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The future of the disarmament agenda is on the line now as New START ratification moves forward in the US Senate.

Coal's Assault on Human Health

Physicians for Social Responsibility has released a groundbreaking medical report, “Coal’s Assault on Human Health,” which takes a new look at the devastating impacts of coal on the human body. Coal combustion releases mercury, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health. This report looks at the cumulative harm inflicted by those pollutants on three major body organ systems: the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system. The report also considers coal’s contribution to global warming, and the health implications of global warming.

Download the report:
Executive Summary (pdf)
Full report (pdf)

Download by chapter:
Front Matter (pdf)
Chapter 1 Introduction (pdf)
Chapter 2 Life Cycle of Coal (pdf)
Chapter 3 Respiratory Effects (pdf)
Chapter 4 Cardiovascular Effects (pdf)
Chapter 5 Neurological Effects (pdf)
Chapter 6 Global Warming (pdf)
Chapter 7 Policy Recommendations (pdf)

Executive Summary in Spanish, courtesy Greenpeace Argentina

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Resources

  • Hope for a Heated Planet

    Author Bob Musil, former PSR executive director and now scholar-in-residence at American University, has written an insightful and informative account about the climate change issue and how it has finally emerged in the public’s mind as a major public health concern. Read more »

  • Climate Chaos

    Written thoughtfully for a lay audience, this book by PSR Board member Cindy Parker and psychologist and former journalist Steve Shapiro describes in lay terms how climate change will affect our health if it continues unabated. Read more »

  • Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit

    The Toolkit is a combination of easy-to-use reference guides for health providers and user-friendly health education materials on preventing exposures to toxic chemicals and other substances that affect infant and child health. Read more »

In the Spotlight

  • August 16, 2010
    Countdown to Zero
    On the 65th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, the Sacramento Annual August Peace Event and Physicians for Social Responsibility-Sacramento screened "Countdown To Zero," a film that traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs. Read more about this month’s chapter in the spotlight event on Hiroshima.