{"id":154,"date":"2009-04-08T10:00:55","date_gmt":"2009-04-08T10:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/?p=154"},"modified":"2009-04-09T14:39:32","modified_gmt":"2009-04-09T14:39:32","slug":"epa-in-action-moving-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/2009\/04\/08\/epa-in-action-moving-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"EPA in Action-Moving Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"picture-040\"<\/em>By Suzanne Maxx<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>
\nObama Administration\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency<\/p>\n

Last week EPA <\/a>continued to be in the limelight, moving faster now that they have the chance to reap the resources much needed for growth. They are not only getting financial support to be more effective, but also people are now re-awakening to the importance of our environmental resources for our world.<\/p>\n

EPA\u2019s Region 2 <\/a>had a landmark week starting Monday March 30th with \u201cTranslating Science to Policy\u201d- Protecting Children\u2019s Environmental Health, a daylong power house event.\u00a0\u00a0We all have a stake in children’s health, so when the science can translate to policy,\u00a0change emerges.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cTranslating Science to Policy\u201d- Protecting Children\u2019s Environmental Health<\/p>\n

March 30th 2009, Alfred Learner Hall, Columbia University,-New York City, USA
\n\u201cWe are guardians of the things we all value,\u201d said Lisa Jackson Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the key note for \u201cTranslating Science to Policy\u201d: Protecting Children\u2019s Environmental Health<\/a>, a conference at Columbia University, hosted jointly by Columbia\u2019s Center for Children\u2019s Developmental Health<\/a> and WE ACT <\/a>for Environmental Justice. \u201cEPA is an advocate for the people, and we are back on the job,\u201d \u2014 obviously words the audience was ready to hear \u2014 from Administrator Jackson based on the standing ovation she received.<\/p>\n

After a decade of research the all day event celebrated how scientific data gathered is being translated into public health policy for environmental justice. This is a joint effort to use science to prove the impact that environmental factors have on the health of children and now to generate policy to benefit people. The specific measureable results of community based research projects provided the data about how contaminates effect all of us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conversion of New York City\u2019s bus fleets to clean diesel and the installation by EPA of permanent air monitors in Harlem and \u201cother hot spots\u201d are among the outcomes for which the our partnerships\u2019 research and policy work between \u201cWE ACT\u201d and Columbia\u2019s Mailman Center for Children\u2019s Environmental Health, and NIEHS Center for Environmental Health <\/a>has been given substantial credit\u201d said WE ACT\u2019s Executive Director Peggy Shepard. Climate Change is not only important just because of what it does to the environment, but also because of the effect it has on human health, so presented here is the opportunity for integrated policy for both health and climate.<\/p>\n

The topics of the day explored fossil fuel, climate change, air pollution from traffic, endocrine disrupting chemicals found in common consumer products, pesticides and prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos and diazinon-all put our children\u2019s health at risk. Great experts in the field presented \u2014 from Director Frederica Perera PhD, and Patrick Kinney Sc.D of Columbia Center for Children\u2019s Environmental Health at Mailman School of Health, Columbia University to Sara Steingraber, PhD., Scholar in Residence, Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies, Ithica College\u2014and the afternoon key note by Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D, D.A.B.T., A.T.S., Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.<\/p>\n

The studies were focused on pregnant women and children through different stages of development. In one study they measured the effect of what is called \u201cfine particular matter\u201d which translate to pesticides, diesel, dust, second hand smoke, mice & roach allergens with 500 mom\u2019s who wore a back pack that measured the quality of the air they were breathing . The City Pesticide Bill came as a result, and Local Law 37 <\/a>for safer pesticides now exists. It is refreshing when science becomes a determining factor in decision making and inspires new policy.<\/p>\n

If you thought things that cause global warming only effected the climate\u2019s change , think again, it effects the DNA of us all\u2014the effect of environmental toxins on people has been something hard to measure, but with the success of this program there is now more scientific evidence. Scientific studies are proving that environmental pollution plays a big role in public health. In one study done by analyzing the centrifuge chemicals in the DNA, and the umbilical cord blood, scientists have been able to see how environmental factors play heavily into the development of children.<\/p>\n

They gathered a cross section of people (cohorts) for their studies in Poland, China, USA and the World Trade Center Site. Measured was how environmental contaminates, for example fossil fuel related-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) can effect cognitive development. Learning about our exposure to environmental toxins, is challenging but it is inspiring to know we are becoming aware and there are people out their committed to necessary scientific research to use these finding to create policies to protect us all.<\/p>\n

Science to Policy for People \u2014 sums up what happened at the event at Columbia University that focused on protecting children\u2019s environmental health. The presenters did a good job of engaging the audience even if one didn\u2019t understand the soup of contaminants with ingredients like CO2, Pb, O3, BTEX, CH4, H2S, NOx, PAHs, VOCs and PM2.5 PM10 we knew Diesel, have smelt it, and could clearly understand our challenge; we all are called to become more aware. It\u2019s more than eating the right fish<\/a>\u00a0(see NRDC’s sushi chart), and changing a light bulb, but that it is a good place to start.<\/p>\n

Friday’s\u00a0event in Albany with the largest EPA Grant ever for water infrastructure projects in New York <\/a>announced jointly by Governor Paterson and EPA\u2019s Administrator Jackson, booked end this landmark week for EPA’s Region 2.<\/p>\n

Even though Columbia University\u2019s CCLS has been an unofficial base for World Team Now in NYC, I wouldn\u2019t have known about the Monday event if EPA\u2019s Walter Andrews, didn\u2019t extend an invitation. I contacted EPA recently when I came across some seemingly insurmountable environmental obstacles with World Team Now\u2019s New York City building project. After some brief discussions about Brownfields, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST), wetlands and landfill contaminates, I discovered Walter happened to work with my mom at EPA years ago in this Region 2 office. There are some very dedicated public servants at EPA,<\/a> and Walter Andrews is certainly one. It is a small world with caring passionate people who remained faithful to public service and the mission the agency was created for — to protect our environment. Thank you to Walter and to all at EPA <\/a>we value the fact that your work can move forward to serve the public now.<\/p>\n

To share the knowledge and give it with the wisdom to the lives of all people is a huge undertaking –we at World Team Now <\/a>envision and embark on with our journey. The challenge is really reaching each one of you and your family and our public at large.
\nAre you willing to help? Are you willing to share the information about health and the environment? If you care to go deeper, below are some site to explore in addition to ours at World Team Now \u00a0http:\/\/www.worldteamnow.org<\/a>. We at World Team Now hope we can help accomplish our collective mission.<\/p>\n

\u00a0http:\/\/www.epa.gov\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Suzanne Maxx Obama Administration\u2019s Environmental Protection Agency Last week EPA continued to be in the limelight, moving faster now that they have the chance to reap the resources much needed for growth. They are not only getting financial support to be more effective, but also people are now re-awakening to the importance of our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11018205,18763125],"tags":[16897,241393,63512,183866719,218685,1357511,113127,412809,1100648,18960915,9211877,5120182,14999767,18960914,18960913,2471130,183866729],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-action-events","category-epa-environmental-protection","tag-climate-change","tag-columbia-university","tag-diesel","tag-environmental","tag-environmental-protection-agency","tag-environmental-toxins","tag-epa","tag-human-health","tag-lisa-jackson","tag-local-law-37","tag-national-institute-of-environmental-health-sciences","tag-obama-administration","tag-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons-pahs","tag-protecting-childrens-environmental-health","tag-translating-science-to-policy","tag-we-act","tag-world-team-now","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":163,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions\/163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldteamnow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_series?post=154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}