Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New Book of Interest
The library has just received The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems by Van Jones. I saw Van Jones speak at the First Annual Green Jobs conference in Pittsburgh last March. (The conference was excellent, but unfortunately had very little press coverage in Pittsburgh.) Jones is a powerful and inspirational speaker and is the founder and president of Green for All. Learn more about the book on our Green Reads!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Program: Global Oil Issues and Strategies
The Regional Environmental Education Center in Upper St. Clair hosts:
Global Oil Issues and Strategies
Dates: Wednesday, October 29 ("America's Love Affair with Oil and the Current US Situation")&
Thursday, October 30 ("Drill More/Use Less - What Do the Presidential Candidates' Energy Plans Reveal?")
Time: 7 - 9 pm
Fee: FREE
Audience: General public
Gather at the REEC offices before you make your decision in November, for a timely and informative discussion on global oil issues and strategies during this two night symposium. Worried about gasoline prices, the oil supply and how we got into this mess? Are the oil companies to blame? Are Americans addicted to oil? Answers to these questions will be presented by Rick Jacobs, Manager of Environmental Projects at PPG Industries Inc., and his discussion on the 29th. Then join us again on the 30th for "Drill More/Use Less - What Do the Presidential Candidates' Energy Plans Reveal?" presented by Vanessa Schweizer, PhD candidate in Engineering and Public Policy, CMU. Admission to both events is free.
Pre-registration is helpful, but not required. Leave a message at the REEC's office at 412/838-0064.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Women's Health and Environment Conference
Installment III
This will be my last installment in the topic of the Women's Health and Environment Conference that I attended September 25. I have mentioned that chemicals are taking a toll on our health. The challenge is understanding the enormity of the problem and then discovering the means to avoid these chemicals.
As for the enormity of the chemical problem:
“More than 82,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for use in manufacturing and industry. Only ten percent of those chemicals have been tested for their effects on human health. Approximately 2,800 of these are considered “high-production volume” chemicals, or those produced in amounts of 1 million pounds or more per year in the United States.”*
The Collaborative on Health and the Environment has developed toolkits to assist you in learning how to avoid many toxic chemicals. Check out their website and download their toolkits. The publications provide recipes for non-toxic cleaners and hints on what foods to avoid as well as links to other resources. Click here for more information.
*Excert from toolkit: What We Know: New Science Linking Our Health and the Environment, authored by Heather Sarantis.
This will be my last installment in the topic of the Women's Health and Environment Conference that I attended September 25. I have mentioned that chemicals are taking a toll on our health. The challenge is understanding the enormity of the problem and then discovering the means to avoid these chemicals.
As for the enormity of the chemical problem:
“More than 82,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for use in manufacturing and industry. Only ten percent of those chemicals have been tested for their effects on human health. Approximately 2,800 of these are considered “high-production volume” chemicals, or those produced in amounts of 1 million pounds or more per year in the United States.”*
The Collaborative on Health and the Environment has developed toolkits to assist you in learning how to avoid many toxic chemicals. Check out their website and download their toolkits. The publications provide recipes for non-toxic cleaners and hints on what foods to avoid as well as links to other resources. Click here for more information.
*Excert from toolkit: What We Know: New Science Linking Our Health and the Environment, authored by Heather Sarantis.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Women's Health and the Environment Conference
Installment II
Alot of the conference September 25 was about chemicals in our every day life: cosmetic products, food, air, water, food containers, etc. We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals for which there is no FDA or USDA oversight and for which we do not yet know the long term consequences of this exposure. One of problems researchers are discovering is that many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors which are thought to mimic hormones such as estrogen. A very concise description of endocrine disruptors can be found on the Extoxnet and cooperative effort of 5 Universities http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/pesticide/endocrine.htm.
For more information, check out the film The Estrogen Effect: Assault on the Male a BBC documentary produced in 1998 (DVD616.65071 E87).
Today I came across a book that should interest everyone: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. The author provides a "shopping list" for anti-cancer foods, which have the least risk in pesticides, and which household products to avoid. One of the chemicals he suggests we avoid is one of those endocrine disruptors - phthalates, which can be found in perfumes and soft plastics.
Alot of the conference September 25 was about chemicals in our every day life: cosmetic products, food, air, water, food containers, etc. We are exposed to hundreds of chemicals for which there is no FDA or USDA oversight and for which we do not yet know the long term consequences of this exposure. One of problems researchers are discovering is that many of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors which are thought to mimic hormones such as estrogen. A very concise description of endocrine disruptors can be found on the Extoxnet and cooperative effort of 5 Universities http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/pesticide/endocrine.htm.
For more information, check out the film The Estrogen Effect: Assault on the Male a BBC documentary produced in 1998 (DVD616.65071 E87).
