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Past Presentation | How does the body size and overall health of humpback whales change across their migratory cycle? A team of researchers studying the animals, which spend part of the year feeding in Alaska and a few months fasting while in their Hawaiian breeding grounds, is making remarkable discoveries.

The wonderfully unique (and delicious!) world of seaweed and its myriad health benefits

A recent review highlights the harmful impact of petrochemicals on health, with evidence pointing to an increase in chronic diseases.Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.In short:Petrochemical production has surged since the 1950s, correlating with a rise in chronic and deadly diseases.The review calls for reduced reliance on fossil fuels, not only for environmental reasons but also to improve health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable communities.Regulatory oversight is lacking, with many chemicals entering the market without adequate safety testing, highlighting a need for systemic change.Key quote:"You can feel the effects of climate change, and know they're connected to fossil fuels. But the idea that fossil fuels are also connected to these chemicals we're exposed to, and are impacting our health, I thought, wow, there's a really important link here."— Tracey Woodruff, director of the program on reproductive health and the environment at the University of California, San FranciscoWhy this matters:Petrochemical facilities emit a variety of pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, which can contribute to respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, and cancer among nearby populations. Communities living in close proximity to these plants often report higher rates of these health issues compared to those living farther away.Studies show that the nearly 69,800 residents of Texas towns Cloverleaf and Channelview — more than a third of them children under 18 — are breathing some of the dirtiest air in the country.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Sept. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- As wildfires continue to burn across parts of California, a new...

Myopia is projected to affect half of the world’s population by 2050. A new report says it needs to be countered by classifying it as a disease and upping children’s outdoor time

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By Robin Foster HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, Sept. 26, 2024 -- (HealthDay News) -- The Environmental Protection Agency must address concerns...

Any heater that burns fuel without adequate ventilation is dangerous in a home – and none are as safe or efficient as a reverse-cycle air conditioner.

California is struggling to provide maternal health for its residents. But as one proposal aims to prevent birth defects, another has received hateful pushback that’s been condemned by both political parties. As CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra writes, Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula has introduced a bill that would require corn masa flour makers to add […]

Scientists in British Columbia are investigating the health implications for residents living in proximity to liquefied natural gas export facilities, focusing on pollution from flaring, the combustion process of methane gas. Michelle Gamage reports for The Tyee.In short:Researchers in British Columbia begin a project to re-evaluate health impacts from LNG facility pollution, notably from flaring processes that burn methane gas.The study scrutinizes previously underestimated flaring levels and aims to quantify additional air pollution exposure for nearby residents.A collaborative effort involving universities and environmental organizations, this research will utilize satellite imaging and health impact assessments over two years.Key quote: "We're scared those facilities like Kitimat and Woodfibre will flare more than what they said they would do." — Laura Minet, lead researcher of the study and leader of the Clean Air Lab at the University of VictoriaWhy this matters: Evidence suggests living in proximity to LNG facilities where flaring is a common practice can significantly impact the health of nearby residents and the surrounding environment. Exposure to pollutants from flaring can lead to increased health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with preexisting health conditions. In the U.S., LNG production comes at a steep price for those living along the Gulf Coast.

Research conducted by the Hackett group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Rome indicates that altering the gut microbiome of male mice elevates...

A recent study highlights the severe health and economic impacts of flaring and venting at industrial plants, including premature deaths and exacerbated asthma cases.Victoria St. Martin reports for Inside Climate News.In short:Flaring and venting activities at industrial plants are causing significant health issues, including asthma exacerbations in children and about 710 premature deaths annually.The study, involving researchers from Boston University and others, found that these practices cost the U.S. approximately $7.4 billion each year in health damages.Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado are the top states affected by these emissions, impacting nearly half a million Americans living close to oil and gas facilities.Key quote:“We know that PM 2.5 is bad for health, we know that ozone is bad for health, but to see the amount of asthma exacerbations that were attributed to nitrogen dioxide, I think that was surprising to us.”— Erin Polka, a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Health at Boston University’s School of Public HealthWhy this matters:Industrial plant emissions are a significant concern for both environmental health and public well-being, contributing to a range of issues that affect ecosystems, air quality, and human health. In 2020, researchers linked air pollution from burning off excess natural gas to preterm births for babies, with the most pronounced impacts among Hispanic families.

Evidence shows microplastics can end up in many different organs and may harm reproductive health

Floodwater with sewage or other harmful contaminants in it can lead to infectious diseases, according to an epidemiologist.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a ban on acephate, a pesticide linked to potential harm to children's developing brains. Sharon Lerner reports for ProPublica.In short:The EPA proposed banning acephate after a recent ProPublica report highlighted the agency's controversial risk assessment.Evidence indicates that acephate poses risks to workers, the public, and children through contaminated drinking water.The proposal to ban acephate applies to all food crops but would allow usage on non-fruit and non-nut bearing trees.Key quote: “The pushback on this is going to be really intense. I hope they stick to their guns.”— Nathan Donley, scientist at the Center for Biological DiversityWhy this matters: Banning acephate reflects a shift toward stricter regulation of potentially harmful chemicals that have been used in agriculture for decades. Read more: New analysis warns of pesticide residues on some fruits and veggies.

Deputy Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla voiced concern over the growing number of diabetes cases in South Africa, particularly among women. The post Rising diabetes rates are a concern, says deputy health minister appeared first on SA People.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on their 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The report includes data on a wide range of health-related behaviors of high school students in the United States, and breaks down these behaviors across different demographics. The results underscore the fact that we’re […]

If you’re worried about pollution in the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat, take time out to explore the evidence of harm and digest some practical advice on how to reduce your exposure.

This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Researchers are now connecting the dots between the climate crisis and the havoc heat can wreak on developing minds.  Extreme heat and other climate calamities “impact our first and worst, our most vulnerable,” said Jennifer Runkle, an environmental epidemiologist at the […]

Mexico's ban on genetically modified corn and glyphosate faces strong opposition from the U.S., igniting a trade dispute centered on food sovereignty and public health. Alexander Zaitchik reports for The FERN.In short: Mexico banned GM corn and glyphosate, citing health and environmental concerns.The U.S. lodged a formal complaint, arguing the ban violates trade agreements and lacks scientific basis.The dispute underscores global resistance to biotech and chemical firms' dominance in agriculture.Key quote:“The regulatory system is a rubber-stamp sham—and the US is a Wild West for biotechnology, where nobody is vouching for the safety of GM products or glyphosate.”— Bill Freese, science director at the Center for Food SafetyWhy this matters:This issue underscores the critical balance between trade policies and national health regulations. With corn being a staple in the Mexican diet, any potential health risks from GM corn and glyphosate are magnified, making this a public health concern. Read more: Glyphosate, explained.

