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Hazards A-Z

A review of environmental health hazards and health effects

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Join us on Wednesday, February 15th at 12pm ET for

Join us on Wednesday, February 15th at 12pm ET for the first quarterly 'How to get Involved with ANHE' webinar and information session!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrd-6srjooGN1rtHOBLrZWlEuTIBS_mzTI

EJ Wednesday #9 “A contentious gold and copper

EJ Wednesday #9

“A contentious gold and copper mine project in Alaska may now be off the table after the Biden administration formally restricted mining in the area to protect one of the world’s biggest salmon spawning grounds" (Puko, 2023, para 1). ANHE Nurses and Organization support the recent EPA decision to block the Alaska Pebble Mine project and similar operations from the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska’s southwest.

Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/31/epa-may-have-delivered-knock-out-blow-alaskas-pebble-mine/

Reference: Puko, T. (2023). EPA may have dealt final ‘nail in the coffin’ to Alaska’s Pebble Mine. washingtonpost.com. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/31/epa-may-have-delivered-knock-out-blow-alaskas-pebble-mine/

#ProtectOurWaters #WaterisLife #PeopleOverPolluters #environmentaljustice

EJ Wednesday #8 - Protect Our Waters campaign In

EJ Wednesday #8 - Protect Our Waters campaign

In support of the Protect Our Waters (POW) campaign and the upcoming Sackett v EPA decision, ANHE Nurses are urging followers to amplify the hearing and the importance of EPA’s authority to enforce the Clean Water Act.

The outcome of the Sackett v EPA case “will determine which waters can and cannot be protected by the Clean Water Act. If the polluting industries and special interests get what they’ve asked for in the case, it would severely undermine the law by eliminating long-standing safeguards for wetlands that help protect our communities from flooding and streams that supply our drinking water” (Clean Water For All, 2017).

Learn more about the POW campaign here: https://protectcleanwater.org/protect-our-waters/

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use your voice to create change, you can find the campaign stakeholder survey form here: https://airtable.com/shr4QHltYHMdkOP2G and contact Jessica, ANHE’s Program Manager for Climate & Energy Advocacy at jessica@enviRN.org

Clean Water For All. (2017). Protect our waters. protectcleanwater.org. https://protectcleanwater.org/protect-our-waters/

#ProtectOurWaters #SCOTUS #WaterisLife #PeopleOverPolluters #AguaEsVida #environmentaljustice

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - M

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - Milagros (Millie) Elia (she/her/ella)

Milagros (Millie) is an ANHE Nurse Member and the recipient of the national 2023 Oncology Nursing Society, "Excellence in Oncology Nursing Health Policy and Advocacy Award" for her efforts around environmental health, sustainability and climate change.

Question: Tell us about yourself and how you became involved with ANHE.

Millie: I was born in a marginalized community; raised in Washington Heights in New York in the 1970s. I am no stranger to the injustices that happened then and continue now. In my personal life, I’ve always been a nature enthusiast and considered myself an environmentalist by the time I was an adult. I became a nurse in 1993 and an adult nurse practitioner specializing in oncology in 2001.

In 2020 the big issues of the pandemic, social justice, and climate change really collided and were brought to the forefront of a lot of peoples’ minds. Nurses are so inquisitive, and as a nurse and environmentalist, I really wanted to investigate the link between these three things. I found the common denominators to be environmental justice and health equity and it all kind of clicked for me. This explains what had been happening in my community back then and what continues to happen in marginalized communities all over the world. As a nurse I wanted to do something, but it wasn’t until I found ANHE that I really understood how nurses can be changemakers in this space.

I found ANHE and it was like, “Okay these are my people.” These nurses have been doing this for so many years - paving the path for so many of us to follow. When I found ANHE, I found my voice in political advocacy, I was able to expand my education around the things that were lighting a passion in me. The more I became involved with ANHE, the more opportunities I found on every level... (continued in comments)

NEW PODCAST ALERT! Suellen Breakey is the Associ

NEW PODCAST ALERT!

