemical Safety for Americans
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.//June 9, 2011//Even though Americans are exposed every day to potentially harmful chemicals, the U.S. government currently does... Read full post

This month, Corporate Accountability International has spearheaded the Value [the] Meal Campaign calling on McDonalds to stop marketing unhealthy foods to kids.  One component of this campaign is an open letter to McDonalds' CEO Jim Skinner asking the fast food giant to stop marketing junk food to children.  To date, 550 health professionals from all 50 states have signed the letter, including over 1500 cardiologists, pediatricians, nurses, endocrinologists, primary care physicians,... Read full post