New research indicates that toxic chemicals added to plastic materials for flame resistance can enter the body through the skin by contact with microplastics. The...

In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court will release several opinions that implicate the health and safety of every American. Citizens may believe that the court’s decisions are far removed from their everyday lives. But this term, at least, they will hit close to home. From the environment, to medical care, to the hot-button issues […]

After repeated violations, the state has stepped in -- but the problems are a reminder that safe water is not available to all Americans

Estimated 1 million bottles bought every minute and demand is rising, warns expert. Every minute, one million bottles of water are purchased globally, a habit that not only strains human health with the risk of chemical contamination from plastics but also burdens our planet by contributing to immense plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite [...]

Tulane University’s study confirms that consuming dark chocolate daily is safe for adults, posing minimal health risks and offering significant nutritional benefits. Chocolate enthusiasts might...

Modern mental health facilities are changing lives for the better, and here we take a closer look at these benefits. The post Finding your centre: Exploring the benefits of Modern Mental Health Facilities appeared first on SAPeople - Worldwide South African News.

Nearly half of U.S. prisons may be exposed to harmful "forever chemicals" in their water supply, raising concerns over health inequities and human rights within the justice system.Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.In short:A study found that 47% of prison facilities are potentially affected by PFAS pollution, impacting roughly 990,000 people, including juveniles.Researchers stress the vulnerability of incarcerated people to PFAS due to limited exposure mitigation options.The findings underscore environmental justice issues, noting the disproportionate representation of people from marginalized communities within the prison population.Key quote:"If you think of the incarcerated population as a city spread out over this vast archipelago of carceral facilities, it would be the fifth largest city in the country."— Nicholas Shapiro, senior author and medical anthropologist at the University of California, Los AngelesWhy this matters:Research indicates that a significant proportion of America's carceral facilities are located in areas likely contaminated with PFAS, exacerbating health risks for incarcerated populations, which are already in worse health overall compared to the general population. But PFAS is also a broad threat to U.S. drinking water: Last year, the EPA released proposed drinking water standards for six “forever chemicals.” The announcement came after years of pleas from exposed communities, scientists and health and environmental activists.

