Coal's Assault on Human Health
Dear Betty Jo,
Please join us on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 9:00 am Alaska Time for a discussion with Alan H. Lockwood, MD on the growing body of medical evidence linking coal development to human health risks.
At every stage – from mining, transportation, storage, combustion, and disposal of post-combustion wastes – coal development threatens human and environmental health. Pollutants from coal damage all major organ systems in the human body and contribute to four of the five leading causes of death in the United States.
Dr. Lockwood, Professor of Neurology at the University of Buffalo, is a member of Physicians for Social Responsiblity and is principal author of the PSR 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.
To join this free call and receive the dial-up instructions, please RSVP to Alaska Community Action on Toxics at heather@akaction.org or (907) 222-7714.
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Time: 9 am Alaska Time (10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern)
This call will last one hour.
To join this free call and receive the dial-up instructions, please RSVP to Alaska Community Action on Toxics at heather@akaction.org or (907) 222-7714.
Dr. Alan H. Lockwood is an Emeritus Professor of Neurology at the University at Buffalo. A graduate of Cornell University and Cornell University Medical College, Dr. Lockwood is board certified in Neurology, a member of the American Neurological Association and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He is the author of approximately 220 publications on diverse scientific topics ranging from hepatic encephalopathy to environmental toxicants. He has been an active member of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) for three decades, and was President of PSR National in 1994. Currently, he is a member of the Board and Co-Chair of the Environment and Health Committee. Dr. Lockwood is the principal author of the PSR report “Coal’s Assault on Human Health.” The MIT Press will publish a book-length version of this report later this year.
- Coal's Assault on Human Health, Physicians for Social Responsibility report (Nov 2009)
- Coal Development in Alaska overview on ACAT's website
- Coal Ash in Alaska: Our Health, Our Right to Know (PDF), Alaska Community Action on Toxics report (Feb 2011)
- Coal, Mercury & Health fact sheet (PDF)
The Collaborative on Health and the Environment - Alaska is a regional partnership group of the national Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). CHE is a diverse network of health care providers, scientists, environmental health and justice advocates, students, and health-affected people working collectively to advance knowledge and effective action to address growing concerns about the links between human health and environmental factors. CHE-AK aims to foster collaboration around environmental health and justice education and policy efforts that are of concern in Alaska. We welcome your suggestions and engagement.
Click here to learn more about CHE-AK or here to listen to previous teleconference seminars.
