Twelve PSR leaders from across the country descended on Washington, DC recently to push for clean air, a livable climate, and reductions in toxic pollution from energy generation. They were part of “50 States United,” a lobbying blitz that brought doctors, nurses, clergy, labor leaders, tribal leaders, parents and citizen activists to Washington from all 50 states. Read more »

It's official! According to major finance website thestreet.com, last week's Bank of America shareholder meeting was "dominated by anti-coal activists." Read more »

PSR's Barbara Gottlieb described to Bank of America's CEO and board of directors the health implications of climate change -- caused in part by their loans to the coal industry. Read more »
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Can we make 2013 the year for effective climate action -- and for starters, can we stop the Keystone Pipeline? Read more »

Many among us question the importance and relevance of the environment or believe it doesn't affect us. Dr. Lockwood's talk at Temple Medical School was an illuminating look into how directly we're affected by the things we ignore. Read more »

Our Health Voices for Clean Air Campaign focuses on air quality, and raises awareness of the link between stationary polluting sources such as coal fired power plants and human health. Read more »

It has been a pleasure getting to know the many chapters of PSR. Recently I have been to New York City, home of the United Nations and our current president (of PSR that is), Andy Kanter, MD. Read more »
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PSR salutes Sierra Club's $50 million grant for expanding its Beyond Coal campaign and shutting down more dirty, polluting coal-fired power plants Read more »

Nearly half of Americans live an area which is heavily polluted, the American Lung Association stated in their annual State of the Air Report released last week. What does this mean? The roughly 157 million people living in these areas are placed at a high risk for asthma, respiratory disease and premature death. Most cities have shown improvement from last year’s report, but how much of an improvement is it if nearly half of us are living in air that is harming our health? Read more »

In the wake of the Japanese nuclear crisis, Americans are considering things that they haven’t thought of in a while. One is the relationship between nuclear power and health. As workers dump millions of gallons of irradiated water into the ocean, radiation levels reach Chernobyl-like levels in villages around Fukushima, and iodine-131 is found in US milk, it is reasonable to question how “clean” nuclear is. Read more »

The signing of the proposed Mercury & Air Toxic Standard is a long overdue victory for American public health. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson articulated that this is the initiation of an effort that will, “Save lives, prevent illnesses, and provide economic opportunities.” Read more »

A recent report estimates that coal’s impacts – including its effects on health and the damage in inflicts on the environment -- cost the U.S. about $345 billion annually. According to the report, a full rendering of coal’s costs would double to triple the price of coal-generated electricity. Read more »

Sometimes, telling the truth brings applause. That was PSR's experience when we testified before the EPA about the serious dangers to health from coal ash. Read more »

The EPA is offering two versions of a proposed rule for regulating coal ash. One would require the states to adhere to strict new federal regulations. The other... well... Read more »
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PSR goes to the White House to celebrate Earth Day -- and to call for strong climate legislation. Read more »

PSR continues the close collaboration with Sierra Club on issues of coal and energy and welcomes the Club's new executive director. Read more »

Last week I led a small PSR delegation to meet with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to discuss the health hazards of coal ash. Read more »
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Last Friday I again testified before the EPA on the health impacts of air quality. This time the subject was particulate matter. Once again, I was encouraging the EPA to follow through on a positive step it has proposed. Read more »

The battle unfolds on Capitol Hill, where a phalanx of politicians is seeking to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases. Read more »

PSR testified before the EPA on ground-level ozone, or smog, supporting new rules for more stringent ozone standards -- and urging the EPA to get more stringent yet. Read more »
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