This is a republishing collaboration with Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, where this originally published. See the full series, Caribbean People at Risk from Sargassum Invasion.In the quiet seaside village of Capesterre on Marie-Galante island in Guadeloupe on April 18, 2023, the air-quality monitoring institute Gwad’Air issued a “red alert” to warn people away from coastal areas.The culprit was sargassum. After washing ashore for days, the floating seaweed was emitting a dangerous level of hydrogen sulfide gas as it rotted on the beach. To read a version of this story in Spanish click here. Haz clic aquí para leer este reportaje en español.The problem was not new for residents of Marie-Galante, a sleepy agricultural island of 11,000 inhabitants that is part of Guadeloupe’s biosphere reserve.Since the first mass strandings more than ten years ago, rotting sargassum has frequently plagued residents and tourists and forced several businesses and restaurants to close their doors for months at a time.Among the struggling proprietors are sisters Marie-Louise and Lyselène Bade, who recently shuttered their small hotel Le Soleil Levant. Though they still operate a bakery and grocery store they inherited from their mother, Marie-Louise said a Gwad’Air technician recently asked her a worrying question: “How do you manage to stay here?” She often wonders the same thing. “You know, I love wearing costume jewelry, but now I can’t keep it on my skin for more than a quarter of an hour. They oxidize and make my skin itch. When you see what it does to electrical equipment and metal, you wonder what it does inside your body, to your lungs,” she said. Thanks to recent research carried out in the French Caribbean — much of which has struggled with similar problems as Marie-Galante — scientists can now better answer that question. They paint a bleak picture. Their studies suggest that the hydrogen sulfide and ammonia gasses released by rotting sargassum can endanger pregnant women, exacerbate respiratory issues like asthma, and cause headaches and memory loss, among other serious health problems. But this knowledge has not been enough to protect Bade and many other Guadeloupe residents. Even as the French Caribbean has emerged as a regional leader in the fight against sargassum, researchers such as Martinique-based doctor Dabor Resiere have said response efforts there have fallen far short. As a result, many residents regularly face dangerous health risks — and the French government has turned to the world stage to call for an international response to address sargassum as a global problem.‘Airborne poisoning outbreak’By the time 2018 brought a record sargassum influx to Caribbean shorelines, the health effects of the rotting seaweed had become much better known. In December of that year, a group of sargassum researchers in Martinique issued a stark warning. In a letter published in The Lancet medical journal, they noted that doctors in Martinique and Guadeloupe — French islands with a combined population of nearly 800,000 — had recently recorded more than 11,000 cases of acute sargassum toxicity during an eight-month period. Among them were three cases admitted to intensive care. “To mitigate this emerging airborne poisoning outbreak, the French government has already promised €10 million [US $10,835,600] to supply equipment that can be used to remove the seaweed within 48 hours, to monitor hydrogen sulfide concentrations on the affected shores, to train doctors, and to assign experts in toxicology in affected areas,” wrote Resiere and 10 other researchers based in Martinique and France. “Despite this commendable first effort by the French government, a mitigation plan to address this enigmatic sargassum invasion should urgently be discussed at an international level to boost marine research, pool resources, and consolidate local political priorities,” Resiere said. The French government — which for decades has struggled with algae washing ashore on its European coasts — has launched two national sargassum plans funded with about $26 million for 2018-2022 and about $40 million for 2022-2026. Millions more were spent by local authorities in sargassum collection operations and investment in dedicated equipment. “You know, I love wearing costume jewelry, but now I can’t keep it on my skin for more than a quarter of an hour. They oxidize and make my skin itch." - Marie-Louise Bade, owner of the small hotel Le Soleil LevantAs a result, the French islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy have launched some of the most extensive response efforts in the Caribbean in recent years. Besides the ongoing research, these efforts have included air-quality-monitoring programs, clean-up initiatives, and one of the rare national response strategies that has been officially adopted by the government. In 2019, Guadeloupe also hosted the first International Sargassum Conference, where the Guadeloupe Region — in partnership with the French government, the French National Research Agency and two Brazilian agencies — launched a call for projects with financial support from the European Union and other sources. This effort ultimately funded 12 projects — the results of which were presented on Feb. 28, 2024 — as part of the National Sargassum Prevention and Control Plan. Besides probing the algae cycle and the environmental effects of sargassum, these projects have also investigated health impacts. One of the outcomes, the SargaCare project, led to a July 2022 study on more than 3,000 pregnant women on Martinique, which reported finding evidence of a higher risk of potentially fatal preeclampsia in expectant mothers exposed to sargassum fumes. A later SargaCare study suggested that prolonged exposure to the fumes increases the risk of patients developing sleep apnea.‘The situation remained unchanged’But despite this work, health researchers have warned that response efforts have not kept pace with the problem in the French Caribbean or the wider region. More than four years after their 2018 warning in The Lancet, Dr. Resiere and seven colleagues upped the ante in a March 2023 letter published in the Journal of Global Health. In Guadeloupe and Martinique, they wrote, “the situation remained unchanged. Despite the French government’s plans to tackle the sargassum problem, these toxic algae are continuing to inundate the coasts of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana in ever-greater volumes.” The Covid-19 pandemic, they stated, was partially to blame for the problem because it had sucked up health resources. But they also noted the absence of a coordinated regional health response and warned that Caribbean governments eager to jumpstart their post-pandemic tourism economies may be inclined to downplay the sargassum problem. “The public continues to be adversely affected, some have sold their dream houses which are becoming unlivable, some have abandoned their schools and workplaces for lack of a solution to this scourge,” the researchers wrote. “It is urgent to come to the aid of these families who, in addition to the health consequences due to the significant emanations of hydrogen sulfide, have to bear the material consequences, being often forced to replace all their household appliances or the metal parts of their houses.”2023 seasonBy the time the researchers’ letter was published in March 2023, a new sargassum season was already causing health problems across the French Caribbean. In late January 2023, a 59-year-old woman was treated by emergency services for acute toxicity after taking part in a sargassum clean-up on Tartane beach in Trinité, Martinique. On March 2, the Martinique municipality of Le Robert partially closed the Four à Chaux school due to high exposure to gas released by sargassum.And when the air pollution alert was triggered in Guadeloupe’s Saint-François lagoon area on Sept. 15, people were asked to move away from a populated marina area that hosts hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses offering water activities.Marie-GalanteBack in Marie-Galante, Marie-Louise Bade continued to struggle as well. Bade, who goes by “Malou,” operates multiple businesses on her island, where the economy is powered by tourism, fishing, sugarcane and banana crops, and a rum distillery. “For 11 years, I’ve had to put up with this,” Bade said. “For 11 years, every time I open my doors, I think, ‘My God, what other appliance is going to break down this morning?’ No matter how much we repair, clean, the walls turn gray. Algae eats away at all the plumbing. … So everything is destroyed and there are leaks all the time.” Tourists, she said, stopped coming. “I can’t rent out the rooms anymore,” she said. “People open the windows, they have a view of the sargassum. There’s the smell. And on the walls, the pipes, the air-conditioning: Everything turns black.”Her health has suffered as well. Bade described continuous itching, small pimples appearing on her skin, vision issues, and respiratory problems that now force her to take asthma medication. Various governmental efforts have not provided relief in her day-to-day life, she said. About two years ago, for example, the Guadeloupe regional health agency distributed questionnaires for about a month. But since then, she said, no follow-up action has been taken to her knowledge. The businesswoman said the town doctor regularly monitors the effects of sargassum on the population’s health, and he encourages her to consult him every three months. Last year, residents got a brief respite when booms were installed offshore in August in hopes of preventing the seaweed from reaching the beach. For a while, the solution worked, according to the town’s mayor, Jean-Claude Maes. Residents started walking along the coast again as they hadn’t done for years, and a few entrepreneurs decided to set up new businesses, Maes said. But the respite was short-lived: The booms were swept away last October by swells caused by Hurricane Tammy. Plans to reinstall them by December still have not come to fruition. Though such responsibilities normally fall to towns and cities, the French government has decided to bear 80% of the financial cost of combating sargassum. But the mayor said that funding was slow in coming last year. ‘Irritation and anxiety’While residents suffer, research continues. Professor Dabor Resiere, a sargassum researcher and department head at Martinique University Hospital, said previous studies have focused largely on the effects of acute toxicity caused by high levels of sargassum gasses. But there is a dearth of information on chronic toxicity at lower doses, he said. To learn more, the professor and his team have been visiting patients in the field as part of a Martinique University Hospital monitoring program they plan to export soon to Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and other islands. “We don’t know about the average resident who lives near a stranding site, who receives a small amount of [exposure to sargassum gas] every day,” said Resiere. “We can see that the majority of these patients continue to have trouble sleeping, continue to have generalized fatigue, continue to have conjunctivitis, irritation and anxiety. This anxiety, this depressive syndrome: All these symptoms we observe in patients. But now we need to demonstrate it scientifically.” Other research is continuing as well. After the results of the 2019 call for projects were presented this February, the Guadeloupe Region and its partners launched a new call for projects. This round will continue studying health impacts, as well as addressing other topics including sargassum’s effects on marine ecosystems and the hydrodynamic conditions that affect blooms. But in Marie-Galante, Bade and her sister have more immediate concerns. Currently, the metal roof of their businesses leaks because of holes they blame on corrosion caused by the sargassum gasses. But they are reluctant to invest in repairs as long as they are faced with continued uncertainty. Despite the risks, they have no plans to leave. For Bade, it is inconceivable to close the business bequeathed to her by her mother, in which she and her sister grew up. “What would the town be without a bakery?” she asked. This investigation is the result of a fellowship awarded by the Center for Investigative Journalism’s Training Institute and was made possible in part with the support of Open Society Foundations.

The deaths of two elderly siblings and their 60-year-old caretaker at first mystified Brownsville. Extreme heat is a quiet but growing threat for Rio Grande Valley residents with chronic health conditions.

As global temperatures rise, so do the challenges for abortion access and women's health services

For many Black children, asthma and other health problems are ever-present companions in neighborhoods located near dumps, factories, and highways. The post Environmental Injustice: Dispatches From a Black Trauma Surgeon on Health Inequity appeared first on The Revelator.

A new study shows how a father’s diet before conception can affect his children’s health, suggesting a focus on paternal health and diet could prevent...

Research connects low socioeconomic status to brain alterations impacting educational achievement, mental health, and language development. What influences mental health, academic achievement, and cognitive growth?...

The increasing incidence of climate change-induced heat spikes, wildfires and life-threatening flash floods is engulfing pregnant and postpartum individuals in a wave of eco-anxiety and depression. "The mom is kind of guiding the ship," Jennifer Barkin, an expert on maternal mental health, told The Hill. "You're already worried about — are your kids eating enough...

“Proper nutrition is the foundation upon which our mental acuity and vitality rest."

