Become an Environmental Health Ambassador—June 24

With the successful launch of our Peace and Security Ambassador program this past winter, we are pleased to announce another in-depth training series for health professionals: PSR-LA’s Environmental Health Ambassador Program on June 24, 2009. Since expanding our mission to address environmental health threats in 1989, PSR-LA has taken leadership in looking to the upstream determinants of health in order to prevent downstream effects. Our long-time commitment to exploring the links between toxics and health have spanned program work in air quality and children’s health, urban and rural pesticide use, climate change, lead in homes, military-related toxic pollution, and most recently, the Green Chemistry Initiative, which seeks to transform the way we design, use, and regulate chemicals.

At the local level and nationally, we have seen recent policy movement towards protecting the public’s health through passage of laws and regulations that are based on sound environmental science. The health professional’s voice is instrumental in these debates and your participation in our Environmental Health Ambassador training series will prepare you for the numerous advocacy opportunities which lie ahead.
PSR-LA members are uniquely qualified to utilize their advocacy skills to provide environmental health information and data that can secure important victories for the public’s health.

The first training, which will take place on June 24, from 2pm to 7pm in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles, will explore the links between women’s reproductive health and chemicals. Premiere reproductive health scientist Tracy Woodruff, Ph.D., will join us to give an overview of emerging science and offer insight into future policy directions. Richard Jackson, M.D., M.P.H., Chair and Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at UCLA, and longtime PSR leader, will also be a featured trainer. This session will be an opportunity  for local physicians engaged in health advocacy, from academic centers to community clinics, to share and learn alongside their colleagues.

PSR-LA utilizes member trainings to enhance our policy work. One example is a two-day session held this past March for health professionals participating in a national bio-monitoring study. Participants received training on the current science and policy of seven key toxics and also had the opportunity to improve their media and advocacy skills. PSR-LA co-organized the March training, which included a session with CA Senator Carol Liu, co-author of Senate Bill (SB) 797 (The Toxin-Free Toddlers and Babies Act). This bill seeks to eliminate bisphenol-A from baby bottles and food containers intended for children under three.

An outcome of this March policy advocacy training was the initiation of a PSR-LA health professional letter in support of SB 797. More than 120 physicians and health professional members signed the support letter and PSR-LA member Dr. Sandra Aronberg (who participated in the March training) hand-delivered the letter to decision makers in Sacramento on April 30th. PSR-LA member voices were integral in passing the bill out of a tough committee. In the photo above, see Dr. Aronberg being interviewed in the halls of the Capitol, emphasizing just how important it is to protect our most vulnerable and most valuable resource – our children – from the effects of bisphenol-A exposure.

Please join us in creating a safer, healthier environment for all communities in California. RSVP for this training and get plugged into PSR-LA’s environmental health campaigns. Contact Ana Mascareñas to learn more, 213-689-9170 x107.