Unhealthy trend: a new Cold War with China

The Senate is considering "competitiveness" legislation that justifies enormous military expenditures by portraying China as a global adversary to the United States. Sixty-six organizations, including PSR, issued a joint statement on May 17 to draw attention to many flaws in the "Strategic Competition Act," which was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey). This statement urged the President and Congress to work together with China and other nations to address the "true global security challenges of today—like economic inequality and lack of opportunity, climate change, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, financial crises and supply chain disruption, and ethnonationalism."

Remembering disarmament hero Grigoris Lambrakis, MD

Physician Grigoris Lambrakis (1912-1963) was a champion athlete who worked to free Greece from Nazi occupation during WWII, served on the medical faculty at University of Athens, and was a leader in the international movement opposing nuclear weapons. Lambrakis was assassinated on May 27, 1963.

PSR Demands New Methane Standards

With leadership from PSR, 16 health organizations are calling on the U.S. EPA to establish and enforce stronger limits on methane and toxic gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.

PSR Actions

Tell Congress today: We need strong climate action!

Tell your representative to co-sponsor the No First Use Act

Upcoming Virtual Events

The Public Health Threat of Policing and Mass Incarceration
Wed. May 26, 7:00 - 8:30 pm PDT
Join this SF Bay PSR event to learn the public health benefits of directing more funds and efforts toward improving preventative systems, supporting communities, and advancing anti-racism efforts, and away from policing and incarceration. Register

Forum: Fund Health Care not Warfare – Pressing Needs for the Public's Health and Pandemic Protection
Sat. Jun. 5, 2:00 - 5:00 pm EDT
Virtual forum organized by Massachusetts Peace Action. Includes panel presentations by PSR Nuclear Weapons Abolition Program staff Allen Hester and Martin Fleck. Register

GBPSR Monthly Meeting
Mon. Jun. 7, 7:00 pm EDT
Greater Boston PSR's monthly meeting – open to all. Please contact Anna Baker at abaker@gbpsr.org for Zoom information.
 

Plastics in Pennsylvania: Unseen threats & how we solve them
Wed. Jun 16, 6:00 pm EDT
Join this PSR-PA event to learn more about the life cycle of plastics and how you can work towards policy change in your community. You'll leave with resources that can be put to use immediately. Register

WNCPSR Monthly Meeting
Fri. Jun. 18, 12:30 - 2:00 pm EDT
Physicians, health personnel and everyone; all are welcomed at Western North Carolina's meetings held on the third Friday of each month. Click here for call-in info.
 

Decarbonzing Finance: Beyond Divestment/Investment
Wed. Jun. 23, 5:00 pm PDT
Learn how we can work to decarbonize finance globally and in California, featuring speakers Sandy Emerson of Fossil Free California and Paddy McCully of Reclaim Finance. Sponsored by San Francisco Bay PSR. Register
 

Racial Equity Reading Group
Wed. Jun. 30, 7:00 pm PDT
SF Bay PSR's informal reading and discussion group about issues of structural racism and inequity, particularly as they negatively impact public health and medicine. To join please email tara@sfbaypsr.org. All are welcome (not just health professionals).
 

More events

In the news

Sen. Markey & Rep. Cartwright Re-Introduce Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act
Press Statement from Sen. Ed Markey - May 18
Mentions PSR

The predominantly Latino town near Denver facing the brunt of one energy company's ignorance
AL DÍA - May 17
Cites PSR's fracking Compendium

This 'Woke' Oil Company Has Been Illegally Polluting a Poor Latino Community
Vice - May 17
Cites PSR's fracking Compendium

Environmental advocates sue Boulder over Rocky Mountain Greenway
The Denver Post - May 13
Coverage of PSR Colorado lawsuit

Group sues City of Boulder over Rocky Flats trail plan
Boulder Weekly - May 13
Coverage of PSR Colorado lawsuit

Can Philadelphia's gas utility survive in a climate where fossil fuels are shunned?
Philadelphia Inquirer - May 11
Quotes PSR Pennsylvania's Walter Tsou, MD

Environmental advocates sue Boulder over Rocky Mountain Greenway
Broomfield Enterprise - May 11
Coverage of PSR Colorado lawsuit

Coalition Calls for United Nations Inquiry into US Police Violence
Human Rights Watch - May 10
Mentions San Francisco Bay PSR

Air Quality, Climate Change & Health Impacts with Drs. Alan Greenglass & Pouné Saberi
Lungcast (American Lung Association) - May 9
Podcast interview with PSR's Alan Greenglass, MD, and Pouné Saberi, MD, MPH

Seattle City Council favors using car-tab fee mainly for bridge repair
Seattle Times - May 5
Quotes Washington PSR's Annemarie Dooley, MD

Newsom Announces Plan to Phase Out Fracking
New University - May 5
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello of PSR-Los Angeles

McDonald's Stores Collect COVID Relief Funds — And Employee Safety Complaints
Capital & Main - May 4
Cites research from PSR-Los Angeles

Dingell and Markey Introduce $10 Trillion THRIVE Act to Tackle 'Our Biggest Emergencies'
Common Dreams - Apr 29
Mentions PSR

California plans to phase out all oil and gas production by 2045
Grist - Apr 27
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello of PSR-Los Angeles

Washington joins Oregon, California, B.C. in passing low-carbon fuel standard
OPB - Apr 27
Quotes Chris Covert-Bowlds, MD, of Washington PSR

McDonald's workers want more say over California labor conditions. This plan would help them.
The Sacramento Bee - Apr 26
Cites research from PSR-Los Angeles

California takes steps to ban fracking by 2024 and will halt oil extraction by 2045
The Guardian - Apr 23
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello of PSR-Los Angeles

Thank women for keeping us safe from nuclear disaster
Utica Observer-Dispatch - Apr 22
Cites data from PSR Los Angeles

Boulder Gave Green Light to Greenway Plans Without Public Comment
Westword - Apr 22
Coverage of PSR Colorado lawsuit

How California Oil Spillers Fend Off New Climate Laws
Capital & Main - Apr 22
Quotes Martha Dina Argüello of PSR-Los Angeles

Environmental bills we're tracking in the 2021 Oregon legislative session
Street Roots - Apr 21
Mentions Oregon PSR