Make a difference in the challenge to confront global warming and prevent nuclear war and the development and use of nuclear weapons.
Today, PSR is joining with dozens of organizations, representing millions of Americans, calling on the U.S. Senate to pass clean energy and climate legislation. Please tell your Senators that we can no longer delay action if we are to protect our health and the health of future generations from catastrophic climate change.
There are 82,000 chemicals available for use in the U.S., yet only about 200 have been assessed for safety. Only five chemicals have been removed from use based on health and safety concerns. Just this month, US EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson introduced the Obama Administration's Essential Principles for Reform of Chemicals Management Legislation.
These principles are:
PSR has been advocating for similar policy solutions for years. It is encouraging that our leaders are starting to hear our call for chemical reform. As U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) stated, “America’s system for regulating toxic chemicals is broken. Far too little is known about the hundreds of chemicals that end up in our bodies and EPA has far too little authority to determine their safety…Americans deserve to know that products they rely on – from household cleaners to personal care products to building materials – are safe and will not harm their families.”
Many of the chemicals that Administrator Jackson and Senator Lautenberg are referring to are persistent, can build up in our bodies and cause reported health effects. These chemicals of high concern can be detected in our bodies through biomonitoring. Biomonitoring is a technique in which blood, urine hair, semen, breast milk, or other biologic specimens are analyzed for the presence of chemicals.
PSR just completed a first-of-its-kind biomonitoring study of health professionals. It found dangerous toxic chemicals present in the bodies of twenty doctors and nurses from across America. Four of the chemicals found were top chemicals of concern identified by the EPA, and all were endocrine disruptors.
Evidence of widespread contamination of human beings makes it clear that the nation’s outdated and ineffective chemical management system must be reformed.
Tell your Representative and Senator that we must protect our health from toxic chemicals.
Today, PSR is joining with dozens of organizations, representing millions of Americans, calling on the U.S. Senate to pass clean energy and climate legislation. Please tell your Senators that we can no longer delay action if we are to protect our health and the health of future generations from catastrophic climate change.
The Clean Air Act, our only regulatory tool to cut carbon emissions and prevent catastrophic climate change, is under attack. To protect our nation's health, we need your help!
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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. Read more »
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Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) in partnership with American Nurses Association (ANA) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) have released the “Hazardous Chemicals In Health Care” report, detailing the first investigation ever of chemicals found in the bodies of health care professionals. The inquiry found that all of the 20 participants had toxic chemicals associated with health care in their bodies. Each participant had at least 24 individual chemicals present, four of which are on the recently released Environmental Protection Agency list of priority chemicals for regulation. These chemicals are all associated with chronic illness and physical disorders. Read more »
Birth Defects & Other Reproductive Disorders
Every day, pregnant women are exposed to toxic substances that can be harmful to their babies. Potential effects include physical defects, learning disabilities, and other disorders. This pamphlet suggests some easy things you can do to protect your baby’s health. Read more »
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