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DOI: 10.1177/1078087407301790
(c) 2007 SAGE Publications
Minority Empowerment and Environmental Justice
Stefanie Chambers
Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut
In Hartford, Connecticut, environmental health problems
disproportionately affect poor and minority residents of the city.
Minority group activists in Hartford have created a multiracial
organization composed of urban and suburban residents to fight for
environmental justice. The organization has achieved a measure of
success in terms of governmental responsiveness to their concerns.
This article highlights the strategies used by the organization to
advance its interests. These strategies are framed within the minority
empowerment and environmental justice literature to develop a
theoretical explanation for the organization's success. Additionally,
this article provides a model for other communities fighting for
environmental justice.
Key Words: environmental justice • minority empowerment • public health
Mailman School of Public Health Study
February 16, 2007 -- New York City dwellers who reside in densely populated, pedestrian-friendly areas have significantly lower body mass index levels compared to other New Yorkers, according to a new study by the Mailman School of Public Health. Placing shops, restaurants and public transit near residences may promote walking and independence from private automobiles.
"There are relatively strong associations between built environment and BMI, even in population-dense New York City," said Andrew Rundle, DrPH assistant professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School and lead author.
The researchers looked at data from 13,102 adults from New York City's five boroughs. Matching information on education, income, height, weight and home address with census data and geographic records, they determined respondents' access to public transit, proximity to commercial goods and services and BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height.
...
The study appears in the March/April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Highway Exhaust Stunts Lung Growth, Study Finds
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
A new study suggests that children who grow up within a third of a mile of a freeway may be sustaining permanent respiratory problems.
Researchers studied developing lung function in 1,445 children living in 12 Southern California communities for eight years, from age 10 to 18. They found that the closer the children lived to a freeway, the more likely they were to experience reduced growth in lung function as measured by the standard tests.
"That living near freeways is a health issue is something we've known about for a long time," said Gennet Paauwe, a spokeswoman for the California Air Resources Board, which financed part of the research. "All of this points to the fact that California's air pollution control program needs to continue with its aggressive reduction in air pollutants. But I think this would translate to any other part of the U.S. where people are living near heavily trafficked roadways."
The findings were published online Friday by the British journal Lancet.
Episode #6 of the Boing Boing Boing podcast is ready for downloading. Our guest for this edition is author Steven Johnson, whose new book "The Ghost Map" my blog-mate Pesco describes as:
An account of an 1854 cholera outbreak on London's Broad Street [and] a magnificent combination of science thriller, cultural history, and celebration of cartography as a powerful tool to help us understand the dynamics of urban life.
| The World Health Organization is coordinating the global response to human cases of H5N1 avian influenza and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Information on this page tracks the evolving situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public. |
| One-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information. Managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. PandemicFlu.gov provides comprehensive government-wide information on pandemic influenza and avian influenza for the general public, health and emergency preparedness professionals, policy makers, government and business leaders, school systems, and local communities. |
| This fact page provides current reports and research on Avian Influenza, including specific information about Pennsylvania's resources and contacts. |
| The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. |
| This website includes fact sheets, images, and speaker notes on those diseases notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (that are either not present in the US or that are reportable diseases) as well as a number of reportable or zoonotic agents. This information is provided as part of the awareness education goals of the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University. |
Pennsylvania Department of Health provides information on a large range of topics such as: community health, epidemiology, health and vital statistics, health planning, health and emergency preparedness, and managed care. Health Statistics - Bureau of Health
- Statistics - Includes: Vital Statistics, Cancer Incidence & Mortality, Healthy People 2010 Statistics, E-Guide to Health Statistics (A-Z), Behavioral Risk Data (BRFSS), Minority Health Disparities, etc.
Primary federal agency charged with protecting the health and safety of all Americans. Contains information on the prevention and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. Sectional links of interest are:
This portal provies links to national and international public health resources. Since this portal is maintained by the Sheldon Margen Public Health Library at the University of California, Berkeley, its state-related resources are California based. This site is organized according to: Health Resources by Topic; Agencies and Organizations, and Indexes and Publications.
The Federal government's portal for information and resources on women's health. Links of interest are:
- The Office on Women's Health
- Health Topics - Contains an FAQ and links to special collections on topics such Body Image, Violence Against Women, etc.
- Statistics - Statistics on a variety of women's health topic that are arranged in broad categoriess.
Links to factual and statistical information resources on a variety of general topics such as: Diseases & Conditions; Safety & Wellness; Drug & Food Information; Disasters & Emergencies; Families & Children; Aging; Specific Populations, e.g., ethnic and racial minorities, disabilities, etc., and Policies & Regulations.
- Directory of Health and Human Services Data Resources - Metadirectory describing and pointing to the statistical and surveillance systems supported by the various HHS agencies.