Today I came across a book that should interest everyone: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life, by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. The author provides a "shopping list" for anti-cancer foods, which have the least risk in pesticides, and which household products to avoid. One of the chemicals he suggests we avoid is one of those endocrine disruptors - phthalates, which can be found in perfumes and soft plastics.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Women's Health and the Environment 2nd Annual Conference
Installment 1:
I attended the Women's Health Conference last Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As you may know this conference is sponsored by Teresa Heinz, the Heinz Endowments and Magee-Womens Hospital. Subtitle for this year's conference was: New Science; New Solutions. Moderated by Bev Smith of American Urban Radio Networks, the conference was lively and informative. There were 2,000 attendees who came to hear such speakers such as Devra Davis of The Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, and Diane MacEachern author of the book Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World. (A copy has been ordered for the library). I have my own copy and I think it will turn out to be an essential home reference.
Devra Davis has written two books that many Pittsburghers should know about: When smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and and the Battle Against Pollution and The Secret History of the WarAgainst Cancer (for more information see our Green Reads link) . Most of us are aware that we are exposed to toxic pollutants every day due to the burning of fossil fuels, but did you know that we are also exposed to countless chemicals in the household products, furniture and cosmetics that we buy? Since, the FDA, does not require companies to perform product safety tests, it is critical we adopt a "buyer beware" attitude when doing our shopping. To help with this, I have provided a few links to websites I learned about at the conference that will aid you in finding green products, as well as learning what chemicals are in the products you buy, check these web sites: www.womenforahealthyenvironment.org,
www.biggreenpurse.com
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/
I will be adding more sites to the delicious link roles as I find them.
I attended the Women's Health Conference last Thursday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. As you may know this conference is sponsored by Teresa Heinz, the Heinz Endowments and Magee-Womens Hospital. Subtitle for this year's conference was: New Science; New Solutions. Moderated by Bev Smith of American Urban Radio Networks, the conference was lively and informative. There were 2,000 attendees who came to hear such speakers such as Devra Davis of The Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health, and Diane MacEachern author of the book Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World. (A copy has been ordered for the library). I have my own copy and I think it will turn out to be an essential home reference.
Devra Davis has written two books that many Pittsburghers should know about: When smoke Ran Like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and and the Battle Against Pollution and The Secret History of the WarAgainst Cancer (for more information see our Green Reads link) . Most of us are aware that we are exposed to toxic pollutants every day due to the burning of fossil fuels, but did you know that we are also exposed to countless chemicals in the household products, furniture and cosmetics that we buy? Since, the FDA, does not require companies to perform product safety tests, it is critical we adopt a "buyer beware" attitude when doing our shopping. To help with this, I have provided a few links to websites I learned about at the conference that will aid you in finding green products, as well as learning what chemicals are in the products you buy, check these web sites: www.womenforahealthyenvironment.org,
www.biggreenpurse.com
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/
I will be adding more sites to the delicious link roles as I find them.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Peak Moment
http://www.youtube.com/user/peakmoment
Peak Moment is a weekly series showcasing perspectives and initiatives for local self-reliant living.
Peak Moment is a weekly series showcasing perspectives and initiatives for local self-reliant living.
Be Green Programming
The Mt. Lebanon Public Library is having the following programs this fall for practical solutions of energy savings, both in the home and the garden. On Saturday, September 6th the program- Saving on Home Energy – Practical and Affordable Solutions was very informative. Jerry Huelsenbeck's introduction to the terminology used in the industry as well as an overview of the science of heating and cooling were useful and interesting. He also gave very helpful data concerning real savings one can achieve when doing upgrades in your house. Most important, however, is closing the holes in your house and making sure you are not losing heat in ways you may not realize. In order to see how your house measures in energy usage, with your utility bills in hand, go to this web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep2.
Follow the directions on the yardstick to determine how efficient your home is. Jerry's Bio further down on this page.
Contact: Caroline Tibbetts 412-531`1912 tibbettsc@einetwork.net
Presenter Michael Merck is the President and Founder of West Penn Energy Audits, a full service Home Performance Solutions Company specializing in Home Energy Audits, Air Sealing, Insulation and Solar Site Assessment. He is a national certified Home Energy Rater with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and a nationally certified Building Analyst with the Building Performance Institute. (BPI)
Follow the directions on the yardstick to determine how efficient your home is. Jerry's Bio further down on this page.
Contact: Caroline Tibbetts 412-531`1912 tibbettsc@einetwork.net
Presenter Michael Merck is the President and Founder of West Penn Energy Audits, a full service Home Performance Solutions Company specializing in Home Energy Audits, Air Sealing, Insulation and Solar Site Assessment. He is a national certified Home Energy Rater with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and a nationally certified Building Analyst with the Building Performance Institute. (BPI)
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