Suellen Breakey is the Associate Director of the Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health and a Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at MGH Institute of Health Professions. She teaches in the Doctor of Nursing Practice and accelerated BSN programs. Her clinical background includes cardiac surgery, critical care, hospice care, and global health nursing.

For over 10 years, she was a leader with Team Heart, a nonprofit organization that provides RHD screening, cardiac surgical care and follow up, and patient/provider education in Rwanda.

Her scholarship interests include the impact of climate change on human health and well-being, bioethics, and global health ethics. Dr. Breakey is a co-author of Global Nursing in the 21st Century, which was published in 2015. She co-chaired the National League for Nursing’s 2022 Vision Statement on Climate Change and Health. Dr. Breakey has published widely and presented locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Listen here: https://envirn.org/podcast/nhe-5-18-dr-suellen-breakey-if-you-build-it-they-will-come/

After extensive feedback on the beta tool (includi

After extensive feedback on the beta tool (including recommendations from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments), Environmental justice leaders, members of Congress, and advocates applaud version 1.0 of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).

The tool will help ensure that the US government prioritizes historically disadvantaged communities of color and low-income communities in historic climate, clean water and other infrastructure investments.

Read the Press Release and learn more here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2022/11/28/what-they-are-saying-environmental-justice-and-congressional-leaders-advocates-applaud-the-new-climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool/?fbclid=IwAR1_QYQqqz-5tiJ3ibWFiBmqaIa6oAZfPsM0NEhiFTqIeXfEy8d4yUu3Eks&mibextid=Zxz2cZ Climate EJ Scorecard Press Release

The finalized tool can be found here: https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - L

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - Lisa Thompson (she/her)

Lisa Thompson is the Co-Chair of the ANHE Research Working Group.

“When I was a kid in the 70s - that’s when the EPA, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act were all started. Pollution was being dumped in air and water and there was no regulation and so all these regulatory agencies were developed. I remember my uncle got me a pollution kit as a present - and I did science experiments and it opened my brain to think about research as applied and fun.”

“I’ve been involved with ANHE for about 3 years as either the co-chair or chair of the Research Working Group. We highlight environmental health nursing research by inviting a Nurse Researcher to present their work at each of our monthly calls. We’ve heard from nurses about their work in farmworker health, pesticides, heat exposures, wildfire smoke, water quality, toxic chemical exposures, and climate change, to name a few topics.”

“We only meet for one hour a month, but the bulk of the impact comes from the relationships built on the side. It’s a place where people who are starting to think about environmental health research can find support from people who have done it for a long time.”

“There aren't a lot of nurses who do environmental health research, so we’re also trying to change that. A group of us that do research and are involved with ANHE met at a nursing conference here in Atlanta. We kept in contact, continued to meet at conferences, and now we have a grant funded to train nurses on Environmental Health Research.”

To learn more about the Environmental Health Research Institute for Nurse and Clinician Scientists and how to apply or how to joining the Research Working Group, check out their webpage here: https://envirn.org/research/

To connect with Lisa and learn more about her work, check out her linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-m-thompson-579b1636/

In November, President Biden issued an updated dra

In November, President Biden issued an updated draft rule to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from new and existing oil and gas operations. The updated rule builds on the draft rule released by EPA in 2021, incorporating much of the feedback offered by public health, environmental, and EJ groups in the past year. The proposal is an important step towards addressing the climate crisis, safeguarding public health, and addressing pollution in historically overburdened communities. EPA is hosting three virtual public hearings this week with a written comment docket that will remain open until February 13, 2023. Nurses have been actively involved since the announcement of the updated proposal submitting dozens of written grasstops comments and now speaking with EPA via zoom this week. These hearings are an important opportunity where nurses will advocate for communities across the country and demand that EPA adopts strong, comprehensive methane safeguards to protect our health and our planet.

Contact Jessica@enviRN.org for more information on providing written comments.