Recent statistics have unveiled a growing health crisis in Costa Rica, with an alarming 31.5% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 being overweight and 12.3% classified as obese. This troubling trend has sparked significant concern among health professionals across the country, prompting calls for immediate action. Dr. Nydia Amador, a public health specialist and founder […] The post Costa Rica Faces Alarming Rise in Childhood Obesity Rates appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Increased dust from the Salton Sea’s drying lakebed is raising air pollution levels, impacting disadvantaged communities the most, with ongoing water diversions exacerbating the situation....

The particles are everywhere, and they may harm human health.

Laura Diaz joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss the intersection of social and environmental stressors on children’s health.Diaz, a current fellow and a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health Sciences at UC Berkeley, also talks about how her own childhood shaped her understanding of environmental injustice, and how being a mother has shaped her research – and her life.The Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast is a biweekly podcast featuring the stories and big ideas from past and present fellows, as well as others in the field. You can see all of the past episodes here.Listen below to our discussion with Diaz and subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or Spotify. Agents of Change in Environmental Justice · Laura Diaz on how social and environmental stress impact children’s healthTranscriptBrian BienkowskiLaura, how are you doing today?Laura Diaz I'm doing okay. How are youBrian Bienkowski I'm doing great. And where are you today?Laura Diaz I am in South San Francisco, which is close to the San Francisco International Airport.Brian Bienkowski Very cool. I love it out there. And you are from originally not far from there. So tell me a little bit about growing up in Northern California.Laura Diaz Yeah, so I grew up in the East San Francisco Bay Area, and specifically, it's like the geographic location where the watershed from the Sierra mountains meets the mouth of the San Francisco Bay, and it's beautiful. And just behind where the Bay is, there's these rolling golden hills. And because of the history that Pittsburgh has, which is my hometown, with the fossil fuel industry, and specifically during the Gold Rush, they were actually mining coal out there that laid the foundation for a polluting industry which persists today, and it's become one of the more affordable places in the San Francisco Bay area to live. And so I lived in between this corridor of polluting industry, right along that water, which included the Dow Chemical Plant, the power plant and several other toxic release facilities. And then on the other side of us was a highly trafficked freeway. And then we lived there until it was about four and then shortly after, we moved just over that same freeway, and the freeway was like legit our neighbors and the that whole corridor polluting industry was still an eye shot of where we lived. And those cities are largely known as commuter cities because they're so affordable. A lot of families move out there to raise their family, and that was true for my parents as well. So they commuted about an hour and a half, and so a lot of our childhood was spent largely unsupervised, and at some point, my parents decided to get us an inter-district transfer to the city where they worked. And so they worked in a city called wanna Creek, California, and that city is predominantly white and home to the uber rich. And I remember like, being at school and just feeling like I really didn't, like fit in. And it went beyond that, like kind of normal, like what I see with my son, where he's, like, trying to make friends and stuff. It went beyond that, like something just didn't fit. And I remember like, walking home from school, and I would have to walk through this outdoor plaza with stores like Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's and make my way to my dad's tailoring shop. And like, I remember opening the door, and I would get this like sense of relief, and I would feel like I could breathe again. And it was like home, and yet, I would see my dad on his hands and knees fixing the clothing of my classmates parents. And then every day we would take our trek back home. So we'd be going from this very affluent space, it was very green, a lot of open space back home, to this space where it's a lot of concrete, like again, we'd see, like, that whole polluting industry, and yet, like, I'd hop out of the car super excited, run to my neighbor's house and we'd be playing basketball for the rest of the evening. I have, like, so much love for where I grew up, and I feel like my work now is like. Of letter to my community, and I had this like daily reminder of the difference between wealth and poverty, between predominantly white communities and predominantly diverse communities.Brian Bienkowski Well, that's a really beautiful way to paint your hometown. I have to say, when I first looked it up, I was like, I did not know Laura was from Pittsburgh. When I met her, she seemed like she was from the West Coast, so I did not know that there was a Pittsburgh California. But thank you so much for painting that picture. And you, you know, you've mentioned this kind of industrial backdrop and maybe some social dynamics and racial dynamics at school that were uncomfortable. I'm wondering where along the way you became aware or interested in kind of the concept of environmental justice and injustice?Laura Diaz Yeah. So, I mean, like those, like, big smokes stacks, like, what we see in pictures a lot when we see, like, read articles about environmental justice, like, that was the backdrop to my childhood. And yet, I had no idea that that, that I grew up in an environmental justice community, right? So I am a former high school science and math teacher, and there was a summer where I did a professional development program in the topic of sustainability. It had it was there that I met Karna Wong, and she's a faculty at Sonoma State University, and she absolutely changed my life. She gave a workshop on environmental justice, and she taught us about the principles of environmental justice, various frameworks of EJ and her and I, like, hit it off like it was, it was great. This is why I love, like, professional development programs, which we can talk about later. But she also showed me this database called CalEnviroScreen, and that is, it's basically a map of California, and it displays community exposures to pollution, health burdens and demographic characteristics. And that was the first time that I saw my community in bright red, because bright red means more burdens. And then I saw Walnut Creek bright green, and bright green is associated with less burdens, or under-burden. And it just was like this final puzzle piece of like, like, whoa, everything came together. And I like, understood that that feeling of like something wasn't right made so much sense by looking at that map, and I realized that environmental justice wasn't only something I like, loved learning about, it also impacted my life. I don't know, and I'm never going to know, if growing up in close proximity to these facilities is a reason why I have two chronic autoimmune diseases, but it does drive my work. And I think also, in addition to that, there was another educator fellowship that I was on, and I did that with Earthwatch. We were out at catalea Island, and we were studying Harmful Algal Blooms. And while we were out there, my mom called me, and she was like, I made it out, but paradise is on fire. And that was in 2018 and although she made it out alive, 85 folks did not, and that was the campfire. And over 13,000 homes were lost in one of those of my mom's and it's like, it's hard to talk about this, but it's like, because it's so deeply personal, right? But I remember flying home from that experience and waiting outside of the airport and it was raining ash, and those ashes included my mom's home. So it's just the impacts of climate justice, and environmental justice has hit me, personally, very hard, and I think more recently, I've been really thinking about the connection between wildfires in California, the fossil fuel industry