May 20, 2018
Charlotte Brody Award
Our very own Katie Huflling received this year’s award. This award from Health Care Without Harm recognizes nurses who demonstrate a commitment to and have achieved excellence in their efforts to promote environmental health. Charlotte Brody Award Congratulations Katie! This really is a Hall of Fame, so let’s pause and note past HCWH awardees – Charlotte Brody, Barbara Sattler, Laura Anderko, Brenda Afzal, Karen Ballard, Stephanie Chalupka, Patricia Butterfield, Judy Focareta, Kathy Curtis, Joyce Stein, and now Katie.
American Academy of Nursing Policy Brief
The Academy has adopted a Policy Brief on Climate Change. From the brief: “The convergence of scientific data and the commensurate threats that climate change poses to health cannot be ignored.” Read the full brief at Nurses and Climate Change and the news release at News.
Ice Be Gone
Polar ice is disappearing. Go to Ice I and Ice 2 and Ice 3 and Ice 4. This is particularly troubling for a whole variety of reasons. Animals, plants, warming, and rising sea level. Ice reflects about 80% of sunlight back into space. Ocean absorbs 90% of the sunlight. Ok – and the worst part – we all know that The Blob in 1958 was not destroyed, instead it was simply frozen and lifted to the Artic. The last two lines of the movie – “At least we have it stopped.” “Yeah, as long as the Artic stays cold.”
Things You Can Use
Thank you Barb Sattler for calling our attention to the webinar on exposures related to cell phone use at Cell Phones. Yes it is archived, click that arrow thingee. PESHU always has good learning opportunities. Ingegrating EH into Early Intervention on the 23rd. PEHSU archived webinars at PEHSU. One of you sent ANHE a note asking for materials to use in working with patients about fracking exposures. Ruth McDermott-Levy sent us to the SW Pennsylvania Project. The poor people of Pennsylvania. You’d think The Blob in Chester county would have been enough disaster.
The New Normal Not So Normal
Summer brings us Hurricanes, more drought, fires, and the relentless shifting of plants adapting to the shifting evirnonment. Farmers must deal with changes in weather, water, temperature, and growing season. Check out the changes in the Arid-Humid map at 100th Meridian.
EPA
We know you are keeping up on the drip drip drip of acid from portions of the EPA to erase efforts at protecting us. The latest is at chemical policy. If you like what they are doing, suport your candidates and vote. If you don’t like what they are doing, support your candidates and vote.
Keep Writing
A piece by Cara Cook, one by Lois Wessel, some Talking Points, and if you like to listen while on that Stairmaster go to ANHE Podcast.
Resolutions
How are you doing with those resolutions – Join a workgroup call, tell a colleague about ANHE, write an opinion piece, and ask a candidate a question?
Conferences
ACHNE annual conference – June 7-9, 2018
ANHE Website
Go to ANHE.
ANHE has a number of workgroups. Education, Practice, Research, Policy, and Climate. If you are interested in one of them, go to the pull down menu ‘Work Groups’ at the ANHE site.
Donate
Remember – ANHE is your nursing organization that works for you on environmental issues. Keep it going, go to Donate.
Be Well!
Tom Engle
Newsletter Ed.
tsengle@frontier.com
