Do Air Pollution Protections Kill Jobs? Not Exactly.

Do Air Pollution Protections Kill Jobs? Not Exactly.
Post Date March 15, 2017
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Category Blog, Opinion

If you’re like me, you try to stay as informed as possible about current events, trends, and research. I think it’s important to know what’s going on and why so I can contribute positively to my community.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about rolling back regulations. This isn’t new, by any means. But there has been an increase in this rhetoric (and legislation) in the past couple of years.)

President Trump recently signed an executive order creating a task force to identify so-called “job-killing regulations” to get rid of …

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Coosa Riverkeeper Introduces New Fish Guide, Toll-Free Fish Advisory Hotline

Coosa Riverkeeper Introduces New Fish Guide, Toll-Free Fish Advisory Hotline
Post Date March 2, 2017
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Category Air Quality, Blog, Climate & Energy, News

The Alabama Department of Public Health issues fish advisories for contaminants like methylmercury and PCBs — which are toxins hazardous to human health. ADPH also makes recommendations about portion size and frequency of fish consumed in specific waterbodies.

When our friends at Coosa Riverkeeper interviewed more than 125+ fishers, they found some startling results. Nearly half of the Coosa fishers didn’t know about the 34 fish advisories ADPH issues last year for polychlorinated biphynels (PCBs) and methylmercury — or how exposure to those pollutants affect their health.

In response, Coosa Riverkeeper released its new Fish Guide this week, which now includes …

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The Truth About Rep. Gary Palmer’s Anti-EPA Bill

The Truth About Rep. Gary Palmer’s Anti-EPA Bill
Post Date February 23, 2017
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Category Action, Climate & Energy

BACKGROUND.

Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6) introduced H.R. 637 in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 24, 2017. The stated purpose of the bill is “to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from exceeding its statutory authority in ways that were not contemplated by the Congress.”

We are urging our supporters to add your name to this petition opposing this bill. We feel that if we work together, we can find better way to address concerns about regulations while still protecting public health and addressing greenhouse gases. We will attempt to share this …

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Clean Air, Healthy Brain?

Clean Air, Healthy Brain?
Post Date February 3, 2017
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Category Air Quality, Blog

New evidence reveals a surprising link between air pollution and cognitive health

Research has for years linked exposure to air pollution with health risks like asthma, lung cancer, and, more recently, heart disease.

But now alarming new studies are connecting exposure to brain health. Specifically, researchers have found a correlation between breathing fine particulate matter and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Scientists at the University of Southern California studied the cognitive health of women between the ages of 65 and 79 for 10 years. They found that those who were exposed to elevated levels of particle …

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Meet the Interns: Dania Ashour

Meet the Interns: Dania Ashour
Post Date January 26, 2017
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Category Blog

Yesterday we introduced you to our intern from the UAB School of Public Health, Nkereuwem Samuel Unwana — who goes by Life. Now we would like you to meet our intern from the UAB School of Engineering, Dania Ashour. Dania is working with a pair of brilliant volunteer engineers on building a custom, replicable digital air monitor that we can use to collect and share hyper-local air quality data as part of our emerging citizen-science program. Welcome, Dania!

What is your major at UAB and why did you choose it?

I chose mechanical engineering because …

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Meet the Interns: Nkereuwem ‘Life’ Samuel Unwana

Meet the Interns: Nkereuwem ‘Life’ Samuel Unwana
Post Date January 25, 2017
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Category Blog

This week we will introduce you to two interns who are working with Gasp this semester through the Academic Small Business Alliance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dania Ashour and Nkereuwem (Life) Samuel Unwana are working to develop a scalable citizen-science educational program. Life’s project involves putting together a citizen science manual, assisting with public health research, and creating a presentation on the health effects of air pollution. Dania is working with volunteer engineers to build a replicable digital air monitor prototype which will be used to collect and …

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Alternative Facts: Air Pollution, Climate Change & Health

Alternative Facts: Air Pollution, Climate Change & Health
Post Date January 24, 2017
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Category Air Quality, Blog, Climate & Energy, Environmental Justice, Healthy Kids

This past Sunday, a Meet the Press interview featuring Counselor to President Donald Trump Kellyanne Conway went viral after she coined the phrase “alternative facts.” I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard this euphemism coming out of the new White House. (I also cringed at the Orwellian undertones. But that’s a topic for a book club.)

WATCH: Kellyanne Conway defends WH press secretary's "alternative facts." #MTP pic.twitter.com/q4PVzhpA1g

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 22, 2017

Here’s the deal: Gasp is a nonpartisan, apolitical advocacy organization. We just want healthy air for …

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Gasp Launches New Online Air Quality Tool

Gasp Launches New Online Air Quality Tool
Post Date January 5, 2017
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Category Air Quality, News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gasp Launches New Online Air Quality Tool

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Jan. 5, 2017) — In an effort to reduce exposure to the harmful health effects of air pollution, Gasp this week announced that it has released a new online tool for users to get the current and next day’s air quality for the Birmingham area.

The Air Quality Widget displays the current air quality index, or AQI, with a corresponding color code based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow data. It updates twice per hour. The …

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19 copies of ‘Toxic City’ DVD donated to the Birmingham Public Library

19 copies of ‘Toxic City’ DVD donated to the Birmingham Public Library
Post Date December 28, 2016
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Category Environmental Justice, News

For Immediate Release

19 copies of ‘Toxic City’ DVD donated to the Birmingham Public Library

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Gasp, a Birmingham-based health advocacy nonprofit, has given the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) 19 DVD copies of “Toxic City: Birmingham’s Dirty Secret,” an award-winning documentary about the impact industrial pollution has on area citizens.

Gasp produced “Toxic City” in 2014 to shine the light on how individuals in Collegeville, North Birmingham, other communities in the northern part of the city, and Tarrant are impacted by hazardous industrial pollution. The 26-minute documentary …

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Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Sides with Gasp

Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Sides with Gasp
Post Date December 16, 2016
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Category News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Rules in Gasp’s Favor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals today affirmed a prior court ruling that Gasp is entitled to a hearing before the Jefferson County Board of Health (BOH) on the reissuance of ABC Coke’s operating permit.

ABC Coke is a subsidiary of Drummond Company, located in Tarrant, Ala. The facility is a source of toxic emissions and one of the worst polluters in the greater-Birmingham area.

Executive Director Michael Hansen called the decision a victory …

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