and our inability to transition away fast enough, and how my community is going to continue to pay the price until we do so. And that really drives the work that I do. And like you can hear my voice shaking, but it's like I have so much passion to you, and it's so important. There's, there's an urgency to this work that's needed that I'm I'm not quite sensing enough in the academic spheres that I'm in now, but I hope to be a part of that driving force.Brian Bienkowski And I've been asking everybody this question before we get into some of your your research and your education, what is a moment or event that has helped shape your identity?Laura Diaz Yeah, okay, I think there's a couple I feel like we're getting into, like, the intense stuff in the beginning. So like, Sorry my voice is shaking, but also self-deprecating humor is how I get. So, I think the first thing that really, really impacted like who I am and how I moved through this world, was when I was in ninth grade, my dad and I had to go to the county courthouse, and it was the first time that I saw my brother handcuffed. And we were there to see him and be there for him while he was going to be sentenced for his first felony. And I remember the judge asked his family to stand up those, those of us who were there in support. And I was bawling as my I was seeing my hero like out there behind a glass wall in handcuffs, and I was like, barely could stand up, and I was just tears were just rolling down my face, and, like, for the longest time, I thought it was actually my fault that he got sentenced, because I couldn't keep it together, right? It was just I was I must have been around 13, right? a kid. And I think during my adolescence, I really developed this, like, strong understanding of the impact of oppression on the lives of children, and it really is the root of how I move through the work that I do. And I think also kind of on a more tender side, a moment that really has shaped who I am, is being my son's mom, and the day I became his mom was the most beautiful day of my life. And I tell him often how lucky I am to be his mom, and I like to say that my most proudest title is being soccer mom. And I do know too that like the most important thing I can do, personally and professionally is invest in my son and my family.Brian Bienkowski Awesome. Well, thank you so much for both of those very we will get you away from these, all of these that are pulling at your emotions. Maybe we'll circle back and we'll get emotional again, but thank you so much for opening up about that. I'm sure there are others who can relate. And when you talk about tears streaming down, I was hoping my my blue light glasses were hiding we're hiding mine on that so, so let's change gears a little bit. And you went to so you mentioned Sonoma State University, which is now recognized as a Hispanic serving institution, and you went there for your undergraduate degree. So we've had folks on talking about going to historically Black colleges and kind of the impact that had on them and a level of comfort and that it brought them. So I was wondering if you could talk about that experience and how going to a Hispanic Serving Institution benefited you?Laura Diaz Yeah, I, I remember the first week being on campus and like, being overwhelmed with this, like, sense of hope. And I think, and it was great, like I felt like, you're saying, I just felt like safe, that that uncomfortable, like unwelcoming feeling that I felt when I was going to schools in Walnut Creek was like gone. And I knew that I was believed in and supported by by the faculty. The commitment to teaching excellence at HSIs is so high, and that's really impacted my teaching philosophy now, and I understand firsthand what it means like to create a vulnerable learning environment and what it means to like not be in one, right? And because I was able to really thrive in this space, I majored in Molecular Cell bio. I double minored in Chem and in music. I was part of the chamber music orchestra, like I was, like, loving life. It was great. And also, my junior year, it started getting sick, and I was having to walk to school with a cane, and I ended up getting diagnosed with lupus, and during that diagnosis period that was really difficult. And despite that, I knew that the faculty were there for me. I knew my classmates were there for me, and they really helped me push through a really, really difficult time for me. And so I just, I feel very committed to what education means, what that means for social mobility, and that's stayed with me. And continue, I continue to work and partner with Sonoma State, which is, yeah, really great.Brian Bienkowski Yeah, what a great opportunity. Do you still play music?Laura Diaz I don't, but I need to. I played the piano. Oh,Brian Bienkowski no, no, that's that was my next question. That's very cool. Yeah, I am a musician. I play a whole variety of instruments. And I've said on the podcast before that it just it feels like it is that other side of the brain. It just feels so good to take some time to stretch the create creative legs every now and then, after staring at a computer for so long. So I'm always curious.Laura Diaz Yeah, I hear that, and hopefully this inspires me to, like, get it together,Brian Bienkowski get back to it. Yeah. Well, I'm sure you have as we're gonna get into it sounds like we have plenty going on, but I hope you find some time. So now you are studying air pollution, specifically particulate matter burdes in marginalized communities. So particulate matter is linked to negative health outcomes, and one of them that you focus on is mitochondrial dysfunction. So can you explain first, what mitochondria are and how air pollution may affect them?Laura Diaz So mitochondria are these fascinating little organelles that I've been spending several years thinking about. They're the site of chemical energy production of our cells, so they make the energy that our cells need in order to actually function properly. And they're really unique. So they have their own DNA or their own genome, and in that, within that, it codes for 13 proteins which are vital for the mitochondria to be functioning properly. And what's interesting about that is that they they lack these protective mechanisms that, like our nuclear DNA has, and so it makes them particularly vulnerable to situations where our cells are undergoing stress, and we see that mitochondrial function declines with aging and also with disease. And what I spend a lot of time thinking about is what mitochondrial function or dysfunction looks like in epithelial cells. And those are the cell types that we find in the lining of our mouth. They're in our lungs, and there's like outer barrier of our skin, so they come in contact with this, like wild outer world, and play this really important protective mechanism, and they they play a big role in detoxification. And so what happens when they're exposed to particulate matter? There's actually an increase in free radicals in our in the cell, and those are called reactive oxygen species, and those, if there's too many and there's an imbalance, those can cause mitochondrial dysfunction, and that's what I'm spending a lot of time thinking about.Brian Bienkowski So if these mitochondria are disrupted in some way by and I should say particulate matter is fine particulate pollution. This can come from anything from wildfires to traffic to to heavy industry, fossil fuel burning, if the mitochondria are disrupted, what kind of impact may that have on, let's say, developing children?Laura Diaz Yeah, so I, my research focuses on child health, and again, I'm really thinking about these epithelial cells and what's happening in relation to the exposure of, like, what you're saying with particulate matter and and when we see that mitochondrial dysfunction, it actually triggers a cascade of events to happen in the cell. So the cell tries to fix these problems when they come up, but when it's constantly having to fix these problems, that's when, that's when, like, long-term issues can can arise. And so what we see is that the this outer lining of cells can be really impacted by mitochondrial dysfunction, because they they get put in this like pro-inflammatory state, and so then they become really vulnerable to things like allergens. So what I'm studying, then, is, is that mitochondrial dysfunction playing a role in