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - L

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - Lisa Hartmayer (she/her)

Lisa Hartmayer is the Co-Chair of the ANHE Practice Forum.

“The healthcare setting shouldn’t be an unhealthy environment for nurses to work in or for patients to get health care in. One of the really important things that the ANHE Practice Forum is doing is helping nurses understand the environmental exposures in the hospital or practice setting and what they can do to protect themselves and other healthcare workers against harmful chemicals. We need to protect nurses so that they’re not exposed to endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, the hazards of pill crushing, disinfectants, and other toxic chemicals while they’re caring for patients.”

“RIght now is a challenging time for nurses. Everyone has been working really hard with the pandemic. There is a lot of staffing shortages across the country and there’s a high degree of burnout. We, as a profession, really need to focus on what’s important to nurses, what they want to accomplish, and how we can best support them.”

“I’d like the ANHE Practice Forum to be a sounding board - a landing place for nurses to meet, learn from each other, and work on issues that they’re passionate about and want to tackle in their own institutions. But to get things done, nurses need the support of others, they need to hear how others made successful changes so they can emulate that where they work. I think this concept of providing a platform for nurses is a way to combat burnout actually. If you’re able to find support and tools to make change in your workplace, it gives you a sense of accomplishment that your voice matters and that you can accomplish good.”

To connect with Lisa and learn more about her work, check out her linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-hartmayer-116b6893/

To learn more about the ANHE Practice Forum and how to sign up, visit their webpage here: https://envirn.org/practice/

Over 12% of US childhood asthma can be attributed

Over 12% of US childhood asthma can be attributed to gas stove use, a breaking new study from @RMI Carbon-Free Buildings, @Sydney University, and @Albert Einstein College of Medicine show. This is similar to children’s asthma risk of being exposed to secondhand smoke. It is clear we must move away from fossil fuel appliances and go all-electric, not only for the climate but for our health.

Read the study here: https://bit.ly/3jLuNmL

EJ Wednesday #5 In 2022, ANHE advocated for stron

EJ Wednesday #5

In 2022, ANHE advocated for strong policies around clean energy and environmental justice through the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, many of those policies are in effect.

Read more here: https://www.energy.gov/policy/articles/making-our-homes-more-efficient-clean-energy-tax-credits-consumers

Thank you, fellow nurses, environmentalists, and s

Thank you, fellow nurses, environmentalists, and supporters! Because of you, WE MET OUR GOAL OF RAISING $10,000! We couldn’t have done it without your generosity and overwhelming support. We are heading into 2023 with grateful hearts.

Happy New Year! From all of us at ANHE

In 2022, your support and donations have helped:

In 2022, your support and donations have helped:

- 300+ nurses in 50 states & DC call the EPA to set strong clean car standards and protect human health,
- Support 24 fellows in the 2nd cohort of the Environmental Health Nurse Fellowship,
- Release the second edition of the Environmental Health in Nursing eTextbook,
- Host the 3rd Nursing Summit on Environmental Health virtually with over 100 attendees and 30+ speakers,
- ANHE nurses provide public speaking engagements in WI, TX, GA, PA, NV, and MI,
- Represent the voice of nurses at COP27 in Egypt, AND SO MUCH MORE!

We are so thankful for your endless support! Help us reach our campaign goal of raising $10,000 before the year is over. We’re only $1,000 short! Every penny counts!

enviRN.org/donate

This year ANHE Nurses have been front and center,

This year ANHE Nurses have been front and center, advocating for stronger environmental protections that are essential for safeguarding health. The public health voice is important when highlighting the urgent need for protective legislative action. For far too long black, brown, indigenous, and low income communities have been on the frontlines of under regulated pollutants from oil and gas industries and the transportation sector. ANHE members have channeled the powerful impact of storytelling in dozens of verbal and written comments to EPA throughout the year.
#Storytelling #PublicHealth #NursingImpact #NurseAdvocacy

You have the power to support healthy, sustainable

You have the power to support healthy, sustainable food for all!

