Parks and green spaces encourage physical activity, improve social cohesion, boost mental health and more. Yet lack of access and availability, as well as racist practices like redlining and over-policing, mean not every community gets to take advantage of such benefits. At a Tuesday APHA 2021 session on “Parks and Public Spaces: Working to Achieve Health Equity,” presenters shared how they work to increase park equity and how we can…
New survey shines light on racial disparities persisting in COVID-19 vaccination
A new public health survey reveals critical information regarding the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine messaging and public policies on individual perception and behaviors in the United States. The authors, led by Colorado School of Public Health faculty member Katherine Dickinson, were particularly interested in how structural racism impacts belief in vaccine safety. Deserai Crow and Meng Li, faculty at the University of Colorado Denver, and Courtney Welton-Mitchell, faculty at the Colorado School of…
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Heat or eat? America’s poor face an inhumane, impossible choice this winter.
Inflation now is at the highest rate in 13 years and is a real concern for all Americans. Housing, food, furniture and many other goods are more expensive. The cost of another, more invisible commodity – home heating – is also projected to rise, even as much as 50%, in the coming months. The burdens of reduced buying power across so many facets of daily life is especially hard on low-income households. This winter, the poor will…
Continue reading “Heat or eat? America’s poor face an inhumane, impossible choice this winter.”
Environmental Racism and Health: Research By JPB Environmental Health Fellows
Expanding Reach of Occupational Health Knowledge: Contributing Subject-Matter Expertise to Wikipedia as a Class Assignment
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) collaborates with Wiki Education and academic programs in expanding and improving occupational safety and health content. In this paper we describe Wikipedia-based writing assignments in occupational health graduate courses. The Wikipedia assignments were effective in teaching students about occupational health, scientific writing, and science communication. Read more about JPB Fellow Diana Ceballos’ research.
Dr. Lara Cushing Appointed to Fielding Presidential Chair in Health Equity at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Newswise — LOS ANGELES (Oct. 1, 2021) – Dr. Lara Cushing, whose research identifies the disproportionate impacts of harmful environmental exposures on low-income populations and communities of color, has been appointed the Jonathan and Karin Fielding Presidential Chair in Health Equity at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, where Cushing is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. The endowed chair was established by Dr. Jonathan Fielding, a national…
Tony Reames
Associate Professor Urban Energy Justice Lab School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI treames@umich.edu www.thegreenscholar.com Fellowship Topic: Exploring Associations between Temperature Exposure, Housing Quality, and Health During the Winter in Energy Poor Households. Tony G. Reames is an associate professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He directs the Urban Energy Justice Lab which researches topics at the…
Valerie Newsome Garcia
Community Transformation Strategist National Healthy Start Program, Washington, DC Dr. Valerie Newsome Garcia is the Community Transformation Strategist for NHSA – AIM CCI. Prior to joining National Healthy Start Association, she has held faculty appointments at NYU School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Brooklyn College, and selected as a JPB Environmental Health Fellow at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on addressing the social,…
New publication: The Three E’s Revisited: How Do Community-Based Organizations Define Sustainable Communities and Their Role in Pursuit of?
A sustainable community seeks to protect and enhance the environment, meet social needs, and promote economic success. On average, local governments lack meaningfully connecting their environmental and economic sustainability efforts to equity and social justice. Community-based organizations (CBOs) have emerged as local leaders with a growing capacity for pursuing community sustainability. Read more about JPB Fellow Tony Reames’ research.
CU Boulder receives $1.1 million in EPA grants to reduce public exposure to wildland fire smoke
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have been awarded $1.1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for two projects to help school districts and communities reduce exposure to harmful pollution from wildland fire smoke. CU Boulder is among nine institutions across the country receiving a combined $7 million under EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program for research to address health risks from wildland fire smoke. “As wildfires become more frequent and…