the development of diseases like eczema or rhinitis or asthma among children in frontline environmental justice communities.Brian Bienkowski So as part of this, you're also looking at adverse childhood experience known as ACES, which was a new acronym for me after I met you at the retreat. That was something I didn't know about. So in addition to the air pollution and mitochondrial dysfunction, you're looking at aces. So can you explain aces and why you feel it's an important part of including in this research,Laura Diaz ACES stands for Adverse Childhood eEperiences. In California, there's a lot of work being done on the public health end of things, and it's getting labeled as toxic stress. What it is is it's a survey with 10 questions that assesses a child's exposure to abuse, neglect and household challenges. And back in the 90s, there was a groundbreaking study that was done, and they found that exposure to ACES was associated with increased risk of death from seven out of 10 of the leading causes of death and so and there's been a lot more work done now, but I really want to invite us all in, like environmental health work and environmental justice, to be thinking about day to day stress, and that exposure to stress as an environmental exposure, just like we would think about particulate matter. And in order to understand the impact of oppression and the health impacts living in frontline communities, I think it's really important that we also include exposure to stress. And what I've found in my research is that exposure to ACES is associated with an increase in mitochondrial dysfunction and so, and I'm seeing that among a cohort of children, right? So it like the changes that becomes embodied in our cells happens pretty quickly. It can at least.Brian Bienkowski So you're seeing that not only. So if there are these environmental insults, and then you pile on kind of just day to day stress in a child's life, whether that's from inside or outside of the home, the combination of those, they're both doing bad things at the cellular level, to the kid or to a child, and setting them up for potential increased illness.Laura Diaz Yeah, and I think, like, I'm really thinking about the mitochondria a lot, obviously, but if we think about being in a state of stress, where we're in this, like fight or flight, like our physiological response, our cells have an increased need of energy, and when that happens over and over and over again, then the mitochondria is being overworked. And so understanding what's happening at the cellular level is also really important.Brian Bienkowski v really fascinating research. And I love the idea of thinking more about stress, and of course, with your research with kids, but even for adults. I mean, I think stress is such a kind of a silent killer. I mean, it just, it's so bad for our body, and yet, a lot of us kind of live with it, and it's part of our, part of our life, so it's really important to to remember that. So I'm wondering, what are some of the next steps in this research? What would you like to do? What are you going to do? What are you working on?Laura Diaz Yeah, I think, like, I mean, I hope I can spend more time studying the mitochondria. I think, as is true for like, most folks in graduate school, really figuring out, like, where is my niche? Like, where is my lane? Like, I do hope that I get to spend quite a bit more time really deep diving into the mitochondria. Specifically, I'm really curious about what is happening and what other biomarkers are associated with this mitochondrial dysfunction, and also like mitochondrial mutations, which are pretty interesting to think about as well. So I'm kind of following, like what's happening in a molecular mechanism level.Brian Bienkowski Do you like doing research?Laura Diaz Yeah, I love it. Oh, I love it. Even, like and, and when I shouldn't say even, and when I was teaching, like, research was a big part of of my teaching practice with high schoolers. I have, I think this is like something that has been passed on from, from my family, for sure, but in my is just this love for learning and not being afraid of of kind of the unknown. Yeah.Brian Bienkowski So you mentioned earlier this kind of idea of being really interested in kind of professional development, and I know outside of your research, you're also, you're doing some other things, and you've you founded a nonprofit, the Educator Collective for Environmental Justice. So I was wondering if you could just tell us about that organization and why you started it?Laura Diaz Yeah, so when I met Karna Wong who, like, blew my mind about environmental justice and and really started supporting me on my journey through, like, integrating environmental justice in the classroom, I literally started writing curriculum for my class that evening, and I knew that there was a gap in environmental justice curriculum and training for educators at that time, and I was chosen to be a Science Friday educator collaborator, where I was able to actually publish my EJ curriculum, which was really cool. And I started getting invited to give conferences or talks at conferences, and I gave a talk at a climate solutions conference, and that's where I met Samra Pathania, who's also a high school teacher, and he is just as passionate about decarbonization and climate solutions. And so we spent that whole conference just like talking together and visioning together, like how we could create a space for professional development and like, almost like a grassroots movement building for educators around these topics of environmental justice and climate solutions. Because, just like, I have that really, like urgent sense to, like do something now, he's similar with decarbonization. And so originally, we started as a home for Educator professional development for again, EJ and climate solutions. And we actually grew really quickly, which was really cool and supported, started supporting youth. So we had a youth collective, which now we have two Youth Environmental Justice councils that we support. We have a cohort of educators that that we support in EJ and climate solutions and decarbonization. And then we also partner with communities. So we've given workshops to communities like building DIY indoor air filters and giving them like educational workshops around environmental justice. We partnered with promotoras and doing, like, some air pollution monitoring. So it's been this, like, really beautiful little space that that is is growing and thriving.Brian Bienkowski Excellent. And speaking of being too busy to play piano, you also co-founded the Partners for Equity and Research, which supports undergraduates doing community engaged research. So can you also talk about this, maybe a project or two that you've worked on there, and how you work to center community voices and experiences in that initiative?Laura Diaz Yeah, so maybe I could describe a little bit of like, our structure. It's a little bit like, yeah, has some moving pieces, but we are an environmental justice hub that's housed at Sonoma State University, and I co-lead that with Professor Daniel Soto, who's a department chair of Geography, Environment and Planning, and we train undergraduate researchers in community-driven research methods. So I like to think of it as a triangle, the way our partnership works. So we have the university and Dr. Soto's really important. Like, kind of the lead there. He's able to recruit the students at Sonoma State. And then there I, like, I'm another point wearing my nonprofit hat, and then we have our community partners, and they are the North Bay Organizing Project, and the Latinx Student Congress, and our partner there is Manny Morales, and we, with his hope, he recruits students from the Latinx Student Congress, And we have a running Latinx Youth Environmental Justice Council, so they get to come on campus, and Dr. Soto and I train the undergrads to, like, lead these workshops in environmental justice and community health. And it's really amazing. And again, like a lot of the students that we're recruiting, most are Latinx, if not most are first gen and then Dr Soto and I are both Latinx, and we're serving, I think it's 100% Latinx youth EJ council with a Latinx partner. And most of these kids come from a predominantly Latinx frontline EJ community. So it's just like, it's such a beautiful space. And Dr Sota, and I