PSR Monitor

Congress eliminates funding for nuclear weapons tests

Within the deliberations over the mammoth $740.5 billion military budget, one very important cut was a victory for PSR and our allies. Ten million dollars in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act was cut out of the House-Senate compromise budget that Congress ultimately sent to President Trump. The $10 million was slated to prepare the Nevada test site to resume nuclear weapons tests after a 28 year hiatus. Thanks to PSR members who prevailed upon the negotiators—especially Senator Reed of Rhode Island, to cut the testing money out.

Reentry into the Iran deal is a crucial first step for the president-elect

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the world has become a more dangerous place partly due to President Donald Trump's policies, and he urged Mr. Trump's successor, President Elect Joe Biden, to return to nuclear negotiations with adversaries. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi discussed the risks of both Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs to the world, and said Mr. Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the international nuclear agreement with Tehran had intensified the danger.

7th Edition of Fracking "Compendium" Highlights Oil and Gas Risks, Harms

We are so proud to share with you the 7th edition of the fracking "Compendium." This unique volume compiles and summarizes medical, scientific, governmental and investigative articles on fracking's harms to health.

The EPA turns 50!

The EPA turned 50 this month. PSR celebrates its success while recognizing that more must be done to combat climate change. Read PSR board member Dr. Alan Lockwood's op-ed.

And in honor of the EPA's 50th anniversary, any donation you make to PSR will be matched dollar for dollar through the end of December. Make your end-of-the-year, tax-deductible donation here.

"Green" Offices Save Money AND are Healthier: New Analysis

This month, PSR's My Green Doctor presents a new analysis showing how environmentally sustainable offices build healthier communities. Hospitals are responsible for a lot of air pollution, greenhouse gases, and waste. The new analysis tells us that the environmental damage from outpatient care is nearly as great as that from hospitals, and how improving our practices could have a big impact on health.

My Green Doctor is a free donor and membership benefit from Physicians for Social Responsibility. It helps you as a clinician save money by guiding your office to adopt wise environmental practices. It also encourages you to share these ideas with your patients as a means of slowing the momentum of climate change and preparing for its threats to health. Ask your office manager to register, and please share this with your colleagues.

Remembering Dr. H. Jack Geiger, PSR co-founder

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. H. Jack Geiger, a co-founder and former president of PSR. Dr. Geiger died on Sunday night at his home in Brooklyn, New York. We extend our sincere condolences to Dr. Geiger’s family and loving friends as we remember his remarkable life.

In the news

H. Jack Geiger, Doctor Who Fought Social Ills, Dies at 95
The New York Times - Dec 28

State gives $2.5 million to Pitt to study health impacts of fracking
StateImpact Pennsylvania - Dec 23
Quotes PSR Pennsylvania's Laura Dagley

Ahwatukee homeowners eligible for solar co-op
Ahwatukee Foothills News - Dec 23
Quotes PSR Arizona's Barbara Warren, MD

How Pennsylvania tracks the COVID vaccine
Reading Eagle - Dec 21
Quotes PSR Pennsylvania's Walter Tsou, MD, MPH

'Green economy' will be healthier for us all
Jonathan Witte, MD, Washington PSR member, Everett Herald - Dec 16

Indigenous-led resistance to Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline threatens Big Oil's last stand
Waging Nonviolence - Dec 14
Quotes PSR board member Laalitha Surapaneni, MBBS, MPH

In Weymouth, a brute lesson in power politics
Boston Globe - Dec 12
Features Greater Boston PSR

Natural-gas ads shouldn't have gone on buses, King County Metro Transit says
Seattle Times - Dec 11
Mentions PSR

Nuclear Weapons as a Public Health Issue: APHA Calls on Governments to Mitigate Harm, Work Toward Disarmament
Atomic Pulse (Nuclear Threat Initiative) - Dec 9
Features PSR Board Member Tova Fuller, MD, PhD

The EPA turns 50, celebrating successes but with climate change its next frontier
Alan Lockwood, MD, FAAN, FANA, PSR board member, Cleveland.com - Dec 9

Governor Newsom Appoints New Chair to Air Resources Board
Streetsblog California - Dec 9
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, PSR-Los Angeles

Mask mandate gaining bipartisan support in Florida
News4Jax - Dec 8
Quotes PSR Florida's Ron Saff, MD

Should California ban gas in new homes? A climate battle heats up
Los Angeles Times - Dec 7
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, PSR-Los Angeles

Why Gas Stoves Are More Hazardous Than We've Been Led to Believe
Slate - Dec 3
Cites PSR's gas stoves report

Families and Advocates Criticize Pa.'s Fracking Health Studies
The Allegheny Front - Dec 3
Quotes Laura Dagley, PSR Pennsylvania

Los Angeles Moves Closer to Forcing Oil & Gas Drillers Out of City
Courthouse News Service - Dec 1
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello, Executive Director, PSR-Los Angeles

Federal permits for Kalama methanol plant thrown out
The Reflector - Nov 30
Mentions Washington PSR

Doctors Call on DeSantis to Allow Tougher Local Restrictions as COVID-19 Cases Rise
Spectrum News 13 - Nov 27
Quotes PSR Florida's Howard Kessler, MD

We continue to suffer from air pollution
Edward C. Ketyer, MD, PSR Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Nov 27

Parents Juggling Work In The Pandemic Should Be Extra Careful About Dangerous Toys, Annual Report Warns
KUT 90.5 (NPR) - Nov 27
Quotes Mary Beth Bennett, Texas PSR board member

Florida municipalities seek more local control over pandemic policy
ABC 3 - Nov 23
Quotes PSR Florida's Howard Kessler, MD

Coalition calls on Gov. Wolf to release inmates during pandemic
WTAJ - Nov 23
Mentions PSR Pennsylvania

Congressional Budget Responses to the Pandemic: Fund Health Care, Not Warfare
Cornelia van der Ziel, MD, GBPSR board member, American Journal of Public Health - Nov 19

Federal judge blocks oil drilling efforts in Wyoming for failure to assess climate impact
Jurist - Nov 17
Coverage of PSR lawsuit