At the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), our nurses are leading change in their workplaces and communities to combat climate change and support healthy, sustainable food for all. Nurse leaders are working in areas including sustainable farming, farmworker health and safety, hospital purchasing, building local community gardens, policy change, and amplifying the use of Food As Medicine in practice to reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases throughout the communities they serve. Members of ANHE's Food
& Agriculture Committee have designed the Nurses' Food Pledge, a promise to protect the future of our patients, communities, and the planet through food choices and action.

Learn more about the Food & Agriculture Committee here: https://envirn.org/food-and-agriculture-committee/

These initiatives are only made possible by your support - if you or someone you know would like to give this giving this season to support our mission here at ANHE, please visit the link in our bio 👆👆👆

#givingtuesday #nonprofit #donate #givingtuesdaynow #giveback #dogood #give #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeadifference

Supporting us will help the community and planet g

Supporting us will help the community and planet grow back stronger and healthier.

With only 144 hours left in the year there is still time to help nurses and their goal of creating healthy environments for all. It can only be done with your generous support. We are still $1,100 short of our goal of $10,000.

Please consider going to https://envirn.salsalabs.org/generalfundraising/index.html to make your donation before the year ends.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

All of us at ANHE💚

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - T

ANHE Spotlights: How Nurses are Leading Change - The Story of ANHE

As we look to the year ahead, we reflect on our origins. In 2008, a trailblazing passionate group of nurses leaders came together to determine a path forward for environmental health in nursing. Fittingly, the meeting was held at the same location where the precautionary principle was developed! It was determined that to have the most impact in advancing healthier environments for all an organization should exist to focus specifically on the intersection of human health and the environment. From this ANHE was formed.

Today ANHE continues to lead the profession in environmental health around nursing advocacy, practice, research, and education. We look forward to celebrating 15 years of ANHE in the coming year.

Dear Fellow Nurse, The year is coming to an end.

Dear Fellow Nurse,

The year is coming to an end. We at the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments want to thank you for everything you have done this year. It has not been easy. You have worked hard to bring civility to our community processes, create healthy environments, and place those efforts in your personal, professional, and policy milieus. We at the Alliance are proud of you. Your dedication through your donations and time to the nursing and environmental work, while mostly without award, is stellar. Please lift a cup of your favorite beverage and accept a toast to yourself.

That cup of yours is still half full. Well probably not. I am wordy. Get a refill. Toast yourself. And please continue to donate to nursing and environmental organizations, both your time and funds you can spare.

Be well. Take care of yourself, and if you can, someone else.

TE
Tom Engle, MN, RN
Board Chair
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

See the whole message here: https://envirn.org/2022-season-greetings-holiday-message-from-tom-engle-anhe-board-director/

New #NursesForHealthyEnvironments podcast alert! O

New #NursesForHealthyEnvironments podcast alert! On this week’s podcast, we hear from the inimitable Dr. Teddie Potter, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP

In 2019, Dr. Potter was appointed the first Director of Planetary Health for the School of Nursing at the University of MN. She is a member of the Coordinating Committee of Columbia University’s Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education and a Fellow in the Institute on the Environment at the U of MN. She chairs Clinicians for Planetary Health and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Planetary Health Alliance at Harvard. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the US Health Sector and she has been appointed to the National Academy of Sciences Health and Medicine Division committee.

Listen to the podcast here: www.enviRN.org/podcast

EJ Wednesday #3 - Nurses Impacting Policy This ye

EJ Wednesday #3 - Nurses Impacting Policy

This year the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) participated in multiple education visits with our county’s elected officials. From Representatives to Senators- over Zoom, in District offices, and even in our nation’s capital. Nurses have made sure to prioritize health and keep the urgent need for protective policies at the forefront for Congressional actions.

Read more about ANHE’s work here: https://envirn.org/our-work/

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Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
2901 Shepherd Street Mount Rainier, MD 20712
240.753.3729
info@envirn.org

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