really spent a lot of time thinking about reimagining the academy as a public good, like, how do we make the university a space that actually serves the community? And I think speaking about HSI or Hispanic serving institutions, they are so primed to do that because of who we are, right? And there's a there's trust that's kind of baked in, and just our identity right, apart from, like, our ethics really driving building trust with our partners. And we've been using education as a tool for community deliberation so that we can support these youth as they fight for cleaner air and a more just environment. And so things that we've worked on, and so I think, like that piece of it is, like, more important, almost in like, the stuff that they get to do, because we put in all this work to build this partnership, and now we get to just follow their lead, the youth lead. It's beautiful. And so we've done things like, we've given them air monitors. They get to go out and like, monitor the air and like that data is theirs. And then we teach them the research methods of how to clean that data. So it truly is like a practice of data sovereignty. Like that data is theirs. It does not get pushed out to the cloud. It's on an SD card, and they get to decide what they do with it. And we have a couple other projects, like in the works, but it's been a really like healing practice in some of the environmental justice work I'm privileged to do.Brian Bienkowski Well, I bet some of the participants would agree, and the idea of reimagining the academy to be a public good is what you said. And like that is a pretty simple statement, but it's like pretty radical, if you think about the ways universities and institutions have operated for century, over a century. And it's a pretty radical concept, so good on you for for being part of that change. And does this how beautiful to have you speak about Sonoma State University as being pivotal at one point in your life, and now you are, you are one of those people that's that's providing a space for others. So just that full circle is really cool to hear about.Laura Diaz Yeah, it's been, it's been pretty special.Brian Bienkowski Yeah, for sure. And so you mentioned that you are a mother, so we have had, we actually had a podcast with a couple senior fellows where they discuss being researchers and mothers and how things change them, and it was just one of my favorite podcasts that we've done when I turned the microphone over to them, and I'm wondering just how it has it does has it done the same for you? Has it changed how you've thought about or conducted your research?Laura Diaz Yeah, so I came into grad school already being a mom, and so there are ways that it has impacted how I engage in research, for sure, and I think a really, a really, kind of important component of of the work that we do with at Sonoma State, with P4ER. We're also supporting undergraduate students who are also parents, and creating a space where the student parent feels like their whole self is welcome is incredibly important to some of the things that we do. And so there's like, I often bring my son to our workshops, because I know that if I do, then the students can also bring their kids. And so we're really trying to create an atmosphere where motherhood is welcomed, where it's embraced and it's also encouraged. And I think another like piece of being my son's mom that has really impacted me in research, which I feel like this is, again, I'm like, I love education, but that, I think, is a piece that we don't talk about enough in research, is the role that education or knowledge sharing plays in the process of knowledge production. And so if we do research well, but we don't do teaching well, we aren't pushing the edges of that new knowledge enough. And in research, we get to ask new questions, and we get to present that to new learners who have a different worldview than those of us who are asking those questions, so they can write like during the moment research is being done actually impact that research to be a more like to have a fuller angle to it. And so I just, I think about that a lot, because my son is in third grade and just seeing how he's learning and all that stuff. I think, I think a lot about the role of holistic learning and how that can play a big role in healthy development of of children and and research.Brian Bienkowski And I'm wondering if there are things that you tips you have, or things that you do to decompress, to cope, to make sure that you're doing okay.Laura Diaz I'm a dancer, so I'm a salcera, and I dance with a salsa Maria Dance Company in Oakland. Shout out to my dance family. That is a space where I have to shut my brain off, and it's like you were talking about, like music. I think I've been kind of able to get away with not playing piano for so long, because I've been really intensely dancing and so having, like, an artistic expression for my body has been really important. So like, I that that plays a big role in my own ability to kind of sustain we have work that's justice centered. And the cool thing about that too is that, like, they also really embrace like family. So like, my son will come and and, like, sit and watch practices, which he, like loves doing, which is super cool, because I remember being kid and going to my dad's soccer games and like that being a really like, it actually is, like, a big health promotion piece of my life, right, seeing my parents be active. Um, but anyways, so yeah, dance.Brian Bienkowski I think that's a good point too. Like having your children. See, I'm a big fan. I don't have kids. We are, we are child-free, but I have nieces and nephews, and I think it's so important for kids to see their parents as human beings. Like, yes, mom works hard and does research and but mom also dances like that. I don't know, to me, there's something cool about kids seeing their parents as whole human beings. So Laura, before we get to some of the fun questions and get you out of here, what are you optimistic about?Laura Diaz this summer, we came off of doing a summer institute for educators, and being able to be in community with educators who are these incredible like, they're the heart of a lot of of their community, like, of their school communities, and the impact that they have on on the kids that they get to teach, like, really does provide a lot of hope for me. And I think, like also being able to partner with youth and seeing just how they're such a raw reflection of society, how they're like, not fully yet assimilated into our social hierarchies. And when they see something that's wrong, like, they call it outright then and there, right? And they're like, dude, let's do something about it. And like, that is the energy that we need in this space, and it's such a privilege to work in partnership to their own EJ activism.Brian Bienkowski Awesome. Well, what a beautiful note to end on. So I have three rapid fire questions where you can just answer with one word or a phrase. My dream vacation isLaura Diaz Mexico City.Brian Bienkowski I feel most creative when I'mLaura Diaz Dancing salsaBrian Bienkowski if I could have dinner with one person, it would beLaura Diaz Leslie Jones.Brian Bienkowski Tell me about Leslie Jones?Laura Diaz Oh, she's someone I really look up to. She also has a brother who struggled and like seeing the way her autobiography. Is amazing, by the way, but just like the way that she's chosen to like, be strong and push through that and also be authentic and be raw and be herself, is something that I like. I hope that I bring in all the spaces that I have the privilege to navigate through.Brian Bienkowski Well, you've certainly brought it to the space today. And I don't know if it's if it's her autobiography or not, but what is the last book you read for fun?Laura Diaz I read In the Dream House, which is also an autobiography by Carmen Maria Machado. It's really beautiful. I read a lot. So I also read hood. Just finished reading Hood Feminism, which is an amazing book by Mickey Kendall, and it like talks about how feminism needs to prioritize the hood bipoc woman's experience. It's amazing.Brian Bienkowski But Laura, it has been so wonderful to have you on today. I'm so glad you're in this program and to be introduced to your work and your mind and the things that you're thinking about. So thank you so much.Laura Diaz Yeah, thank you so much.

Barbara Sattler is on a mission to transform the way nurses, physicians and the general public think about threats to health. For Sattler, a registered nurse, emerita professor of public health at the University of San Francisco and founding member of the international Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, it starts with being able to […]

Nurse Barbara Sattler pioneers a crucial shift in health care, addressing climate change as an urgent medical crisis that demands innovative solutions.Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.In short:Sattler emphasizes the critical need for health professionals to understand and communicate the health impacts of climate change effectively.She uses simple analogies to explain complex issues, like comparing the earth's warming to the rapid heating of a car in the sun, to make the science accessible.Sattler advocates for community resilience and stresses the importance of preparing health professionals to address the health risks associated with a changing climate.Key quote:“Go up just a couple of degrees, we start to feel crappy. One or two more degrees after that we start to have physiological changes. If we stay at 104 for a while, we’re in real trouble.”— Dr. Barbara Sattler, founding member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy EnvironmentsWhy this matters:Understanding the intersection of climate change and health is essential for mitigating its impacts on our well-being. Sattler's work illuminates how health professionals can play a pivotal role in this effort, signaling the need for a broader societal shift toward sustainability and resilience in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

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Living near oil and gas operations, including fracking wells, is linked to stress and depression in people who are planning pregnancies, according to a new study. Previous research has found that living near oil and gas operations is linked to physical and mental health problems during and after pregnancy including preterm birth, birth defects, low birth weights and increased stress. However, little research exists on the effects of preconception mental health. Some studies suggest that poor mental health during this time period is associated with increased odds of pregnancy complications. The new study, conducted by researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health and published in the American Journal of Public Health, is the first to investigate how living near oil and gas operations affects mental health in people who are hoping to become pregnant. “There are around 29 studies to date on associations between residential proximity to oil and gas development and adverse birth outcomes,” Mary D. Willis, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, told EHN. “That body of work is very focused on the long-term health of infants, which is important, but this work adds to that literature by centering the potentially pregnant person.” Willis and her colleagues looked at mental health survey data for 5,725 people, including residents across 37 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, who were planning to get pregnant. The study only included people with household incomes below $50,000 a year since they may not have the resources to move away from oil and gas operations if they wanted to. They found that people who lived within roughly six miles of active oil and gas development were more likely to report moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms than people living 12 to 31 miles away, and that higher levels of active oil and gas activity were linked to higher reported levels of depression. They also found that the closer people lived to oil and gas operations, the higher the intensity of their stress levels. While the study doesn’t prove that oil and gas operations cause stress and depression, researchers point to factors like changing economic and social dynamics and environmental degradation in communities with oil and gas development as factors that could impact mental health. “Our findings lend credibility to the hypothesis that this industry, with its boom and bust cycles, brings economic, environmental and social hazards that lead to negative mental health outcomes,” Willis said. “If we’re concerned about healthy pregnancies, focusing on the period before pregnancy may be even more important, and that time-frame is under-studied,” she added. The study noted that many of the people in the study who reported elevated stress and depression symptoms lived further away from oil and gas operations than the minimum distance required in many states to protect people in homes, schools and healthcare facilities. “Our findings lend credibility to the hypothesis that this industry, with its boom and bust cycles, brings economic, environmental and social hazards that lead to negative mental health outcomes.” - Mary D. Willis, Boston UniversityIn Pennsylvania and Texas, for example, the two states with the highest rates of natural gas production, minimum “setback” distances are as small as 200 feet. Pennsylvania’s setback has been increased to 500 feet, but that only applies to newly constructed oil and gas wells. The findings of the study imply that “these setback distances may not be big enough to protect population health and specifically mental health,” Willis said.

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Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org, and ALTAVOZ LAB proudly introduce Alejandra Martinez and Wendy Selene Pérez as the 2023-2024 Environmental Fellows. For the past 9 months, the two journalists have investigated how fenceline residents near the Houston Ship Channel are affected by pollution from the massive petrochemical buildout in the region. This spring they’ll undertake an innovative, on-the-ground outreach effort to ensure impacted communities have access to their reporting and to foster dialogue around solutions.Alejandra Martinez is The Texas Tribune’s Fort Worth-based environmental reporter. She joined the Tribune in the fall of 2022. Alejandra was previously an accountability reporter at KERA, where she began as a Report for America corps member and then covered Dallas City Hall. Before that, she worked as an associate producer at WLRN, South Florida’s public radio station. Alejandra studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, and interned at KUT and NPR’s Latino USA. She’s a native of the Aldine area of Harris County and speaks fluent Spanish.Wendy Selene Pérez is a freelance journalist with a two-decade career spanning various media outlets in Mexico, Argentina, and the United States. Her work focuses on social justice, victims of violence, government accountability, transparency, and immigration. Wendy’s articles have been featured in El País, Gatopardo, Proceso, The Baffler, Vice, and Al Día Dallas/The Dallas Morning News. She has held positions such as bureau chief of CNN Mexico, editor of Domingo magazine (El Universal), and multimedia editor of Clarin.com. Previously, she served as the chief multimedia editor of the newspaper Mural (Grupo Reforma). Wendy holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Diario Clarín-Universidad de San Andrés-Columbia University, with her thesis titled “La Tierra de las Fosas,” a data-driven journalistic investigation. She has been honored with the National Journalism Awards in Mexico (2019, 2022), the Walter Reuter German Journalism Award (2020), the Breach-Valdez Human Rights Award (2022, 2023), the Texas APME 2021 News Spanish-Language award, the ICFJ’s COVID-19 reporting story contest, and received an honorable mention in the Latin American Investigative Journalism Award (COLPIN, 2022).Perla Trevizo is a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Trevizo is a Mexican-American reporter born in Ciudad Juárez and raised across the border in El Paso, Texas, where she began her journalism career. Trevizo spent more than 10 years covering immigration and border issues in Tennessee and Arizona before joining the Houston Chronicle as an environmental reporter. Her work has earned her national and state awards including the Dori J. Maynard Award for Diversity in Journalism, French-American Foundation Immigration Journalism Award, and a national Edward R. Murrow for a story done in collaboration with Arizona Public Media. She was also honored as the 2019 Arizona Journalist of the Year by the Arizona Newspaper AssociationALTAVOZ LAB is a mentorship organization designed to produce collaborative projects to strengthen reporters at community outlets that serve Black, Indigenous, immigrant and other communities of color in the U.S. with the goal of publishing stories that will enable local audiences to participate fully in democracy. "We want to invest in journalists who tell stories not only about but for marginalized communities in innovative ways, fostering collaborations between local publications and Spanish-speaking outlets to deliver information where it can have the greatest impact,” said Valeria Fernández, founder and executive director of ALTAVOZ LAB which started in 2022." This collaboration between Alejandra Martinez and Wendy Selene Pérez is a powerful example of what's possible when we center our journalism on those most impacted by public policies, striving to serve them."The fellows will bolster community networks and bring information about the health and environmental consequences of the expansion of petrochemical projects in Texas to audiences who normally do not have access to such information. Their work will be published in both English and Spanish Support of the ALTAVOZ LAB environmental fellowship is a crucial component of Environmental Health Sciences’ commitment to increasing access to environmental health and justice reporting in Spanish through our EHN en Español initiative. Stay tuned for our upcoming reporting projects.

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Past Presentation | Contrasting powerful forces opposing change with compelling stories of pioneering leaders and the patients they seek to help, this film exposes the perverse nature of American healthcare and explores whether there is a way out. It’s about saving the health of a nation